The success of the first two Vale Tudo Japan tournaments in 1994 and 1995, both of which were won by Brazilian legend Rickson Gracie, inspired a Japanese promoter to invest in a new event, closer in spirit to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, complete with cage and non-tournament “superfights.”
Debuting on Nov. 17, 1996, with a card jammed with established UFC stars and local no-holds-barred heroes, U-Japan managed to fill the Ariake Arena in Tokyo with 7,000 people. Everything seemed to be in place for the upstart promotion to become Japan’s answer to the UFC, except for one problem: badly miscalculated matchmaking.