Oh, Brazil! The land of samba, football, and… the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s second home. Yep, you heard that right. More UFC events have gone down here than anywhere else outside the good ol’ USA. Picture this: 39 shows across 13 cities with Rio leading the pack. And guess what? They’re gearing up for another big one in May 2024. Exciting times, huh?
Now, let me take you back. Way back. I’ve been ringside for most of those 39 events. But none sticks out quite like UFC 17.5. Sao Paulo, 1998. A night of jaw-dropping knockouts and drama that would make a soap opera blush. Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva? Explosive. Pedro Rizzo and David Abbott? Dynamite. And Frank Shamrock? Well, he was just doing Frank Shamrock things.
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Sergio Batarelli was the man of the hour, bringing UFC 17.5 to Sao Paulo. Almost 9,000 fans packed in, buzzing for Shamrock, Belfort, Rizzo, Tank, and Silva. But, oh, the drama with the cage invasions. American promoters were not amused. At all.
The Belfort vs. Silva feud? It started with some spicy trash talk at the press conference. Chute Boxe smelled blood, claiming Belfort was shaking in his boots. Silva, fresh off a win, was all confidence. Belfort? Not so much. He was still licking his wounds from a defeat to Randy Couture.
But when fight night came, Belfort flipped the script. Forty-four seconds. That’s all it took for him to send Silva packing. The crowd went wild, and so did Belfort’s entourage, flooding the Octagon in celebration.
Saved by Super Glue
Pedro Rizzo had his own drama. A nasty cut almost sidelined him, but super glue (yes, super glue) saved the day. Abbott came out swinging, but Rizzo’s low kicks and a killer right hook turned the tide. Victory was sweet, and the celebration was, well, expensive.
Braga also shone, snagging a win with a slick guillotine choke on Jeremy Horn.
Ambitious Aspirations
Title fights? We had those too. Pat Miletich snagged the welterweight crown, and Shamrock defended his light heavyweight title like a boss. Afterward, Shamrock had his eyes set on Belfort. The challenge was laid down.
Carlson Gracie had big plans too. He wanted a champion in every division. A welterweight champ in Amaury Bitetti, a light heavyweight in Belfort, and a heavyweight in Carlos Barreto.
So, there you have it. A night of fights, drama, and ambitions. UFC 17.5 wasn’t just an event; it was a moment in time. And boy, what a moment it was.