vale tudo

Props to MMA Fanhouse for turning us on to the new-ish feature on Wanderlei Silva's YouTube channel called "Old School Video Series," in which the Axe Murderer tells the stories behind his early fights in Brazil before showing us the classic carnage. It's kind of like a vale tudo version of VH1 Storytellers. Above is the first installment, in which a 20-year-old Wanderlei Silva enters his first eight-man tournament to earn money for his new daughter, and leaves with a broken hand, a broken nose, no prize money whatsoever — and his first knockout victory. After the jump: Wandy's second fight against Marcelao Barbosa ends abruptly due to shoulder-injury, but at least he actually gets paid for it. By the way, if anybody can explain the weird sound effect that comes at the 2:18-2:19 mark of that vid, please, by all means. (Is it possible that he has his large intestine miked up?)

Before he was damn-near-killing people in the WEC, #6-ranked featherweight Jose Aldo was doing it in small Brazilian shows. We just came across this video of Aldo's fourth pro fight against Aritano Barbosa; watch as Aldo puts Barbosa's lights out with a knee (see also: Aldo vs. Rolando Perez at WEC 39), jackhammer-punches him for a while, then ends the fight with some of the most brutal soccer kicks in MMA history. Hardcore, brah.

Below: Fightlinker dug up this video of a girl-on-guy vale tudo match, if you're into that sort of thing. The fight starts off with the dude clearly taking it easy on the little lady — and wouldn't you know, he winds up paying for it at the end. And therein lies the Catch 22 of fighting a woman: If you go 100% and smash her, you're an asshole. If you half-ass it and get armbarred, you're a pussy. And my God, look at the guy's face at the 3:03 mark. I don't even let my own girlfriend beat me like that.

After winning his first pro MMA bout — a decision over Noe Hernandez at UFC 17 in May 1998 — Chuck Liddell was somehow convinced to take a vale tudo match in Brazil against Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons at IVC 6 (8/23/98), with no gloves and a single 30-minute round. Pele (13-2 at the time, with all wins by stoppage) was already a minor star on the vale tudo circuit, and the unknown American challenger wasn't supposed to be anything but an opponent for him.

The Brazilian controlled the first five minutes of the fight, at one point flooring Liddell with a head kick. But he seemed to gas early, and the Iceman took advantage. A punch flurry that begins at the video's 6:17 mark leads to a beating that forces Pele to jump through the ropes to escape. The rest of the fight is marked by Liddell's takedowns and top control, a long stalemate with Chuck kicking Pele from above (you can pretty much skip past 11:40-15:00), Liddell throwing headbutts and knees to the head on the ground, and a final sequence where a helpless Landi-Jons eats a few dozen punches to the face. It's a brutal look at the early days of a legend, so if you have the time, check it out.

(Props: SKARHEAD on the UG)

Today, RioHeroes will broadcast its super-lightweight championship tournament live on its website. The eight-man event will kick off at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, and will follow Brazilian vale tudo rules — meaning there's no gloves, no rounds, no time limits, and all techniques are legal except eye-gouging, hair pulling, biting, and groin strikes. Single-night tournaments are brutal enough with gloves, so this one should be utterly insane.

RioHeroes LIVE MMA Fights - Watch more free videos

In other online fighting news, Bodog Fight: The Vault premieres today on Bodog TV. Every Tuesday and Saturday, the website will broadcast never-before-seen matches from Bodog Fight-sponsored organizations like SportFight, StrikeForce, XFC, and other leagues where the fighters are so pussy that they have to wear hand protection.