The start of the 21st century was a time of transition in MMA history. After a time reigning supreme, the tournament-format events, where the champion would fight thrice on a single night, lost its place, most notably in the USA.
It was the twilight of a striking era – the sport had just begun to be called MMA. But, on September 6, 2003, the last spotlights caught a memorable bout between two Brazilians, in the semifinal of the IFC Global event, held in Denver, Colorado.
Then Chute Boxe representative Mauricio “Shogun” Rua would overcome Erik Wanderley, while Renato “Babalu” moved past Trevor Prangley. The winner would beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision in the final. Check it out!