Rei Zulu
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| Rei Zulu | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname | King Zulu |
| Height | 6feet 4inches |
| Weight | 220lbs. |
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Born | 1945 |
| Town of birth | unknown |
| Fighting style | Vale Tudo |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 144 |
| Losses | 9 |
Rei Zulu (born 1945) is a legendary mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Brazil. Zulu was born of poverty, and decided to seek a career as a professional Vale Tudo fighter. Zulu had his first fight at age 18 in 1963.
Zulu made a name for himself by challenging local tough guys from Brazil, as well as tourists from around the world. In 1980, after 17 years of competition, Zulu was reportedly undefeated in 140 fights. It was during this time, Zulu issued a challenge to the Gracie Family to prove who was the best Vale Tudo fighter in the nation.
Undefeated Rickson Gracie met Zulu in a televised match which made headlines in Brazil. In a hard fought battle, Zulu lost his undefeated streak when Gracie choked him out. In a rematch a few years later, Zulu again lost by choke. However, on November 30th, 1984, Rei Zulu scored his biggest victory, an upset over Full Contact Kickboxing practicioner Sergio Batarelli at JJ vs MA-Jiu-Jitsu vs Martial Arts, as an alternate match.
Zulu was still a legendary figure in the world of Mixed Martial Arts and continued to fight on. In 1990, he lost back-to-back knockouts to James Adler. On April 6, 2000 in Piaui, Brazil in a televised match, Zulu, 55 years old, lost via knockout to Wellington Dourado. Zulu lost the match when he was pushed out of the ring and knocked out when his head hit the floor.
However, Zulu continued to fight on, as it was the only profession he knew. In 2007, at 62, Rei Zulu had three fights in Brazil and won all of them by knockout. He was also an adviser to his son Zuluzinho. The younger Zulu streaked to a 39-0 (39 knockout) record before making his PRIDE Fighting Championships debut.
In a February 7, 2008 interview on Sherdog.com, Zulu says he will continue to fight on. He hopes to fight American fighters Skip Hall (MMA), 63, and former UFC World Heavyweight Champion Dan Severn, 49.
[edit] MMA Record (incomplete)
| Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Event
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/25/1980 | Rickson Gracie |
Lost | Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | IE-Independent Event |
| 01/01/1984 | Rickson Gracie |
Lost | Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | IE-Independent Event |
| 11/30/1984 | Sergio Batarelli |
Won | Submission (Choke) | JJ vs MA-Jiu-Jitsu vs Martial Arts |
| ??/??/1990 | James Adler |
Lost | Knockout | Vale Tudo |
| ??/??/1990 | James Adler |
Lost | Knockout | Vale Tudo |
| 01/01/1995 | Pedro Otavio |
Lost | Disqualification | Desafio-International Vale Tudo |
| 07/01/1996 | Ebenezer Fontes Braga |
Lost | unavailable | FDB 1-Freestylede Belem 1 |
| 08/01/1996 | Kunta Kinte |
Lost | Submission (Choke) | BVF 4-Circuito de Lutas 7 |
| 04/06/1997 |  Enson Inoue |
Lost | Knockout (Elbows) | Shooto-Reconquista 2 |
| 04/06/2000 | Wellington Dourado |
Lost | Technical Knockout (fell out of ring) | Independent Promotion, Teresina-Piaui Brazil, Lindolfo Monteiro Gym |
| 01/20/2007 | Evaristo de Olivira |
Won | Submission (Strikes) 1 round | Sao-Luis-Marahao Brazil, Castelinho Gym: Zulu Combat 1 |
| ??/??/2007 | opponent unavailable |
Won | Knockout 1 round | Independent Promotion |
| ??/??/2007 | opponent unavailable |
Won | Knockout 1 round | Independent Promotion |
[edit] References
- www.sherdog.com
- Gracie Magazine
- Gracie In Action Video
- internet
