Meeting the Vale Tudo legend Jose Pele Landi Jons

I know for many of the new fans of MMA they read the blog entry and thought to themselves….WHO?!

….but for those of us who have been around MMA long enough to remember it being called NHB and Vale Tudo, Pele is one of the first legends.  A Vale Tudo icon from the legendary Chute Boxe team of Brazil, Pele famously beat Anderson Silva not once, but twice during professional Muay Thai fights.

Notorious for his showman status, Pele knocked out  Matt Hughes with a flying knee in one of the most historic MMA Events ever to take place in the GULF, when they fought in 2001 in Kuwait…8 months later Matt Hughes went on to beat Carlos Newton to become UFC Welterweight Champion. (never rematching Pele).

Vale Tudo legend Pele Landri

Pele has wins against; UFC Champ Pat Militech, Macaco Jorge Patino, Evangelista Santos, Johil De Oliveira, Rodney Glunder, Martijn De Jong, Bellator Champ Alexander Shlemenko, and Bellator Vet Samuel Quito.  With other notable performances against former UFC LHW Champions Chuck Liddell (Pele gave up almost 50lbs and fought Chuck Liddell bare knuckled for a half an hour!!), UFC WW Champion Dave Menne, Strikeforce LHW Champion Renato Babalu Sobral, Pride legend Daijiro Matsui, Carlos Newtown, Lee Murray, Travis Lutter, Thales Leites, Jake Ellenberger and Brian Gassaway, it is safe to say Pele is one of the most respected fighters to ever come out of Brazil.

A BJJ Black Belt and Chute Boxe Muay Thai black Belt, Pele was born the son of a boxing champion from Cuba who immigrated to Brazil.  Currently signed to Titan FC, Pele is expected to be competing for their Welterweight Championship—with a win there it would be nice to see the UFC finally offer this guy an opportunity to compete on the biggest stage, even if they relegated the 41 year old legend to a UFC Brazil event–Fighting anyone and everybody since the early 1990’s it is easy to say he has done far more to earn his spot in the octagon than many of those competing today.

Pele and his dad Cubano at Divino Prato