Throughout the history of mixed martial arts Brazil has produced a number of star athletes. The birthplace of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Brazil has produced not only a number of talented grapplers but strikers as well.
The sport of MMA in Brazil originated from the old Vale Tudo fights that featured almost no rules and bare knuckle fights. A common occurrence during the days of Vale Tudo was the “Gracie Challenge,” which saw members of the Gracie family issue challenges to different martial artists.
The Gracies brought their challenge to America and showcased Royce Gracie at UFC 1 in order to prove their point to a national audience. Gracie not only cemented Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a top martial art, he ushered in a new era in MMA.
Gracie may not be the last name of any martial artist leading the way in today’s MMA, but the new stars combined with a couple of “old guard” fighters are keeping Brazil’s place near the top of the rankings in a country by country breakdown of who has the best.