Originally it was arranged by promoter and former professional wrestler Satoru Sayama; he had previously created a hybrid martial art organization named Shooto in 1985.

Until the Vale Tudo Japan tournament, Shooto did not feature striking in ground position.

[1][2] Some other notable fighters to fight at Vale Tudo Japan include Sanae Kikuta, Takanori Gomi, Enson Inoue, João Roque, Carlos Newton, Rumina Sato, Royler Gracie, Dan Severn, Vladimir Matyushenko, Frank Shamrock, Jean Jacques Machado, Randy Couture, Frank Trigg, André Pederneiras, Rafael Cordeiro, Alexandre Franca Nogueira, Hayato Sakurai, and Yuki Nakai.

Vale Tudo Japan events ran from 1994 to 1999; a pair of editions held in 1994 and '95 were single-elimination tournaments, both of which were won by Rickson Gracie.

VTJ's format and rules would serve as a basis for PRIDE,[2] while Rickson Gracie's impressive victories in VTJ would make him a celebrity in Japan, leading to him being paired with popular Shoot-style professional wrestler Nobuhiko Takada to headline Pride 1 in 1997.

The main event featured longtime # 1 ranked Megumi Fujii in her retirement bout.