UFC - News
Mixed martial arts returns to roots with UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro Read more: http://sportsillustraThe birthplace of mixed martial arts. That's the distinguished portrayal the UFC affixed to Brazil in a press release sent out earlier this summer to trumpet Saturday night's fight card in Rio de Janeiro (9 p.m. ET, PPV). You can quibble with the factuality of the "birthplace" label. The Ultimate Fighting Championship actually was first contested in 1993 in Denver, the which-martial-art-is-toughest? event dreamed up by a family living in southern California. But that family has deep roots in Brazil, where for decades the Gracies built their renown in underground "anything goes" fighting events known as vale tudo.
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