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VTJ Tábor
is an annual mixed martial arts competition held in Japan. Originally it was arranged by promoter and former professional wrestler Satoru Sayama; he had previously created a hybrid martial art organization named Shooto in 1985. He arranged VTJ in 1994 with the objective of creating a more rules-free event similar to the early Ultimate Fighting Championship events in the United States and Vale Tudo competitions in Brazil. Until the Vale Tudo Japan tournament, Shooto did not feature striking in ground position. The fighters were composed of the best Japanese MMA fighters drawn from Shooto, the Shoot Wrestling circuit as well as foreign invitees, including illustrious names such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rickson Gracie. Some other notable fighters to fight at Vale Tudo Japan include Sanae Kikuta, Takanori Gomi, Enson Inoue, João Roque, Carlos Newton, Rumina Sato, Royler Gracie, Dan Severn, Vladimir Matyushenko, Frank Shamrock, Jean Jacques Machado, Randy Couture, Frank Trigg, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and List of islands of Japan, thousands of smaller islands, covering . Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the List of countries and dependencies by population, eleventh-most populous country. The capital of Japan and List of cities in Japan, its largest city is Tokyo; the Greater Tokyo Area is the List of largest cities, largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures of Japan, administrative prefectures and List of regions of Japan, eight traditional regions. About three-quarters of Geography of Japan, the countr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton (born August 17, 1976) is an Anguillia-born Canadian retired mixed martial artist (MMA). He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and Pride FC Japan MMA Legend. Known as "The Ronin", he competed worldwide in MMA organizations including UFC, Pride FC, IFL, K-1, Shooto and W-1. He is a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt alongside his coach Terry Riggs under Renzo Gracie, at Warrior MMA in Newmarket, Ontario. Newton is known as a "Submission Master" and has dubbed his personal fighting style — an amalgam of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, Karate, Krav Maga, and Boxing — as "Dragon Ball Jiu-Jitsu" in tribute to Dragon Ball, a Japanese manga and anime franchise. Newton is one of only a few MMA athletes to compete in the UFC and Pride FC at the same time. In Canada he was the first Canadian UFC Champion at UFC 31 (Welterweight) defeating Pat Miletich. Early life Carlos Newton was born in Anguilla and moved to Canada at the age of 8. He attend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuki Nakai
Yuki Nakai (born 18 August 1970, ) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently teaches Shootfighting and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is the president of the Japanese Confederation of Jiu-Jitsu. He competed in Shooto, an early MMA promotion where he won the Shooto World Welterweight Championship, as well as Vale Tudo Japan 1995, where he was outweighed by every opponent in the tournament. Despite this, and despite suffering a severe eye injury in the first bout, Nakai managed to make it to the finals where he lost to Rickson Gracie. Nakai is considered a legend of Shooto by many fighters and fans. He is the founder of the Paraestra Shooto Gym and coaches fighters such as PRIDE and DREAM stand out Shinya Aoki, who also earned his A-Class Shooto rank and jiu-jitsu black belt from Nakai. Career Nakai started training Judo and Wrestling at Hokkaido Sapporo North high school, originally with the dream to be a professional wrestler. After entering Hokkaido Unive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hayato Sakurai
(born August 24, 1975) also known as , is a Japanese mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1996, he has formerly competed for the UFC, PRIDE, DREAM, Shooto, Vale Tudo Japan, DEEP, and participated in the Yarennoka!, Dynamite!! 2008, Dynamite!! 2009, Dynamite!! 2010, and Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 events. Sakurai finished second (Silver) in the Absolute Class (no weight limit) ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 1999 at just under 77 kg. During the height of his career in 2000 and 2001 he was considered to be one of the top pound for pound fighters in MMA. He is the former Shooto Middleweight Champion. His nickname, " Mach", pronounced ''ma-ha'' in Japanese was taken as a tribute to his childhood professional wrestling hero, Higo Shigehisashi better known as Mach Hayato, the first Japanese professional wrestler to completely embrace the Mexican style of lucha libre and was also among the group of professional ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexandre Franca Nogueira
Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira (born January 15, 1978) is a Brazilian Luta Livre fighter and the former Shooto Lightweight Champion, a Japanese mixed martial arts organization. Nogueira began his professional career at the age of 20, defeating Noboru Asahi. The California State Athletic Commission (CSA) had suspended Alexandre Nogueira, for one year and fined him $2,500, for failing a drug test at a June 1, 2008 WEC show. He tested positive for Boldenone, a banned substance. Championships and Accomplishment *Shooto ** Shooto Lightweight (143 lbs.) Championship **Six Successful Title Defenses Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7–3 , Hatsu Hioki , Decision (unanimous) , Roots of Martial Arts Network 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, , Denison Silva , Submission (heel hook) , The Hill Fighters 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:23 , Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil , , - , Win ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rafael Cordeiro
Rafael Cordeiro (born June 1, 1973) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and founder of MMA Gym, Kings MMA. He is best known for training multiple MMA world champions. History Cordeiro was a fighter affiliated with the Chute Boxe Academy where he participated in mixed martial arts and Muay Thai. He was three-time Brazilian Muay Thai champion and lightweight champion at the International Vale Tudo Championship (IVC). In 1999, Cordeiro stopped competing professionally and started his career as a full-time coach at Chute Boxe where would remain until 2009. In 2008 he moved to the United States and in 2010 opened his own gym, Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, California. Cordeiro has won the 2012 and 2016 coach of the year awards for MMA. In 2019, during the weigh-ins for UFC 244, the NYSAC "determined that Kelvin Gastelum made contact with another person while on the scale, a violation of the weigh in policy". This was because he was in contact with Cordeiro, who was h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
