International Vale Tudo Championships

International Vale Tudo Championships (IVC) was a mixed martial arts organization based in Brazil. While most of the MMA world was moving toward regulation and a set of stricter rules, the IVC was a notable exception that clung to the no holds barred fighting banner and a minimal ruleset.

In comparison to the UFC, which at the time of the IVC had begun to get formalised rules and weight divisions, the IVC genuinely had almost no rules. In fact this was clearly exploited by the IVC to gain viewers, there tagline mocking the UFC claim of THERE ARE NO RULES! was When we say "THERE ARE NO RULES"....we mean it! . IVC fights were bare knuckle and often brutal and bloody, with broken bones not uncommon. IVC 12 saw Gary Myers submit as a result of a broken leg.

IVC 2

The association became known due to it launching the career of a huge star in MMA today, Wanderlei "The Axe [...]" Silva, even the UFC's Chuck Liddell had a match in the IVC. Wanderlei Silva fought in IVC 2, IVC 6, IVC 9 and IVC 10, whereas Chuck Liddell fought only in IVC 6. Other fighters worth mentioning who fought in IVC include Eugene Jackson, Cal Worsham, Gary Goodridge, Dan Severn, Mike Van Arsdale and Renato Sobral.

Such matches truly lived up to the critics view of MMA as brutal fight-to-the-death gladiatorial games, or "human [...]-fighting" as it was once infamously put, and is often used as an argument against MMA. However, it should be noted that IVC had medical equipment on standby with trained staff.

In 2003 it completed its last event in Portugal, the IVC Starwars event.

Currently IVC 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 have been released on Region 1 DVD with no cited release for any other Region code as of now.

I.V.C. LAWS

  • No biting
  • No eye gouging
  • No fishing hook
  • No holding the ropes
  • No kicking if wearing shoes
  • No placing hands or feet inside the opponent's trunks
  • The referee can restart the fight

WAYS TO WIN

  • By knock out
  • By submission
  • By disqualification
  • By decision
  • Corner stoppage (throwing in the towel)
  • Referee or Doctor stoppage