UFC, WVC pioneer to receive documentary about career

Legendary grappler and UFC pioneer Fabio Gurgel is getting a documentary chronicling his storied career in combat sports and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The project was greenlit after Gurgel reunited with Mark Kerr—his opponent in the iconic, brutal 30-minute WVC 3 tournament final in São Paulo thirty years ago—at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in California last weekend. The two discussed Kerr's film "The Smashing Machine," which inspired Gurgel to pursue his own video biography.

Directed by Jorge Wolney Atalla, the documentary is being produced in collaboration with the defunct WVC organization. When filmmakers tried to purchase the rights to the WVC 3 final from WVC producer Frederico Lapenda, he declined to sell, instead choosing to work with Gurgel to tell a broader story of his life and legacy.

Gurgel, a 7th-degree coral belt, emphasized that the film will span far beyond that single legendary fight. The documentary will explore his 1991 vale tudo bout against luta livre, his appearance at UFC 11, four world jiu-jitsu championships, and his work building the Alliance Jiu-Jitsu academy into a global powerhouse. Today, Alliance operates 300 schools across 32 countries with over 60,000 students—a business model that has impacted millions. Gurgel notes that while others achieved more in competition, few have built as comprehensive a legacy combining championship success, coaching excellence, and global institutional growth. Production is underway.