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{{short description|Brazilian unarmed, full-contact combat sport}}
{{for|the Brazilian telenovela|Vale Tudo (TV series)}}
{{distinguish|Valetudo (disambiguation){{!}}Valetudo}}
{{Infobox martial art
| image =Pentagon Combat 2.png
| imagecaption = [[Renzo Gracie]] does a [[soccer kick]] (''"Tiro de Meta"'') on [[Eugenio Tadeu]] at the ''Pentagon Combat'' event in [[Rio de Janeiro]], 1997
| imagesize =
| name = Vale Tudo
| aka = No Holds Barred (NHB)
| focus = [[Hybrid martial arts|Hybrid]]: 
*[[Strike (attack)|Striking]] (Ruas Vale Tudo)
*[[Grappling]] (Gracie Vale Tudo)
| hardness = Full contact
| country = {{flag|Brazil}}
| creator = 
| parenthood = [[Boxing]], [[Judo]], [[Brazilian jiu-jitsu]], [[Muay Thai]], [[Catch wrestling]], [[Combat Sambo]], 
 [[Luta livre]]
| descendant arts = [[Mixed Martial Arts]] (MMA)
| olympic = No
|famous pract=[[Hélio Gracie]]<br />[[Carlos Gracie]]<br />[[Valdemar Santana]]<br />[[Euclydes Hatem]]<br />João Alberto Barreto<br />[[Carlson Gracie]]<br />[[Rei Zulu]]<br />[[Rickson Gracie]]<br />[[Eugenio Tadeu]]<br />[[Marco Ruas]]<br />[[Wallid Ismail]]<br />[[Rafael Cordeiro]]<br />[[Carlos Barreto (fighter)|Carlos Barreto]]<br />[[Wanderlei Silva]]<br />James McBeath<br />[[Johil de Oliveira]]}}

'''Vale Tudo''' or '''vale-tudo''' ({{IPA|pt|ˈvali ˈtudu}}; {{langx|en|Everything Goes/Everything Allowed}}), also known as '''No Holds Barred''' ('''NHB''') in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact fighting style or competition format characterized by having very few [[Regulation of sport|rules]]. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventually evolve into modern [[mixed martial arts]] (MMA).<ref>[http://www.europeanvaletudo.com/aboutevt.asp About European Vale Tudo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060428111231/http://www.europeanvaletudo.com/aboutevt.asp |date=2006-04-28 }}. ''www.europeanvaletudo.com''. URL last accessed on April 28, 2006.</ref> For years, "Vale Tudo" was used as a synonym for MMA in Brazil, but the term fell into disuse due to the emergence of stricter rules and the influence of the media to have a more "civilized" name. It is now used to refer to an early, more rules-free stage of the modern sport.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last1=Barbosa Rozendo Lima|first1=Vitor|last2=Levi Fraga|first2=Nicolas|last3=Nobre de Carvalho|first3=Vitor|last4=Bettine de Almeida|first4=Marco Antonio|date=22 September 2015|title=Influência do Vale-Tudo nos atletas atuais de MMA|url=https://www.efdeportes.com/efd209/influencia-do-vale-tudo-mma.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913080136/https://www.efdeportes.com/efd209/influencia-do-vale-tudo-mma.htm|archive-date=13 September 2017|access-date=7 January 2021|website=EFdeportes}}</ref>

Vale Tudo initially started as an informal ruleset for fighters from different [[martial arts]] to fight each other. The [[Gracie family]] was known to organize their famous "[[Gracie Challenge]]", in which they would fight other martial artists in Vale Tudo bouts to prove the efficiency and superiority of their own [[Gracie jiu-jitsu]].<ref name=":2">T.P. Grant, April 12, 2011 [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/654500-history-of-jiu-jitsu-coming-to-america-and-the-birth-of-the-ufc History of Jiu-Jitsu: Coming to America and the Birth of the UFC]. Bleacher Report. Retrieved on 2012-01-08.</ref> Many fighters eventually started to train specifically for Vale Tudo events, mixing striking and grappling, eventually advertising "Vale Tudo" as its own standalone style. For example, [[Marco Ruas]] referred to his hybrid style of [[Luta Livre]] and [[Muay Thai]] striking simply as "Vale Tudo".<ref>{{Cite web|last=PVT|date=2019-09-12|title=Marco Ruas relembra o surgimento do nome Ruas Vale-Tudo no UFC 7|url=https://www.portaldovaletudo.com.br/marco-ruas-relembra-o-surgimento-do-nome-ruas-vale-tudo-no-ufc-7/|access-date=2022-01-06|website=Portal do Vale Tudo|language=pt-BR}}</ref>

