UFC Brazil

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UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil

Details
Promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
Date	October 16, 1998
Venue	Ginasai de Portuguesa
City	Sao Paulo, Brazil
Event chronology
UFC 17: Redemption	UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil	UFC 18: Road to the Heavyweight Title

UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil (also known as UFC 17.5) was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil on October 16th, 1998. The event was seen on pay per view in the United States and Brazil, and was later released on home video. Ultimate Brazil was the first appearance of the UFC in Brazil, and the second UFC event to take place outside of the US. Ultimate Brazil also marked the first UFC event (other than UFC 9) to not utilize the tournament format, which aside from UFC 23, was abandoned completely in following events. The event featured the first ever UFC Lightweight Championship fight, as well as a Middleweight Championship fight.

Ultimate Brazil was part one of what the UFC called "The Road To The Heavyweight Title" (not to be confused with the event of the same name), a "tournament" of sorts, spanning four events, to crown the new UFC Heavyweight Champion following Randy Couture's relenquishing of the belt.

UFC Brazil marked the first appearance of Pedro Rizzo, who would go on to become a top UFC heavyweight contender. The event also featured the first appearance of current PRIDE Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva, who was knocked out in stunning fashion by Vitor Belfort.