At a time when wrestlers were starting to dominate the global fight scene, the International Vale Tudo Championship staged a landmark event on Aug. 23, 1998 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. There, at IVC 6, Boxe Thai’s Ebenezer Fontes Braga and Chute Boxe’s Wanderlei Silva—they repped the two major schools in Brazilian muay thai—showed that aggressiveness could work as an antidote for ground-and-pound. Meanwhile, Jose Landi-Jons, a man with 15 fights under his belt, was beaten by a newcomer named Chuck Liddell in an epic 30-minute clash.
MMA Roots: The Night Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell Were Introduced to the MMA World