==History==

===Early 20th century–1980s===
[[File:Jiu-jitsu_contra_capoeira_(detail).jpg|thumb|[[Panel (comics)|Panel]] by Alfredo Storni featuring capoeirista Ciríaco defeating jujitsu fighter Sada Miyako with a [[rabo de arraia]] kick, ''[[O Malho]]'', 1909.]]
Fighting sideshows called ''vale tudo'' became popular in Brazilian [[circus]]es during the early 20th century.<ref>[http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/Boxing_booth Boxing booth – Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia]. Boxrec.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-08.</ref> In 1909, [[capoeirista]] Ciríaco Francisco da Silva defeated Japanese jiu-jitsu fighter [[Sada Miyako]] in one of the first documented confrontations of this kind in Brazil.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-05-12 |title=Área de Luta: o uso da capoeira nos combates |url=http://sportv.globo.com/site/programas/ta-na-area/noticia/2011/05/area-de-luta-o-uso-da-capoeira-nos-combates.html |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=sportv.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Silva |first=Marcelo Moraes e |date=2024 |title=A construção de um improvável herói esportivo: o capoeira Cyriaco (1909-1925) |url=http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-77042024000100204&tlng=pt |journal=Tempo |volume=30 |issue=1 |doi=10.1590/tem-1980-542x2024v300104 |issn=1980-542X|doi-access=free }}</ref> Examples of such bouts were described in the ''Japanese-American Courier'' on October 4, 1928:<ref>The original reference was probably [https://web.archive.org/web/20071015153406/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,928081,00.html "Jiu Jitsu"], ''Time'', September 24, 1928.  Archived from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071015153406/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,928081,00.html original] on October 15, 2007 on the [[Wayback Machine]].</ref>

{{blockquote|One report from Brasil declares that Jiu Jitsu is truly an art and that in an interesting exhibition in the side tent to the big circus a Bahian of monstrous dimensions met his waterloo at the hands of a diminutive Japanese wrestler. The man was an expert at [[Capoeira]], an old South American style of fighting, but after putting the Japanese on his back and trying to kick his head&nbsp;... the little oriental by the use of a Jiu Jitsu hold threw the Bahian and after a short struggle he was found sitting on the silent frame of the massive opponent.}}

However, this circus term did not enter popular use until 1959–1960, when it was used to describe the style-versus-style bouts featured in a Rio television show called ''Heróis do Ringue'' ("Heroes of the Ring"). The matchmakers and hosts of the show included members of the [[Gracie family]], including [[Carlson Gracie]] and [[Carley Gracie]]. The participants were all legitimate practitioners of their styles. The [[Gracie family]], which had origins in the circus business, devised the "[[Gracie Challenge]]", where they would invite or be challenged by opponents from other martial arts to a Vale Tudo match to prove the effectiveness of their Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The Gracies would hold their challenges behind closed doors at their gyms, but in some cases they realised public events too.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=T. P. |date=2013-10-03 |title=MMA Throwback Thursday: Helio Gracie vs. Yukio Kato (September 29, 1951) |url=https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/10/3/4792472/mma-throwback-thursday-helio-gracie-vs-yukio-kato-september-29-1951 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=Bloody Elbow |language=en |archive-date=2022-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826021946/https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/10/3/4792472/mma-throwback-thursday-helio-gracie-vs-yukio-kato-september-29-1951 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Euclydes Hatem]], known as Mestre Tatu, was the creator of [[Luta Livre]], a Brazilian [[submission wrestling]], variant of [[catch wrestling]]. In 1942, he defeated George Gracie in a historic match.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CBLLE - Confederação Brasileira de Luta Livre Esportiva |url=http://www.cblle.com.br/hist-tatu |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=www.cblle.com.br}}</ref> Years later, in 1968, one of his students, [[Euclides Pereira]], also defeated [[Carlson Gracie]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Snowden |first1=Jonathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzdXP08P1pkC&dq=Euclides+Pereira+gracie&pg=PT331 |title=The MMA Encyclopedia |last2=Shields |first2=Kendall |date=November 2010 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=978-1-55490-844-8 |language=en}}</ref>

