Cage closed on Rio Heroes
Note: I re-worked this story (originally a breaking news report from Brazilian TV show “Fantástico”) to make it a little more “American friendly,” but the bottom line is the same — looks like Rio Heroes is shut down — but could possibly surface again some day.
I did change a few other things, like calling the organization “clandestine,” and one of its main guys a “mastermind,” so we could have a little more objective story. Anyway ...
Rio Heroes, an MMA organization based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, rose to Internet infamy in March 2007, delivering bare-knuckle, no time-limit fights in what looked like an underground setting.
The organization received criticism from some, who said it was barbarous. Others said it was a more pure form of the sport. The fights harkened back to the early days of MMA, like the first UFCs, when the sport was called NHB, or no-holds-barred.
The organization was creating a bit of a buzz, whether good publicity or bad, and was gaining more viewers each time it ran a live event on its Web site.
But there was one problem. Apparently, Rio Heroes’ organizers didn’t exactly have the permission they needed to hold the events.
“It was well disguised, because the building’s front had no sign or inscription,” says Police director Arquimedes Veras Júnior.
Investigators think that the organization was part of an outlaw betting system with tentacles to other countries. Brazilian law prohibits gambling.
“This is absurd! It has to be stopped because it’s not supported by any Brazilian federation or confederation,” stated Sérgio Batarelli, president of the Brazilian Confederation for Vale Tudo fights.
Interesting to note that Batarelli used to promote and referee bare-knuckle vale tudo matches in Brazil.
Jorge Pereira, a former MMA fighter who held a position within the company and reffed all the fights, spoke with “Fantástico” (Brazilian TV show) by telephone, from Miami.
“We are taking people out of the streets, out of robbery and crimes, and giving a chance for many fighters to live decently,” said Jorge Pereira.
“They’ll be charged for helping illegal betting,” Junior said. It’s a minor crime, like many others in Brazil connected with common betting. In similar cases the defendant usually pays a light money fee.
Police closed the fight club this week. The investigators know that it’s only a matter of time for them to move somewhere else.
“They are like gypsies,” says the Police chief.
“When an athlete die they’ll blame the sport but the guilty is who’s promoting and letting this happening,” Batarelli said.
nicole · July 5, 2008 11:52 PM
DAMN!!! too bad about rio heroes....i loved watching their fights!!