Brazil has long earned its claim as the cradle of mixed martial arts. Generations ago, before the sport was baptized by Americans, there was Vale Tudo (meaning ‘anything goes’) where Luta Livre warriors, sojourning prizefighters and members of the Gracie clan clashed in matches attended by the thousands in Rio de Janeiro. The modern incarnation […] READ MORE
Author: Riki Chiu
rudomaniaBeyond Velasquez vs Werdum 2: Barbarians at the Gate
It has been almost two full decades since Mark “The Hammer” Coleman unified the early UFC Superfight and UFC Tournament titles to become the inaugural undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world. Aside from Velasquez vs Dos Santos 2, at no other point since the title’s inception in 1997 has a championship rematch had more […] READ MORE
The Resurrection of Andrei Arlovski
If you were a fan of the UFC way back around 2004-2005, then the poetic irony of Andrei Arlovski vs Frank Mir finally taking place at UFC 191 this past weekend — a full decade past expiry date — couldn’t possibly have escaped you. Since their early days as the UFC heavyweight division’s rising young […] READ MORE
The Sensible Logic Behind Holly Holm vs Ronda Rousey
A while ago I wrote an editorial piece detailing the dominance of “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, using raw numbers and statistics to highlight just how far ahead of the curve she is compared to her closest rivals. One of the key points I made was that Joe Silva and the UFC’s matchmaking committee have few options left […] READ MORE
Elias Theodorou vs Uriah Hall: a Paradoxical Clash Between the Fabio of MMA and the Violent Gentleman
Styles make fights is an adage as old as the sport of boxing, but these words borrowed from the Sweet Science echo as though they were prophesized specifically for mixed martial arts. When taken literally, the quote refers to the unique skill-sets of specific competitors who, when matched in opposition, spark a combustible blaze – like […] READ MORE
The Endearing Dominance of Ronda Rousey
Darkness befell momentarily over the Rio crowd, feverishly intensifying the already palpable atmosphere inside the HSBC Arena. As a show of lights began and the theme song to Freaks and Geeks reverberated inaudibly over a canonical ensemble of timid boos and polite cheers, it became apparent that the conviction of this Brazilian audience was tested […] READ MORE