One night during the show, João Alberto Barreto (later a referee for [[UFC 1]]) was competing against a man trained in Luta Livre. Barreto caught his opponent in an [[Armlock|armbar]] and the man refused to [[Submission (combat sports)|submit]]. Barreto broke the man's arm. Consequently, the show was canceled and soon replaced by a [[professional wrestling]] show called [[Telecatch]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Sherdog.com |title=Vale Tudo: A Rich, Storied & Complex Past - Conde Koma and the Gracies |url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Vale-Tudo-A-Rich-Storied-Complex-Past-59571 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=Sherdog |language=en}}</ref>

From 1960 onwards, Vale Tudo remained mostly an underground [[subculture]], with most fights taking place in martial arts dojos or small gymnasiums.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} The Vale Tudo subculture was based in [[Rio de Janeiro]], but many fights took place in the [[North Region, Brazil|northern region]], the [[South Region, Brazil|southern region]] and the [[Bahia]] state, where [[Capoeira]] is prevalent. The scene in [[Rio de Janeiro]] focused mainly on the intense rivalry between [[Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu]] and [[Luta Livre]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 9 General Historical Myths and Misconceptions about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |url=http://global-training-report.com/myths6_hist.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807050228/http://global-training-report.com/myths6_hist.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=global-training-report.com}}</ref> Fights in the other regions featured more diverse martial arts competing in the events.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}
[[File:Rickson vs Zulu 1.jpg|thumb|[[Rickson Gracie]] (top) does [[rabbit punch]]es on [[Rei Zulu]]'s head while he's on turtle position, 1980]]
In 1980 and 1984 [[Rickson Gracie]] fought two events against Casimiro de Nascimento Martins ("Rei Zulu"), father of [[Zuluzinho]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=Casemiro|url=https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Casemiro-Nascimento-Martins-1234|access-date=2021-12-16|website=Sherdog}}</ref> Both events were preceded with public interest and they filled the [[Maracanãzinho]] stadium in Rio de Janeiro.<ref name=":4" /> They brought public media attention back to Vale Tudo, which had been dormant since the 1960s.<ref name=":4" /> This was made possible by [[Robson Gracie|Robson Gracie's]] ascension into the Presidency of the Sports Superintendence of the [[State of Rio de Janeiro]] in 1980, appointed by [[Leonel Brizola]], whom Robson had a friendship as a bodyguard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morre aos 88 anos Robson Gracie, lenda do jiu-jítsu |url=https://ge.globo.com/combate/noticia/2023/04/29/morre-aos-88-anos-robson-gracie-lenda-do-jiu-jitsu.ghtml |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=ge |date=29 April 2023 |language=pt-br}}</ref>  
[[File:Rickson vs zulu 2.jpg|thumb|[[Rickson Gracie]] vs [[Rei Zulu]]]]
In 1984 at the [[Maracanãzinho]] it was held the ''Noite das Artes Marciais'' ("Night of the Martial Arts") also known as ''{{ill|Jiu-jitsu vs Artes Marciais|pt|Jiu-Jitsu vs Martial Arts}}'' ("Jiu-Jitsu vs Martial Arts"), fought by representatives of BJJ against representatives of [[Muay Thai]], [[Kung Fu]], [[Kickboxing]] and Luta Livre. Future [[UFC 7]] champion [[Marco Ruas]] participated, with a draw against BJJ representative Fernando Pinduka. There was also a match between Rei Zulu versus Kickboxing world champion, and future promoter of the [[International Vale Tudo Championship]] and manager of multiple Brazilians in MMA and [[K-1]], Sérgio Batarelli.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=JJ vs. MA - Jiu-Jitsu vs. Martial Arts|url=https://www.sherdog.com/events/JJ-vs-MA-JiuJitsu-vs-Martial-Arts-1604|access-date=2021-12-16|website=Sherdog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Awi|first=Fellipe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_yc5fNNtmPkC&dq=%22Noite+das+Artes+Marciais%22&pg=PT100|title=Filho teu não foge à luta|date=2012-03-13|publisher=Editora Intrinseca|isbn=978-85-8057-175-2|language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last1=Alex|first1=Por|last2=Fern|first2=re|last3=Janeiro|first3=es Rio de|title=Sergio Batarelli: 'O MMA de hoje é brincadeira perto do que era o IVC'|url=http://sportv.globo.com/site/combate/noticia/2013/12/sergio-batarelli-o-mma-de-hoje-e-brincadeira-perto-do-que-era-o-ivc.html|access-date=2021-12-24|website=sportv.globo.com/site/combate|date=23 December 2013 }}</ref> And in 1991 the most famous event happened: ''{{ill|Desafio - Jiu Jitsu vs Luta Livre|pt|Desafio - Jiu Jitsu vs Luta Livre}}'' between representatives of both martial arts. The event was organized after BJJ practitioners almost got into a brawl with Luta Livre fighters, after they invaded a BJJ tournament in order to fight [[Wallid Ismail]], as he had issued an insult and a challenge at a local newspaper against Luta Livre. The Luta Livre fighters were convinced to stand down and instead fight in a public challenge. [[Robson Gracie]], organizer of the event, convinced [[TV Globo]], Brazil's largest network, to broadcast the event live under the assumption it was a pure grappling event, the rules were later changed to Vale Tudo but Globo kept the program. The actual event would see 3 matches, all with victories by Jiu-Jitsu representatives.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Biggest Rivalry in Martial Arts History: BJJ vs Luta Livre {{!}} BJJ Heroes|url=https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-culture/jiu-jitsu-vs-luta-livre|access-date=2021-12-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=Desafio - Jiu-Jitsu vs. Luta Livre|url=https://www.sherdog.com/events/Desafio-JiuJitsu-vs-Luta-Livre-460|access-date=2021-12-16|website=Sherdog}}</ref> August 29, 1993—a few months before the first UFC event—also saw the event ''{{ill|Capoeira vs Chute Boxe|pt|Capoeira vs Chute Boxe}}'' in [[Curitiba]], fought between [[Capoeirista|c''apoeiristas'']] against Thai boxers from the [[Chute Boxe Academy]]. It was the introduction of several future MMA fighters such as [[Rafael Cordeiro]], Jose 'Pelé' Landi-Jons and Nilson de Castro, and was the first Vale Tudo/MMA event in Curitiba, a future MMA center.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sherdog.com |title=Nilson de Castro MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com |url=https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nilson-de-Castro-1423 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=Sherdog |language=en}}</ref>

