IVC to Bring Back Vintage Vale Tudo Rules with Bare Knuckle Fights, Headbutts, and One 30-Minute Round

The International Vale Tudo Championship (IVC) is set to make a comeback after nearly a decade, with a classic rule set and a single 30-minute round, bringing back the excitement of the early days of the sport.

IVC founder and president Sergio Batarelli revealed to MMA Fighting that the organization is planning to host an event in September or October in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The last IVC event took place in 2016, when the promotion shifted from the “anything goes” rule set to the unified rules.

Batarelli expressed his excitement about returning to the roots of the sport, stating, “I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. After bare-knuckle boxing started to grow in the United States and Jorge Masvidal started his bare-knuckle MMA promotion, that excited me again.”

Under the IVC rules, the list of illegal actions is short, including fish hooking, eye gouging, groin strikes, and hair pulling. However, several strikes banned by the unified rules, such as headbutts, will be allowed. Batarelli also mentioned the possibility of allowing jumping stomps to the head and soccer kicks.

The return to the classic rule set has generated interest among fighters, with many reaching out to Batarelli to compete under the “anything goes” rules. The promotion, known for its intense and raw style of fighting, featured future MMA stars like Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, and Dan Severn in the 1990s.

IVC will be regulated by the Brazilian Confederation of Vale Tudo Fights, a body founded by Batarelli in 1997. The upcoming card will feature a match between veterans Jorge Patino and Johil de Oliveira, with the winner set to face Jose Landi-Jons in the future.

UFC veteran Anderson dos Santos will also be making a return to the IVC, facing off against Paulo Pizzo in a rematch under the classic rule set. Additionally, Edval Pedroso will take on Allan Popeye, and Haialas Souza will compete in a bare-knuckle boxing match against an opponent yet to be named.

The revival of the International Vale Tudo Championship promises to bring back the excitement and intensity of the early days of MMA, with fans eagerly anticipating the return of the classic rule set and the raw, unfiltered action that made IVC a standout promotion in the past.