Vale Tudo Fights: Vale Tudo was practised by Brazilians long before mixed martial arts became popular. These are freestyle boxing matches that were popular in Brazil in the early 1900s. Because it allowed warriors from different backgrounds to compete against one another, it paved the way for mixed martial arts. Modern mixed martial arts (MMA) enforce rules, weight classes, and round limits to protect fighters.
Vale Tudo Fights: How It Began
The English translation of Vale Tudo is “anything goes.” That is a fitting moniker for these cruel competitions in which there were almost no rules for competitors to abide by. Biting, eye gouging, and low strikes were all acceptable methods.
Vale Tudo contests have a long history that began in the early 1910s. Sideshow circus producers would include attractions in their acts to entice people to come. Like professional wrestling in the US, it’s equivalent.
A few of the previous Vale Tudo bouts were predetermined, with the victor known in advance. Others included actual matches between a champion and a challenger. A varied mix of individuals from all over the world, some of them bringing their martial arts techniques with them to Brazil. Many of these martial artists began testing themselves against combatants trained in diverse disciplines at Vale Tudo competitions. While some of these battles happened in Brazilian streets, others happened in gyms.
Promoters of fights and circuses soon saw they had a money maker on their hands, so they began putting on legitimate events with some of the top boxers in the region. Thousands of people watched these battles in spacious venues, cheering them on. Simple rules applied: to win, you had to force your opponent to give up, submit, or knock them out. Time restrictions were negotiable based on the event promoter. Time constraints varied between Vale Tudo contests, resulting in battles that may go on for many hours. Gloves were not worn by fighters throughout the contest. All engaged in bare-knuckle combat.
Up until mixed martial arts began to gain prominence in Brazil in the late 20th century, Vale Tudo would continue to have great popularity there. Vale Tudo was reduced to a fringe sport as mixed martial arts gained more acceptance from regulatory organisations and the general public.
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The Top 3 Battles in Vale Tudo History
The Gracies, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu royal family, contributed significantly to the success of Vale Tudo competitions in Brazil. Under Mitsuyo Maeda’s tutelage, Helio and Carlos studied Judo and began creating what is today known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They began battling other martial artists who trained in other techniques in an effort to demonstrate the efficacy of their combat method.
Known as the “Gracie Challenge,” several family members demonstrated their mettle in Vale Tudo battles. Over 60 years passed throughout these battles, involving several generations of Gracies. In the end, Rorion Gracie established the Ultimate Fighting Championship to showcase his family’s Vale Tudo bouts to a global audience and demonstrate the potency of BJJ.
BJJ was tested in the Vale Tudo battlegrounds, which is perhaps why the Gracie family enjoyed such success in the early years of mixed martial arts. For instance, Royce Gracie’s ability to take down and submit opponents allowed him to win three of the first four UFC tournaments. But it’s important to remember that because of his background in Vale Tudo, he had more no-holds-barred fighting experience than most of his opponents.
3 of the Greatest Vale Tudo Fights Ever
Let’s look at the top 3 Vale Tudo fights without further ado:
1) Masahiko Kimura Vs. Helio Gracie
As one of the greatest Judokas in history, Kimura was well-known and had already achieved considerable success in his fighting career when he and Helio Gracie collided in 1951. The bout did not go as Helio had hoped since a victory would have given BJJ legitimacy.
However, when Helio refused to tap in order to win the bout, Kimura ultimately gained the submission by breaking Helio’s arm with a gyakuude-garami. In honour of kimura, BJJ practitioners called the gyakuude-garami the Kimura; in modern times, most people aren’t even aware of the actual name of the technique.
2) Euclydes Hatem vs. George Gracie
There was a fierce rivalry between BJJ and Luta Livre because fighters from each discipline believed theirs to be better. This resulted in George Gracie challenging Hatem, the man who started Luta Livre, to a fight, which led to the historic encounter that saw Gracie lose in 1942. The Gracies had an awkward moment when Hatem used a rear-naked choke to subdue George. Hatem was challenged to a bout by other family members, but the fights never happened.
3) Rickson Gracie Vs. Hugo Duarte
Rickson is one of the most accomplished competitors from the Gracie family; he claims to have won over 500 Vale Tudo contests. He is one of the best BJJ fighters to have ever lived, having outclassed every opponent he has faced.
Despite having several Vale Tudo contests, Gracie is most remembered for his bouts inside his gym, when he defeated renowned Japanese wrestler Yoji Ano and engaged in the notorious beach brawl with Hugo Duarte. Luta Livre warriors and BJJ competitors developed a bitter rivalry as a result of that encounter.
Duarte was supposed to spar with Rickson on Vale Tudo, but he reportedly changed his mind. At the beach, Gracie called Duarte out and gave him a smack. This resulted in Rickson’s historic victory over Duarte at the beach, where it didn’t seem like Duarte had much of a chance. A surprise Vale Tudo battle was held for the fans at the beach, and judging by his impressive appearance, Rickson may have really won more than 500 Vale Tudo matches.