===1993–2000s===
[[File:Yukinakai-gordeau.jpg|thumb|[[Shooto|Shootist]] [[Yuki Nakai]] fights [[UFC 1]] finalist [[Gerard Gordeau]] at ''[[Vale Tudo Japan]] 1995'']]
In the 1970s, [[Rorion Gracie]] of the famous Gracie family emigrated to the United States and introduced Vale Tudo to a new market when he, together with American entrepreneur [[Art Davie]], helped found the [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] (UFC) in 1993. The event was advertised as a competition where fighters would each represent different martial arts in a [[single-elimination tournament]] [[Openweight|without weight classes]] and no rules—although there were three rules: no biting, eye-gouging or fish-hooking. To pitch the event for TV executives, Gracie and Davie used the footage of the [[Gracie Challenge]]s and Vale Tudo events in Brazil where the family had participated. The first event was named ''[[The Ultimate Fighting Championship]]'' (later retroactively renamed to [[UFC 1]]). Rorion's younger brother, [[Royce Gracie]] represented [[Gracie Jiu-Jitsu]] and won the event after [[Submission (combat sports)|submitting]] three opponents in succession.<ref name=":2" /> The event was a success and attracted some attention from the public and the media,<ref>{{cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Howard|date=November 15, 1993|title=Television: Pay-Per-View Battle, Instead of Being Merely Gory and Funny, Gets Interesting After the First Two Bouts|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-15-ca-57200-story.html|access-date=July 1, 2011}}</ref> and more editions were realized. The UFC also pioneered the "[[Promoter (entertainment)|promotion]]" model for Vale Tudo/Mixed Martial arts, instead of promoters arranging one-off events like before.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Sherdog.com |title=Vale Tudo: A Rich, Storied & Complex Past - Allies and Rivals |url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/2/Vale-Tudo-A-Rich-Storied-Complex-Past-59571 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=Sherdog |language=en}}</ref>