André Pederneiras
Carlos André Pederneiras de Castro (born 22 March 1967) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and promoter. A former BJJ competitor, holding today a Red and Black 7th Degree Coral belt, Pederneiras is a six-time Brazilian National jiu-jitsu champion. During his short career as an MMA fighter, he challenged Pat Miletich for the UFC Welterweight Championship in 1999, and fought at the Shooto-run Vale Tudo Japan events. Pederneiras is the co-founder of Nova União, one of the top BJJ/MMA academy and team, acting as its leader and MMA head coach until stepping down in 2018 after 21 years. He is widely regarded as one of the best BJJ and MMA coaches in the world. Among the numerous champions he produced, Pederneiras is best known for training José Aldo, B.J. Penn and Renan Barão who all became UFC champions. Pederneiras is also the President of Shooto Brasil, the Brazilian branch of Japanese MMA promotion Shooto. Background Carlos André Pedern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Trigg
Frank Trigg (born May 7, 1972) is an American retired mixed martial artist, color commentator, pro wrestler, MMA referee and TV host. Trigg is a veteran of the UFC, Pride Fighting Championships, BAMMA, World Fighting Alliance, and has made professional wrestling appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Mixed martial arts career After years of training in Wrestling and Tai Chi, Trigg in 1995, began studying Judo under Sensei and former Olympian, Patrick Burris. It was while training with Burris that Trigg earned his first black belt and was introduced to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. A high school state champion wrestler in his native New York, Trigg initially wrestled at Oklahoma State as a walk-on before transferring to Phoenix College. After finishing second in the NJCAA championships, he returned to the NCAA ranks when OSU's arch-rivals Oklahoma offered him a scholarship. After receiving his bachelor's degree in Public Affairs and Administration from OU in 1997, Tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American mixed martial arts commentator, actor, former United States Army sergeant, former professional mixed martial artist, and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestler. During his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he became a three-time UFC Heavyweight Championship, UFC Heavyweight Champion, two-time List of UFC champions, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, an interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, making him a six-time UFC Champion and the List of UFC champions#Tournament winners, UFC 13 Heavyweight Tournament winner. He is the first fighter in history to win a UFC championship in two different divisions. He currently serves as a commentator and analyst for the Professional Fighters League. Couture has competed in a record 16 title fights. He is tied for the record for the most wins in UFC Heavyweight Championship bouts (6) with former UFC Heavyweight champion St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean Jacques Machado
Jean Jacques Machado (born February 12, 1968) is a Brazilian Jiu jitsu practitioner. He is one of the five Machado brothers ( Carlos, Roger, Rigan and John). Machado is nephew of BJJ co-founder and Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, and learned the martial art from an early age. Machado is known for his grappling skills having won ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in his weight division plus a runner up in the open division in 2001. As a result of his achievements in the sport, he was inducted to the ADCC Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. Biography Machado was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and suffered birth defects resulting from amniotic band syndrome, which left him with only the thumb and the little finger on his left hand. Despite this congenital problem, which directly affects the skill of gripping, he began his Jiu-Jitsu training over thirty years ago and dominated the competitive arena of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in his native country, capturing every ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) . Shamrock was the No. 1 ranked pound for pound UFC fighter in the world during his reign as the UFC Middleweight Champion. Shamrock has won numerous titles in other martial arts organizations, including the interim King of Pancrase title, the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Shamrock is regarded as one of the first complete mixed martial artists, having adapted his game from a ground-focused style of fighting to a more well-rounded and versatile style. He is a seventh degree black belt in submission fighting. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 1990s by the '' Wrestling Observer'', "Best Full Contact Fighter" by ''Black Belt'' magazine (1998), and three time "Fighter of the Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vladimir Matyushenko
Vladimir Vladimirovich Matyushenko (born 4 January 1971) is a Belarusian retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 1997 until 2014, he competed for Bellator MMA, the UFC, Affliction, Jungle Fight, and is the former IFL light heavyweight champion, where he was a member of Ken Yasuda's Tokyo Sabres. Wrestling career Matyushenko is an accomplished freestyle wrestler athlete who competed for both the Soviet Union and Belarus. At the age of 15, he was training alongside the Soviet Olympic wrestling team. At 90 kg, he won a silver medal in the 1994 European championships, and placed 11th in the 1994 World Championships. He utilized his wrestling background extensively in his fights. His nickname of "The Janitor" was coined by Dave Schultz as a joke to the U.S. wrestling team after Matyushenko beat members of their formidable squad (including Olympian Kevin Jackson) during a meet in Siberia. Their first impression of him had been when he was cleaning the mats in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
