Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts in South America

Revolución Lucha Libre (Santiago, Chile):
Domingo 7 de Julio @Teatro Novedades

Went with a Wrestling first-timer and hostel running mate
Photo Credit: Paul K

I've talked about my love for Combat sports in the past, I had the pleasure of finding each sort in South America. MMA events were more readily available but my timing was almost always off by a few days. I have a preference for Pro-Wrestling but unfortunately spotted it only in Santiago, Chile. Interestingly my lone Lucha Libre event clashed with a competing show on the other side of town.

Último Guerrero en Pie (Medellin, Colombia):
Sábado 14 de Diciembre @Coliseo del Colegio Palermo

All revved  up

I spotted posters for an MMA event in charming Medellin, Colombia. I rallied some people from the hostel to join me. I invited a muscled traveler I spotted watching MMA videos on the hostel computers, it turns out he had been training in a local Gym and knew some of the competing fighters and their respective camps. We got lost finding the ticket outlets and the fight venue but it was a good way to explore the city nonetheless. Interestingly my hostel running mates for Fights have been German in all 3 instances.

Brazilian National No-Gi Championship (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil):

Sábado 26 de Outubro @Tijuca Tênis Clube,

I had hoped to find MMA in its second home of Brazil. On the night I'd planned to watch 'Floripa Fight IX' in the resort city of Florianópolis, clumsy bus orientation led us astray searching for the venue in the wrong suburb. Thankfully I met some Brazilian jiu-jitsu kids in my Rio hostel weeks later who told me about the tourney they were entering. This allowed me to find the authentic BJJ experience I'd been seeking.

Wishing someone a Happy 18th Birthday in a Capoiera Roda (circle)
Candeias Quito @Fundación Mundo Juvenil

I never found Brazil's traditional Martial art, Capoiera during my time there. I expected to stumble onto it as its quite a touristic spectacle. Thankfully I experienced it in Ecuador as the International Couple I was hosted by in Quito trained in the game. Only recently giving birth, the Ecuadorian partner was one of a few women in the class. In fact my gracious hosts first met via Capoiera in the husband's home of Canada where she had been living as an expat. I met them in Vilcabamba after they went roadtripping with their newborn daughter.

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