Inspired by the format of the UFC, many new promotions of Vale Tudo were created.<ref name="Merlino">{{cite book|last=Merlino|first=Doug|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rOCHCgAAQBAJ|title=Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams at the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts|year=2015|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=9781620401569}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> Some of the noteworthy promotions of this time in Brazil include ''Universal Vale Tudo Fighting,'' ''Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighting, Brazil Open, Super Challenge'' and ''Mo Team League''.<ref name=":5" /> Besides the UFC, the United States also saw the introduction of Vale Tudo promotions similar to the UFC, such as the [[Battlecade Extreme Fighting]] and World Combat Championship in 1995. Vale Tudo would receive the name '''No Holds Barred''' (NHB) in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bateman|first=Oliver Lee|date=2018-07-06|title=The Early Years of MMA Were a 'No-Holds-Barred Freakshow' That Couldn't Be More Different From…|url=https://medium.com/mel-magazine/the-early-years-of-mma-were-a-no-holds-barred-freakshow-that-couldn-t-be-more-different-than-86e8816ce0f1|access-date=2021-12-15|website=MEL Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

In Japan, former [[professional wrestler]] [[Satoru Sayama]] had created in 1985 a [[hybrid martial arts]] organization named [[Shooto]], which featured [[Strike (attack)|striking]] with all limbs, [[Takedown (grappling)|takedowns]], [[Ground fighting|groundfighting]] and [[Submission hold|submissions]]. Impressed by the UFC, in 1994 he introduced Vale Tudo to Japan by organizing the [[Vale Tudo Japan]] tournament, which was more rules-free compared to previous Shooto rules. [[Rickson Gracie]] won the 1994 and 1995 editions of the tournament, making him famous in Japan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=The Resurrection of Vale Tudo Japan|url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Resurrection-of-Vale-Tudo-Japan-20600|access-date=2021-12-14|website=Sherdog}}</ref> In 1997 [[Pride Fighting Championships|PRIDE Fighting Championships]] was founded in order to match Rickson Gracie with popular Japanese [[shoot-style]] [[professional wrestler]] [[Nobuhiko Takada]]. The rules of PRIDE were modelled after the ones from Vale Tudo Japan with some modifications. The first event of the organization had an attendance of 47,000 fans and attracted the attention of Japanese mass media and soon PRIDE became one of the largest and most popular combat sports organization in the world, and it helped to popularize MMA.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Grant|first=T. P.|date=2013-05-02|title=MMA Origins: Fighting For Pride|url=https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/5/2/4220042/ufc-mma-history-origins-pride-fc-rickson-gracie-Nobuhiko-Takada|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Bloody Elbow|language=en}}</ref>

However, in the United States there was a backlash against the violent nature of the nascent sport. In 1996, Senator [[John McCain]] saw a tape of the first UFC events and immediately found it abhorrent. McCain himself led a campaign to ban the UFC, calling it "human cockfighting", thirty-six states followed his campaign, and the event was blacklisted from television. In response, the UFC started to implement more restrictive rules, weight categories and judges, eventually evolving into the [[Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-03-20 |title=Fight Clubbed - Ultimate fighting ought to be a great American sport. Instead, cable companies, Sen. John McCain, and a squeamish public are killing it. By David Plotz |url=http://slate.com/id/46344 |access-date=2022-01-19 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050320023155/http://slate.com/id/46344 |archive-date=20 March 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The name "Mixed Martial Arts" was also devised at this time as they felt the term NHB was detrimental to the public image of the sport and better represented the new evolution of the sport after the introduction of the new rules.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-02 |title=Jeff Blatnick's funeral and how the term MMA came to be - MMA Fighting |url=http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/10/27/3560844/blatnicks-funeral-and-how-the-term-mma-came-to-be |access-date=2022-01-19 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502185010/http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/10/27/3560844/blatnicks-funeral-and-how-the-term-mma-came-to-be |archive-date=2 May 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Pentagon Combat 1.jpg|thumb|316x316px|[[Eugenio Tadeu]] (''standing, in black trunks'') vs [[Renzo Gracie]] (''on the ground, in white trunks'') during the Pentagon Combat event before the event descended into a riot]]
In Brazil, Vale Tudo eventually met similar obstacles to those faced in the US. In 1997 there was the creation of a major event named "Pentagon Combat", with a pentagonal cage similar to the UFC's Octagon, counted with veterans [[Oleg Taktarov]] and [[Murilo Bustamante]], and sponsored by Prince [[Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan (national security advisor)|Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan]], later known for his creation of the [[ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship|ADCC]] and investment in BJJ. The main event continued the Luta Livre-Jiu-Jitsu rivalry by matching LL representative [[Eugenio Tadeu]] and BJJ representative [[Renzo Gracie]], both who also had a very personal rivalry. The fight went a back-and-forth between both contestants until members of the audience approached the cage and started to shout insults and interfere in the bout by attacking the contestants, Gracie fought back one of his attackers and soon after the confusion escalated into a full [[riot]], as people threw chairs into the ring, supporters of both fighters brawled, warning shots were allegedly fired by security and the lights were turned off by the promoters to control the fight. The event was broadcast live on national television by [[Rede Globo|Rede Globo's]] [[SporTV]]. The confusion resulted in the [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|state of Rio de Janeiro]] banning Vale Tudo events for almost 10 years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kaplowitz|first=Matthew|date=2013-05-08|title=The riot over Renzo Gracie vs Eugenio Tadeu|url=https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/5/8/4309600/the-riot-over-renzo-gracie-vs-eugenio-tadeu|access-date=2022-01-19|website=Bloody Elbow|language=en|archive-date=2018-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716054025/https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/5/8/4309600/the-riot-over-renzo-gracie-vs-eugenio-tadeu|url-status=dead}}</ref> Footage of the brawl was used by [[CNN]] in a special report order to condemn the sport in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Biggest Rivalry in Martial Arts History: BJJ vs Luta Livre {{!}} BJJ Heroes|url=https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-culture/jiu-jitsu-vs-luta-livre|access-date=2022-01-19}}</ref>

