Old School Fight of the Day: Wanderlei Silva and Mike Van Arsdale’s Vale Tudo Match

(Skip to 3:10 for the start of the fight) 

Since stepping in for the injury-prone Vitor Belfort against Cung Le, many of us have been wondering if this could be the last we will see of “The Axe Murderer,” and what a sad sight it would be to see him go. Well aware of the position he is in, Silva is training harder than ever, and in light of that, we figured we could showcase some of the brutal tenacity/soccer kicks that spawned our affection for ol’ Wandy in the first place.

(Skip to 3:10 for the start of the fight) 

Since stepping in for the injury-prone Vitor Belfort against Cung Le, many of us have been wondering if this could be the last we will see of “The Axe Murderer,” and what a sad sight it would be to see him go. Well aware of the position he is in, Silva is training harder than ever, and in light of that, we figured we could showcase some of the brutal tenacity/soccer kicks that spawned our affection for ol’ Wandy in the first place.

The above video comes from International Vale Tudo Championship 6-The Challenge, which went down in Sao Paolo Brazil way back in 1998. The victory would earn Silva his first shot in the UFC, which unfortunately would be a 44 second blitzkrieg at the hands of Vitor Belfort. Speaking of the UFC, future UFC light heavyweight champ Chuck Liddell was also on the card, earning a unanimous decision win over Vale Tudo legend Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons.

Whether or not we will be crying for Wanderlei to come back as he rides off into the sunlight, we will always have these brutiful (new word, called it) memories to look back on. Enjoy.

-Danga