In the late 1990s, when Pride Fighting Championships was in its golden days and the Ultimate Fighting Championship was in crisis, the only way for great Brazilian talent to get a chance to join the Japanese promotion was to stand out at the bloody International Vale Tudo Championship (IVC).
Having in his hands the largest talent platform in the Brazilian market for Japan, IVC promoter Sergio Batarelli also attracted the interest of talents from the American market, including Chuck Liddell and Mark Kerr, managing to perform shows at the same level as international ones.