UFC Signs 20-Year-Old DWCS Vet Jose Henrique Souza

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship has just signed the youngest fighter to ever come out of Amazonas, Brazil.

At just 20 years of age, Brazilian prospect Jose Henrique Nascimento de Souza, better known as Jose Henrique Souza (6-1) or just Henrique “Canela,” has signed a contract with the UFC. The 6-foot-3 athlete will likely compete in the welterweight division, although he started his career at 185 pounds. As a result, he becomes the youngest fighter from Amazonas to join the organization, putting him one step closer to the dream he has held since he was eight years old to become a UFC champ. At that time, the promotion had the likes of Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo holding belts.

Considered by some to be the martial arts capital of Brazil, the state of Amazonas is home to many top talents including Bibiano Fernandes, Ketlen Vieira and Adriano Martins, among several others. Born in Manaus, the youngster first started practicing jiu-jitsu when he was eight, but not for competition purposes. Instead, the boy now called “Canela” wanted to lose weight. It did not take long for him to be opened up to MMA, and he decided he would like to become a fighter shortly into his training. Now, he trains at Nova Uniao, learning from some of the best fighters in the world.

“I'm very happy to be in the UFC, feeling like a dream come true,” Souza excitedly explained to Sherdog. “I worked every day to make this happen, now I'll work twice as hard to [improve] myself and one day I can become champion.”

Winning once under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner in 2022, at 5-0, Souza was then selected for the 2022 season of Dana White's Contender Series. There, he met Japanese fellow neophyte Yusaku Kinoshita, and he suffered the first loss of his career. “Canela” rebounded in February by obliterating Alan Silva with a knee with just five seconds left in the third round. The 20-year-old signed a four-fight contract, and the date of his debut and prospective opponent have not yet been announced.