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7. Jose Landi-Jons vs. Jorge Patino
Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighting 6
Nov. 1, 1996

The Brazilian vale tudo scene of the 1990s produced a vast number of fighters who went on to do incredible things in international MMA. The Chute Boxe camp in Curitiba, Brazil, was one of the major hubs for those fighters, and Landi-Jons was the first to achieve serious recognition. His two fights with Patino were a big reason why, and they are two of the only bouts from that era that hold up well under modern scrutiny.

Patino and Landi-Jons battled for more than 15 minutes in their first meeting, a matchup spiced with a great deal of Landi-Jons’ trademark showmanship. “Pele,” the muay Thai practitioner, wanted the fight standing; “Macaco,” the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, wanted it on the ground. Patino managed to get the fight to the mat repeatedly early on, even dumping “Pele” through the ropes and out of the ring on one occasion, but his passes and strikes from the top failed to make much of an impression. On the feet, Landi-Jons did not land anything truly substantial for the first long stretch of the fight.

Once “Pele” stuffed a few takedowns, he finally found his range and flurried, blasting Patino with knees from the double-collar tie, right hands and high kicks. When “Macaco” desperately tried for a takedown, “Pele” stopped him cold, grabbed the ropes and began stomping and soccer kicking the prone Patino. He submitted, and “Pele” was the winner. It is one of the craziest and most fun fights from that era of MMA, and it is still worth a watch today.

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