Ilir Latifi

Ilir Latifi was born on July 28, 1983, in Malmö, Sweden. Of Albanian descent, his parents emigrated from Kosovo in the 1960s. Latifi began wrestling at a young age, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Arben, who was also a martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Ilir continued wrestling, becoming a two-time national wrestling champion, and also secured a gold medal at the 2003 ADCC European Championships in Submission Wrestling. His early career in MMA began in 2008 as a heavyweight, with his first professional fight being a no-contest due to a ring malfunction. He then recorded victories, including a notable win over seasoned fighter Tony Lopez, before transitioning to light heavyweight.

Latifi joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2013, making his debut on short notice against Gegard Mousasi. Despite a loss, his willingness to step up earned him recognition from UFC President Dana White. Over the years, Latifi secured several victories in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, including submission wins against Cyrille Diabaté and Ovince Saint Preux, with the latter earning him a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus in 2018. He also achieved knockout victories against Chris Dempsey, Hans Stringer, and Sean O’Connell. His career trajectory saw him move back to the heavyweight division in 2019, where he continued to compete against notable opponents.

After concluding his tenure with the UFC, Latifi signed with the Global Fight League in 2024, marking a new chapter in his professional fighting career. Throughout his career, Latifi has been recognized for his contributions to the sport, including being awarded ‘role model of the year’ and receiving the people’s choice award at the annual Swedish martial arts awards ceremony, Kampsportsgalan, in 2016. He has consistently demonstrated resilience and adaptability by competing across multiple weight classes and against top-tier opponents.