Est. | 1978 |
---|---|
Founded by | Rudimar Fedrigo |
Primary trainers | Rudimar Fedrigo Mestre Zito Gerson Schilipacke Jose Landi |
Past titleholders |
Anderson Silva Middleweight Champion (UFC 2006-2013) 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) Wanderlei Silva Middleweight Champion (Pride 2001-2007) 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) Mauricio Rua Light Heavyweight Champion (UFC 2010) 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) Murilo Rua Middleweight Champion (Elite XC 2007) 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
Training facilities |
Curitiba, Brazil Long Beach, CA, United States |
Website | www.grupochuteboxe.com (Portuguese) |
The Chute Boxe Academy (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʃutʃi ˈbɔksi], Kick-Boxing) opened as a Muay Thai academy in 1978 in Curitiba, Brazil. Head trainer Rudimar Fedrigo later expanded the program in 1991 to include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other aspects of modern mixed martial arts. By 1995, the Chute Boxe team was considered a prime training ground for Vale Tudo fighters. In 2004, an American branch, Chute Boxe USA, was established in Los Angeles, California.
Chute Boxe fighters are characterized by being extremely aggressive and physical, as well as well-rounded fighters, able to use submissions, punches, kicks, and various grappling styles as needed.
The Chute Boxe team first made a name for themselves in the MMA world during the late 1990s in the Brazilian vale tudo promotion known as the IVC. With an aggressive and physical style focused around their muay thai skills, Chute Boxe fighters captured three of the four title belts in the promotion (Wanderlei Silva winning the light heavyweight belt, José Landi-Jons winning the middleweight belt, and Rafael Cordeiro winning the lightweight belt). The promotion ended up serving as a spring board for the Chute Boxe team (as well as many other Brazilian MMA stars) into the lucrative Japanese MMA market. For Chute Boxe specifically, it would help to launch their careers in Japan's PRIDE FC.
The major cog of the Chute Boxe machine in PRIDE was Wanderlei Silva. Known for an exciting, brawling style complete with lethal knees and leaping stomps, he would exemplify Chute Boxe style martial arts in PRIDE’s middleweight division and eventually win the 2003 PRIDE FC Middleweight Grand Prix and the PRIDE FC middleweight title which he would hold for 5 1/2 years.