Vale Tudo Japan (VTJ) (Japanese : ヴァーリ・トゥード・ジャパン , Hepburn : Vāri Tūdo Japan ) is an annual mixed martial arts competition held in Japan. Originally 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, previously to this tournament, Shooto did not feature striking in ground position . The fighters were composed by 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 .[ 1] [ 2]
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 , André Pederneiras , Rafael Cordeiro , Alexandre Franca Nogueira , Hayato Sakurai , and Yuki Nakai . Vale Tudo Japan events ran from 1994 to 1999, a pair of editions held in 1994 and '95 were single-elimination tournaments , both of which were won by Rickson Gracie.[ 3] Afterwards, from 1996 to 1999 the events were invitationals.[ 2] [ 4]
Vale Tudo Japan returned in 2009, now organizing by the "Vale Tudo Japan Executive Committee", with semi-annual events and three reunion events in 2009, 2012 and 2016.[ 2] [ 5]
Early Vale Tudo Japan events were a huge success, it led to a boom of the popularity and development of MMA and Shooto in Japan, and the tournament is considered a predecessor to PRIDE Fighting Championships . VTJ's format and rules would serve as a basis for PRIDE,[ 2] while Rickson Gracie's impressive victories in VTJ would make him a celebrity in Japan, leading to him being paired with popular Shoot-style professional wrestler Nobuhiko Takada to headline Pride 1 in 1997.[ 6]
Vale Tudo Japan 1994
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Vale Tudo Japan 1994 was held on July 29, 1994, at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu , Japan .
Vale Tudo Japan 1994 bracket
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* = Lomulder was unable to continue.
Vale Tudo Japan 1995
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Vale Tudo Japan 1995 was held on April 20, 1995, at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Chiyoda, Tokyo , Japan .
Yuki Nakai fights Gerard Gordeau at Vale Tudo Japan 1995
Vale Tudo Japan 1995 bracket
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* = Hays was unable to continue. Kimura defeated Emons to claim his place.
Vale Tudo Japan 1996
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Vale Tudo Japan 1996 was held on July 7, 1996, at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu , Japan .
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Royler Gracie
def.
Noboru Asahi
Submission (rear naked choke)
1
5:07
Igor Zinoviev
vs.
Enson Inoue
TKO (punches)
1
0:44
John Lewis
vs.
Rumina Sato
Draw
3
8:00
Dan Severn
def.
Doug Murphy
Submission (keylock)
1
3:23
Todd Bjornethun
def.
Eric Lavigne
KO (punches)
1
6:53
Ed de Kruijf
def.
Joe Estes
Submission (rear naked choke)
1
0:53
Yumiko Hotta
def.
Margot Neyhoft
Submission (keylock)
2
4:14
Mushtaq Abdullah
def.
Sanae Kikuta
Submission (forearm choke)
1
6:27
Alex Cook
def.
Tomoaki Hayama
Technical Submission (arm triangle choke)
2
6:23
Vale Tudo Japan 1997
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Vale Tudo Japan 1997 was held on November 29, 1997, at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu , Japan .
Vale Tudo Japan 1998
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Vale Tudo Japan 1998 was held on October 25, 1998, at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu , Japan .
Vale Tudo Japan 1999
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Vale Tudo Japan 1999 was held on December 11, 1999, at the Tokyo Bay NK Hall in Urayasu , Japan .
Vale Tudo Japan 2009
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Vale Tudo Japan 2009 Promotion Vale Tudo Japan Date October 30, 2009 Venue JCB Hall City Tokyo , Japan
Vale Tudo Japan 1999
Vale Tudo Japan 2009
Vale Tudo Japan 2012
Vale Tudo Japan 2009 was held on October 30, 2009, at the JCB Hall in Tokyo , Japan .
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 1st
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 1st (also known as VTJ 1ST ) was held on December 24, 2012, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo , Japan .
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 2nd
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 2nd (also known as VTJ 2ND ) was held on June 22, 2013, at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo , Japan .
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Bantamweight
Kyoji Horiguchi
def.
Shintaro Ishiwatari
KO/TKO
5
0:41
Featherweight
Daniel Romero
def.
Hiroyuki Takaya
KO/TKO
1
3:21
Catchweight 59 kg
Hideo Tokoro
def.
Taylor McCorriston
Submission (heel hook)
2
2:34
Featherweight
Caol Uno
def.
Anthony Avila
Submission (rear naked choke)
3
1:53
Flyweight
Mikihito Yamagami
def.
Mamoru Yamaguchi
Decision (majority)
3
5:00
Bantamweight
Yuta Nezu
def.
Akiyo Nishiura
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Teruto Ishihara
def.
Koji Mori
KO/TKO
1
2:12
Catchweight 97 kg
Gabriel Zobo Lebay
def.
Lucas Tani
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Preliminary card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Bantamweight
Shooto Watanabe
def.
Shintaro Kubo
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Lightweight
Yuki Kawana
def.
Kazumasa Sugawara
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Strawweight
Ryuto Sawada
def.
