With the very clean and polished version of mixed martial arts we see today, many fans forget about the roots. Following years of living in the shadows, MMA has finally been cast in to the spotlight.
The sport arguably has the UFC to thank for where it is today. Mixed martial arts is built on a foundation of brutality. The history of the sport far predates even the early days of the UFC. After years of seeing crisp promotion in modern MMA, we thought it a good idea to look back to the dark ages.
Vale Tudo
The term Vale Tudo literally translates as ‘anything goes.’ The promotion IVC in Brazil was the founder of these bareknuckle fighting tournaments. You may see this as quite brutal on first glance, but many big names from the UFC and Pride FC made their names in Vale Tudo.
Vale Tudo, much like mixed martial arts, encompasses many different styles of martial arts. The difference between what we see today and in the IVC consists of rules and protection. Fights were held in a square ring with netting to prevent fighters falling out. As the name suggests, there were literally no rules, and no gloves either.
Yep, That’s Chuck Liddell in IVC
Future UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is one of many famous fighters to compete in IVC. Others include Anderson Silva, Mark Kerr and the subject of today’s article, Wanderlei Silva.
Long before ‘The Axe Murderer’ was popular in Japan and the UFC, he fought in some gruelling IVC contests. In Brazil, Vale Tudo was the ultimate test of one’s grit and aggression, which was perfect for Wanderlei.
The Making of ‘The Axe Murderer’
The Brazilian fighting legend Wanderlei Silva came from humble beginnings. Growing up in the rough streets of Curitiba, Brazil, Silva had to fight to survive as a youth. When his friend and famous coach Rafael Cordeiro introduced him to Vale Tudo, ‘The Axe Murderer’ was born.
The aggressive fight style that fans have come to know and love was born for Wandy in Vale Tudo. His fights were very brutal too…
