Frederico Lapenda’s legacy, cemented like his hands in Paulinia, São Paulo Brazil’s Walk of Fame next to Hollywood stars Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple) and Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill)
Authors: Dub. Rey Miles and M.C. McCloskey
In a world filled with game-changers and trailblazers, few individuals have left a footprint as deeply profound and undeniable as Frederico Lapenda. Often hailed as a founding father of mixed martial arts and regarded by many as one of the most influential executives in sports history, Lapenda’s work transcends the boundaries of combat sports. His imprint on the global landscape of MMA, sports entertainment, and Hollywood is nothing short of extraordinary.
A visionary, a pioneer, and a catalyst for change, Lapenda’s journey is a testament to his unrivaled legacy.
The OG
Fight Game CEO, Frederico Lapenda’s career is one defined by firsts, groundbreaking moments, and a relentless drive to better the world forever. Lapenda didn’t just participate in the evolution of mixed martial arts, he helped shape it. Lapenda’s influence has earned him multiple Sports Entertainment awards, including the Expression Award, the Elite Excellence Award, the Golden Lion Award and The Outstanding Achievement Award (received at the Film Industry World Conference) speaks volumes about his collective works in Sports Entertainment.
The Chuteboxe honorary black belt and Jucelino Kubitscheck Merit Cross Award winner is frequently placed on the Mount Rushmore of mixed martial arts Executives. He introduced the first true mixed martial artist; Marco Ruas to the octagon, was also the first non-Japanese promoter to organize fight events in Japan, helping to globalize the sport’s appeal; transforming it from a battle of styles to the complete martial artist.
Frederico Lapenda receiving the Sports Entertainment Jucelino Kubitscheck Merit Cross Award at Capitol Hill from Senator Joao Carlos Bruno
Breaking Boundaries
Lapenda’s story is one of innovation and disruption. As the driving force behind some of the most vital moments in combat sport’s history: he forever changed the MMA landscape by producing Combate Mortale, an MMA show on Free TV; revolutionizing Brazilian media, by launching pay-per-view with WVC 3 (World Vale Tudo Championships), aired WVC 4 on PPV in America and produced Youtube’s first PPV event live from Moscow, while co-creating the dominant fight team Golden Glory with partner Bas Boon, to name a few.
As a film producer, he played a crucial role in developing dozens of compelling mixed martial arts’ projects, highlighting the sport’s potential as a storytelling medium. Most notably, he was behind the original Smashing Machine Documentary, a film that explored the tumultuous life of Mark Kerr, an MMA juggernaut whose career was launched by Lapenda, in Brazil at WVC 3. This documentary would define the MMA genre and later become a $60 Million Dollar Hollywood Blockbuster starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Other Gold Standard films like The Hammer, the life story of Deaf UFC fighter Matt Hamill and Rites of Passage: The Rebirth of Combat Sports showed his love and devotion to mixed martial arts.
Lapenda’s commitment expanded MMA into other forms of media such as video games; Fight Game Legends and Fight Game Rivals which briefly placed above Angry Birds on the Mobile Game App rankings, books; ‘Before there were Rules’, The Tank Abbott trilogy and masterclasses with icons like Bas Rutten, Peter Aerts and Fabio Gurgel.
Allies of the Amazon, his children’s book, created in collaboration with none other than Stan Lee, about four speaking animals with superpowers is just another example of how he brought his mindbending perspective into new and exciting territories, culminating in Lapenda being named Tourism Ambassador along with all-time greats Renzo Gracie and Vitor Belfort.
His work in this space further exemplifies his dedication to pushing boundaries and innovating for future generations. There’s room for both but ‘Posterity over Prosperity. Leave the fight game better than you found it.’
Hollywood 501: The Masterclass
What sets Frederico Lapenda apart from others in his field is not just his accomplishments but his foresight. Lapenda’s ability to see beyond the status quo and imagine a future where MMA and sports entertainment take center stage before the world makes him one of the most influential figures, transcending both industries.
Lapenda has brought Hollywood-level production to sports films, merging his passion for combat sports with his creative genius. His productions have brought the stories of fighters to life in ways that have captivated audiences and garnered critical acclaim.
“Vision, action and grit is what separates the locomotive from the train car,” says Lapenda reflecting on his career. “The fight game is about more than what happens in the ring; it’s about storytelling, creating something that resonates with people on a deeper level. I’ve always wanted to change the way we view sports entertainment, and I believe that’s what we’ve done.”
From Recife to Rodeo: The Red Carpet
Frederico Lapenda’s journey from his hometown of Recife, Brazil, to becoming the President of the Beverly Hills Film Festival Grand Jury is one of passion and unparalleled perseverance. It’s a journey that mirrors the trajectory of the fight game itself: raw, authentic, and transformative. Along the way, Lapenda has faced challenges, overcome obstacles, but, most importantly, never lost sight of his goal to revolutionize both the world of MMA and the broader reach of sports entertainment.
‘I was so lucky to follow my heart and my dreams by coming to America. This country has been so good to me’ Lapenda glows with appreciation. Landing in Manhattan Beach California first, where he studied film and television, later becoming a notable alumni (with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Franco, and Marilyn Monroe) at the prestigious UCLA Extension Program under Jon Lennox, the Executive Producer of the hit movie Splash. With an eagerness to learn from day one, recalling the very powerful lessons: Sex and violence generate the highest ratings; in the future, whoever owns the content owns their career and Pay-per-view pays in 90 days, unlike film. Mixed martial arts, checked all of those boxes. Lapenda took notes and never looked back.
Today, Lapenda is recognized not only as a pioneer but as a calculated risk taker whose contributions continue to shape the future of sports entertainment. His long walk to fame is far from over, in fact it may have only just begun.
Living Legend
With his historic contributions to the world of MMA and his transformative effect on Hollywood, Frederico Lapenda has more than earned his place among the world’s greatest visionaries, making him a legend in every sense of the word. As one of the few who have successfully bridged the gap between the world of sports and entertainment, Lapenda’s influence is unmatched.
As MMA continues its meteoric rise, so does the American Dream for one of mixed martial arts founding fathers, Frederico Lapenda; the young Brazilian immigrant with a dream.
UFC Creator Art Davie and Fight Game CEO Frederico Lapenda
“The first modern MMA fighter, one who could punch, kick and grapple,was Marco Ruas. He was the template for all those who came later. It was the marketing genius of Frederico Lapenda who packaged Ruas as, “The King of the Streets” and paved the way for him and the generations of cross-trained fighters who followed him.”
-Art Davie, Creator of the UFC®️
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