Hiroaki Shishino
Submission (armbar)
3
2:36
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 3rd
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 3rd (also known as VTJ 3RD ) was held on October 5, 2013, at Ota City General Gymnasium in Ota, Tokyo, Japan. The main event featured longtime # 1 ranked Megumi Fujii in her retirement bout.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Women's Strawweight
Megumi Fujii
def.
Jessica Aguilar
TKO (doctor stoppage)
2
5:00
Featherweight
Caol Uno
def.
Daniel Romero
Submission (inverted triangle choke)
2
2:23
Flyweight
Will Campuzano
def.
Hideo Tokoro
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Yusuke Yachi
def.
Takeshi Inoue
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Ulka Sasaki
def.
Geun Do Park
Submission (rear naked choke)
1
1:36
Lightweight
Naoyuki Kotani
def.
Daisuke Hoshino
Submission (armbar)
3
3:57
Bantamweight
Yuta Nezu
def.
Motonobu Tezuka
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Akiyo Nishiura
def.
Shigeki Osawa
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Welterweight
Koshi Matsumoto
def.
Kengo Ura
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Preliminary card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Strawweight
Ryuto Sawada
def.
Hiroyuki Takahashi
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Flyweight
Seiichiro Ito
def.
Taku Kajikawa
Submission (armbar)
1
1:35
Featherweight
Taiyo Hayashi
def.
Yuji Kurogane
TKO (punches)
2
2:18
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 4th
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 4th (also known as VTJ 4TH ) was held on February 23, 2014, at Ota City General Gymnasium in Ota, Tokyo, Japan.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Featherweight
Hiroyuki Takaya
def.
Yojiro Uchimura
TKO (punches)
1
1:23
Featherweight
Caol Uno
def.
Jesse Brock
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Lightweight
Naoyuki Kotani
def.
Yoshihiro Koyama
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Flyweight
Ryuichi Miki
def.
Yoshiro Maeda
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
[ a]
Flyweight
Czar Sklavos
def.
Mamoru Yamaguchi
Submission (rear naked choke)
1
1:28
[ b]
Flyweight
Hiromasa Ougikubo
def.
Takeshi Kasugai
Decision (majority)
3
5:00
[ c]
Flyweight
Kana Hyatt
def.
Freddy Arteaga
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
[ d]
Featherweight
Jae Woong Kim
def.
Wataru Miki
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Welterweight
Kengo Ura
def.
Daisuke Hoshino
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Bantamweight
Ulka Sasaki
def.
Teruto Ishihara
Submission (rear naked choke)
2
1:46
Preliminary card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Flyweight
Katsuya Murofushi
def.
Hidenobu Izena
Decision (unanimous)
3
3:00
Lightweight
Joji Mikami
def.
Kazushi Okutsu
Decision (unanimous)
3
3:00
Featherweight
Makoto Maeda
vs.
Yuki Suzuki
Draw (majority)
3
3:00
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Quarter Finals
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Quarter Finals
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Quarter Finals
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Quarter Finals
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 5th in Osaka
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 5th in Osaka (also known as VTJ 5TH IN OSAKA ) was held on June 28, 2014, at Bodymaker Colosseum in Osaka , Japan.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Bantamweight
Teruto Ishihara
def.
Jung Hwan Jo
TKO (punches)
2
2:24
Flyweight
Czar Sklavos
def.
Ryuichi Miki
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
[ a]
Flyweight
Hiromasa Ougikubo
def.
Kana Hyatt
Submission (rear naked choke)
1
1:27
[ b]
Featherweight
Takumi Nakayama
def.
Wataru Miki
Submission (rear naked choke)
2
2:28
Bantamweight
Yusaku Nakamura
def.
Kenji Yamamoto
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Preliminary card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Flyweight
Junya Kodo
def.
Hidenobu Izena
Submission (guillotine choke)
3
1:25
Featherweight
Tsuneo Kimura
def.
Kazumasa Majima
Decision (split)
3
3:00
Featherweight
Akira Takano
vs.
Takaaki Murata
TKO (doctor stoppage)
1
3:00
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Semi Finals
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Semi Finals
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 6th
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 6th (also known as VTJ 6TH ) was held on October 4, 2014, at Ota City General Gymnasium in Ōta, Tokyo , Japan.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Bantamweight
Hiromasa Ougikubo
def.
Czar Sklavos
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
[ a]
Featherweight
Isao Kobayashi
def.
Takeshi Inoue
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Hiroyuki Takaya
def.
Ryogo Takahashi
KO (punch)
2
0:38
Featherweight
Caol Uno
def.
Raja Shippen
Submission (rear naked choke)
2
4:33
Lightweight
Kuniyoshi Hironaka
def.
Dong Hyun Ma
Submission (arm triangle choke)
2
2:33
Flyweight
Mamoru Yamaguchi
def.
Yosuke Saruta
TKO (referee stoppage)
2
0:25
Bantamweight
Shoko Sato
def.
Kota Onojima
TKO (knees and punches)
1
0:35
Bantamweight
Hayato Suzuki
def.