As the UFC and similar promotions started to receive more rules. The premier organizations of the late 1990s became the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC) and the [[International Vale Tudo Championship]] (IVC). The WVC was organized in 1996 by [[Frederico Lapenda]] and Sérgio Batarelli, the due promoted together four events, including Brazil's first Vale Tudo/MMA [[pay-per-view]], but soon a dispute between the two led to Batarelli to leave and create the [[International Vale Tudo Championship|IVC]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title='Ice Cold' in the Tropical Heat: Igor Vovchanchyn at WVC 5|url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Ice-Cold-in-the-Tropical-Heat-Igor-Vovchanchyn-at-WVC-5-184472|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Sherdog|language=en}}</ref> The two promotions featured prominently throughout the 1990s as they were also televised on Brazilian TV and [[pay-per-view]]. The WVC and IVC were based in the Brazilian financial capital of [[São Paulo]] and launched the careers of many of today's MMA stars. While based in Brazil, they also did international events: WVC did events in [[Japan]], [[Aruba]] and [[Jamaica]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=World Vale Tudo Championship Fights, Fight Cards, Videos, Pictures, Events and more|url=https://www.sherdog.com/organizations/World-Vale-Tudo-Championship-27|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Sherdog|language=en}}</ref> while the IVC had events in [[Venezuela]], [[Portugal]] and [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|F.R of Yugoslavia]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=International Vale Tudo Championship Fights, Fight Cards, Videos, Pictures, Events and more|url=https://www.sherdog.com/organizations/International-Vale-Tudo-Championship-22|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Sherdog|language=en}}</ref> However, after the state of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] prohibited Vale Tudo from being a sanctioned sport, both promotions went into decline and have not staged an event since 2002.

=== 2000s–present ===
Beginning in the early 2000s, newer promotions such as [[Jungle Fight]] and Bitetti Combat abandoned traditional Vale Tudo rules in favor of the safer [[mixed martial arts]] "Unified" rules. However, some promotions continued the use of traditional rules for a time, most notably Meca World Vale Tudo and Rio Heroes.

