
When the UFC was created in 1993 the idea was to showcase Vale Tudo fighting. The Gracies had been facing challengers in Vale Tudo fights in Brazil, where the rules were limited and did not include weight divisions, rounds and definitely not judges decisions.
Over time the UFC would adopt new rules, as would organizations that were seeking to follow the same model. The modern day rules of mixed martial arts are far from the Vale Tudo fights of the past, but other fight promoters have kept alive the idea that fights can follow an alternative structure and a different rule book.
Arrows Street Fighting is an example of this. The organization has run tournaments all over the world that are similar to mixed martial arts, but also very different. And much like the early days of MMA, these fights often pit style versus style, as different fighters attempt to show that their discipline is the most suited to Arrows fighting environment.
The rules in these tournaments do now allow for much ground work, as fighters are only allowed to grapple on the ground for a maximum of 60 seconds before they are stood up, though the referee in this video seems pretty lenient with that rule.
A small fighting area is sectioned off with ropes, but the ground is pure sand, making this organization essentially “beach fighting”. It creates a fighting environment that is unique, and visually quite different from MMA.