International Vale Tudo Championship
Encyclopedia
The International Vale Tudo Championship was a series of no holds barred
-style MMA
fighting promotion based in Brazil
starting in 1997. It was inspired by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
and gained an international reputation for its hardcore nature. Head butts and groin strikes were not forbidden. Head butts render fighters on the bottom in the guard position
more vulnerable. Founded by Sergio Batarelli, it became one of the most important Vale Tudo tournaments in Brazil during its existence. While the UFC fights were held in an octagon, the IVC kept the normal ring shape. A fight lasted a maximum of 30 minutes. It was not uncommon for fighters to get a hand broken, lose teeth or receive cuts in their faces. An IVC in 1999 concluded with 8 out of 10 matches finished with strikes.
Vale tudo
Vale tudo are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. Vale tudo has been considered a combat sport by some observers...
-style MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighting promotion based in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
starting in 1997. It was inspired by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
and gained an international reputation for its hardcore nature. Head butts and groin strikes were not forbidden. Head butts render fighters on the bottom in the guard position
Guard (grappling)
The guard is a ground grappling position where one combatant has their back to the ground, while attempting to control the other combatant using the legs...
more vulnerable. Founded by Sergio Batarelli, it became one of the most important Vale Tudo tournaments in Brazil during its existence. While the UFC fights were held in an octagon, the IVC kept the normal ring shape. A fight lasted a maximum of 30 minutes. It was not uncommon for fighters to get a hand broken, lose teeth or receive cuts in their faces. An IVC in 1999 concluded with 8 out of 10 matches finished with strikes.
| Ancient Greece | – Pankration Pankration Pankration was a martial art introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling but without any rules. The term comes from the Greek , literally meaning "all powers" from "all" + "strength, power". Spartans were taught to use this ancient... |
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| Late 19th century | – Hybrid martial arts Hybrid martial arts Hybrid martial arts refer to martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several particular martial arts... |
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| Late 1880s | – Early NHB and Mixed Style Contests | |
| 1920s | – Early Vale Tudo Vale tudo Vale tudo are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. Vale tudo has been considered a combat sport by some observers... and Gracie Challenge Gracie challenge The Gracie challenge was an open invitation issued by some members of the Brazilian Gracie family, known for their Brazilian Jiu-jitsu mastery, to martial artists of other styles to fight them in a Vale tudo match. A precursor to the Ultimate Fighting Championship , the purpose of these... |
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| 1960s and 1970s | – Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of... |
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| 1970s | – Antonio Inoki Antonio Inoki is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes... and Ishu Kakutougi Sen |
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| 1985 | – Shooto Shooto Shooto is a mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters,... forms |
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| 1991 | – First Desafio (BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting... vs. Luta Livre) Event |
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| 1993 | – Pancrase Pancrase Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the... forms |
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| 1993 | – UFC forms | |
| Mid/Late 1990s | – International Vale Tudo (WVC World Vale Tudo Championship The World Vale Tudo Championship, or WVC, was a no holds barred-style MMA fighting promotion based in Brazil. The promotion was founded by Brazilian promoter Frederico Lapenda... , VTJ Vale Tudo Japan Vale Tudo Japan was an annual mixed martial arts tournament held in Japan from 1994 to 1999 with a reunion event in 2009.-Vale Tudo Japan 1994:Vale Tudo Japan 1994 was held on July 29, 1994 at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu, Japan.... , IVC International Vale Tudo Championship The International Vale Tudo Championship was a series of no holds barred-style MMA fighting promotion based in Brazil starting in 1997. It was inspired by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and gained an international reputation for its hardcore nature. Head butts and groin strikes were not... , UVF etc.) |
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| 1997-2007 | – PRIDE FC and UFC Era | |
| 2000 | – New Jersey SACB New Jersey State Athletic Control Board The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New Jersey, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers... develops Unified rules |
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| 2001 | – Zuffa buys UFC | |
| 2005 | – The Ultimate Fighter The Ultimate Fighter The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as... Debuts |
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| 2005 | – US Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services... begins sanctioning MMA |
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| 2006-Present | – UFC dominance and international growth | |
| 2006 | – Zuffa buys WFA World Fighting Alliance The World Fighting Alliance was a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.Originally owned and organized by MMA Legend and trainer John Lewis and nightclub operator and "Club Rubber" promoter John Huntington along with Lawyer Louis Palazzo , the WFA began promoting events after... and WEC World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller... |
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| 2006 | – UFC 66 UFC 66 UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada .-Background:... generates over a million PPV Pay-per-view Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it... buys |
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| 2007 | – Zuffa buys PRIDE FC | |
| 2008 | – EliteXC: Primetime EliteXC: Primetime EliteXC: Primetime was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Elite Xtreme Combat taking place on May 31, 2008 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The main card aired live on CBS, marking the first time a MMA event aired in primetime on major American network television... gains over 6.5 million viewers on CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... |
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| 2009 | – Strikeforce Strikeforce Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC... holds 1st major card Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. It was held in San Jose, California on August 15, 2009. The event aired live on the Showtime cable network and marked the first time two women headlined a major MMA event.... with female main event |
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| 2011 | – WEC merged with UFC | |
| 2011 | – Zuffa buys Strikeforce |