"Vale Tudo" was still used as a synonym for MMA in Brazil throughout the 2000s, the term started to be dropped as the sport grew and Brazilian media started to cover MMA events, first with [[RedeTV!]] covering UFC events in 2009, and in 2011 it was picked by Brazil's largest network [[Rede Globo]].<ref name=":3" />

Today, all major events use MMA rules, according to former [[International Vale Tudo Championship|IVC]] and WVC promoter Sérgio Batarelli in an interview to Brazilian online news [[G1 (website)|G1]] he affirmed: "But fighting with the rules from before is impossible. It's over. [...] It's the beginnings. There's no way back. Even because there are very few fighters who would venture into something like this."<ref name=":1"/>

Vale Tudo events are still taking place in small numbers around Brazil{{When|date=July 2023}}. Due to the violent and bloody nature of the sport, these underground<ref>{{Cite web|title=Campeonato clandestino dá origem à Rio Heroes, nova série da Fox|date=19 February 2018|url=https://www.meioemensagem.com.br/home/midia/2018/02/19/campeonato-clandestino-da-origem-a-rio-heroes-nova-serie-da-fox.html|access-date=2021-12-15|language=pt-BR}}</ref> events sometimes cause controversy in the media.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-10-25|title=Retorno do Rio Heroes é adiado por causa de patrocínio|url=https://nocautenarede.com.br/retorno-do-rio-heroes-e-adiado-por-causa-de-patrocinio/|access-date=2021-12-15|website=Nocaute na Rede|language=pt-BR}}</ref>  Critics of the sport argue that Vale Tudo shows should all adopt the MMA "Unified" ruleset created in the United States by Athletic Commissions, and used by various other countries such as Canada and England. On the other hand, supporters of Vale Tudo criticize the Unified Rules, pointing out that there is no medical proof that the Unified Rules are safer, no contestant has ever been killed or permanently disabled while fighting under traditional rules, the Unified Rules were created not for safety, but to ban techniques that commissioners saw as "uncivilised" (such as the soccer kick and headbutt), that the Unified Rules set is not used in Japanese, Russian, Singaporean and Thai promotions, and so on. Proponents also counter that the style of mixed martial arts fighting created by the Unified Rules is now so different from traditional Vale Tudo that it should be treated as an entirely different sport, just as [[kickboxing]] is considered different from [[Muay Thai]].

== As a fighting style ==
As Vale Tudo became more popular and common, some fighters started training specifically for Vale Tudo contests rather than fighting with purely one style, taking the most effective techniques from both [[Strike (attack)|striking]] and [[grappling]] martial arts and synthesized them for the ruleset of Vale Tudo, eventually billing "Vale Tudo" as its own standalone fighting style.

[[Marco Ruas]] is recognized to be one of the first to do so. He was a [[Muay Thai]] striker and equally skilled in [[Luta Livre]] submission grappling; even before the first UFC event, he was a public proponent of [[cross-training]] in multiple martial arts and training specifically for Vale Tudo. Eventually he developed "Ruas Vale Tudo", which he advertised as a [[Martial arts|martial art]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=Why Marco Ruas Should Be in the Hall of Fame|url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Why-Marco-Ruas-Should-Be-in-the-Hall-of-Fame-175000|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Sherdog|language=en}}</ref> He and other fighters he coached—such as [[Pedro Rizzo]] and [[Renato Sobral]]—were billed as "Ruas Vale Tudo" fighters.

The [[Chute Boxe Academy]] in [[Curitiba]] started as a Muay Thai gym expanded their program with BJJ and grappling training in 1991, and eventually branded themselves as a "Vale Tudo" gym.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Albuquerque|first1=Por Adriano|last2=Barone|first2=Marcelo|last3=Curitiba|first3=Marcelo Russio e Raphael MarinhoDireto de|title=Especial Chute Boxe, a equipe que fez Curitiba se tornar a Tailândia brasileira|url=http://sportv.globo.com/site/combate/noticia/2016/05/especial-chute-boxe-equipe-que-fez-curitiba-se-tornar-tailandia-brasileira.html|access-date=2022-02-11|website=sportv.globo.com/site/combate|date=13 May 2016 |language=pt-br}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[International Vale Tudo Championship]] 
* [[Mixed martial arts]]
* [[Luta Livre]] 
* [[Brazilian jiu-jitsu]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* The influence of [http://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-news/brazilian-jiu-jitsu Jiu Jitsu] in Vale Tudo
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20000304171555/http://www.valetudo.com.br/estatisticas.htm Vale Tudo Statistics] (archived 4 March 2000)
* {{IMDb title|1265300|Vale Tudo Project|(2009)}}
{{Martial arts}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vale Tudo}}
[[Category:Vale Tudo| ]]
[[Category:Brazilian martial arts]]
[[Category:Culture of Brazil]]
[[Category:Hybrid martial arts]]
[[Category:Sports originating in Brazil]]
[[Category:Mixed martial arts in Brazil]]