VALE TUDO JAPAN ’98-’99

Balijapa, a shining symbol shining brilliantly in the martial arts world, be eternal!! 1998 was a breakthrough year for Shuto. With their explosive popularity, they attracted attention from various media, and the era when Asahi, Ensen, Lumina, and Mach were called the Four Stars of Shooto was overshadowed by the continuous emergence of talented newcomers. Paris Japa 98, where Kaoru Uno appears in the first match, now feels like a world apart. Machado, a legendary brother in the Prajilian Jiu-Jitsu world alongside Gracie, made his debut. Asahi, Mach, and Lumina divided the light and darkness in three different ways. And Couture, the current UFC heavyweight champion in the United States, and Shooto in the heavy weight A clash with champion Ensen. It was a grand tournament where top players from around the world competed for supremacy. The following year, 1999. Only three—Lumina, Uno, and Mach—have played consecutive matches since the previous year, making a strong impression of generational change. The matchmaking they set up was a full-scale showdown with Prajil, the birthplace of Vale Tudo. There were concerns that it might be a replay of 1996. It has been 15 years since Shooto, a pioneer of mixed martial arts, was established in Japan. Vale Tudo Japan played a major role in establishing mixed martial arts in Japan, completing its mission. All 16 matches recorded