Ryuya Fukuda
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Joji Mikami
def.
Shigeki Osawa
KO (punch)
1
2:01
Featherweight
Juri Ohara
def.
Kazuyuki Numajiri
TKO (doctor stoppage)
2
2:07
Preliminary card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Featherweight
Taison Naito
def.
Taiyo Hayashi
Decision (unanimous)
3
3:00
Featherweight
Tomoya Hirakawa
def.
Daiki Kaneko
Decision (unanimous)
3
3:00
Women's Atomweight
Kanna Asakura
vs.
Naomi Okaki
Decision (unanimous)
3
3:00
^ VTJ Flyweight Tournament Final
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ in Osaka
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Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ in Osaka (also known as VTJ in Osaka ) was held on June 21, 2015, at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka , Japan.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Flyweight
Yoshiro Maeda
def.
Kentaro Watanabe
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Flyweight
Yusaku Nakamura
def.
Kana Hyatt
KO (knee to the body)
2
2:22
Flyweight
Takeshi Kasugai
def.
Kiyotaka Shimizu
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Bantamweight
Daisuke Endo
def.
Motonobu Tezuka
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Bantamweight
Daichi Takenaka
def.
Jun Doi
TKO (doctor stoppage)
2
4:09
Bantamweight
Kazuma Sone
def.
Yuto Hokamura
TKO (head kick and punches)
1
3:52
Featherweight
Daiki Tsubota
def.
Takaaki Murata
Submission (rear-naked choke)
1
2:34
Women's Catchweight (110 lb)
Yukari Yamaguchi
def.
Mikiko Hiyama
Submission (rear-naked choke)
1
1:22
Women's Atomweight
Kanna Asakura
def.
Miyuki Furusawa
Submission (rear-naked choke)
1
2:17
Flyweight
Yuto Sekiguchi
def.
Yuya Wakamatsu
Submission (armbar)
1
2:43
Featherweight
So Murata
vs.
Biraru Dodo
KO (punches)
1
0:13
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 7TH
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VTJ 7TH Promotion Vale Tudo Japan Date September 13, 2015 Venue Maihama Amphitheater City Urayasu , Japan
VTJ 6TH
VTJ 7TH
VTJ IN OKINAWA
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 7TH (also known as VTJ 7TH ) was held on September 13, 2015, at Maihama Amphitheater in Urayasu , Japan.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Flyweight
Masaaki Sugawara
def.
Kiyotaka Shimizu
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Flyweight
Yoshiro Maeda
def.
Takaki Soya
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Bantamweight
Shoko Sato
def.
Tatsuya Ando
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Lightweight
Yuki Kawana
def.
Daisuke Nakamura
TKO (punches)
3
2:26
Flyweight
Yusaku Nakamura
def.
Ssang Soo Kwon
KO (punch)
2
0:36
Bantamweight
Daichi Takenaka
def.
Choong Il Jeon
Submission (rear-naked choke)
1
2:16
Featherweight
Taison Naito
def.
Min Uk Yoon
TKO (punches)
2
0:54
Lightweight
Yoichi Fukumoto
def.
Daisuke Hoshino
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Lightweight
Joji Mikami
def.
Komei Kimura
Submission (rear-naked choke)
1
4:46
Preliminary card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Flyweight
Ryo Mizuno
def.
Atsushi Tamura
Draw (split)
3
3:00
Women's Atomweight
Kanna Asakura
def.
Yasuko Tamada
Decision (unanimous)
3
3:00
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ 7TH
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VTJ 7TH Promotion Vale Tudo Japan Date October 3, 2015 Venue Okinawa Prefectural Budokan City Naha , Okinawa , Japan
VTJ 7TH
VTJ 7TH
VTJ IN OSAKA 2
Vale Tudo Japan: VTJ IN OKINAWA (also known as VTJ IN OKINAWA ) was held on September 13, 2015, at Okinawa Prefectural Budokan in Naha , Okinawa , Japan.
Main Card
Weight class
Method
Round
Time
Notes
Flyweight
Ryota Matsune
def.
Kana Hyatt
Submission (armbar)
1
3:31
Catchweight 209 lb
Justin Morton
def.
Ikuhisa Minowa
Decision (unanimous)
3
5:00
Flyweight
Shinichi Kojima
def.
Tatsuya So
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Bantamweight
Shinya Irei
def.
Kazuma Sone
Decision (split)
3
5:00
Flyweight
Ryohei Kurosawa
def.
Tomohiro Adaniya
Decision (majority)
3
5:00
Featherweight
Wataru Miki
def.
Keiichiro
TKO (doctor stoppage)
1
2:56
Catchweight 147 lb
Takaaki Murata
def.
Kaoru Toyama
TKO (punches)
1
1:13
Lightweight
Hisho Takeda
def.
Christopher Ike
Draw (majority)
2
5:00
Catchweight 128 lb
Yuichi Miyagi
def.
Good Sun
Submission (rear-naked choke)
2
1:19