With former UFC fighters and a million-dollar prize, VMB puts capoeira on prime time on pay TV

Mutant with VMB belt. Photo: Press Office/Press Office

For the first time in history, capoeira has a permanent spot on Brazilian television with a weekly program dedicated exclusively to the sport. The result of a partnership between the organization Volta ao Mundo – Bambas (VMB) and Com Brasil TV, the program will soon debut with national broadcast, reruns during the week and segments that include technical analysis, competition coverage and interviews with big names in the martial arts.

The agreement marks an advance in the visibility of the sport, which is reaching more than 20 million homes via pay TV and streaming. The initiative, part of a project started in 2022 by VMB, seeks to transform capoeira into a high-performance sport without losing its cultural roots.

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“I consider this a turning point for the sport, in terms of popularization and access to Brazilian families,” celebrates Saverio Scarpati, executive director of Volta ao Mundo – Bambas.

With investments exceeding R$500 in prizes in less than three years, the entity structured official circuits in 300 global teams, standardized regulations and attracted athletes who previously migrated to MMA or jiu-jitsu.

The weekly program on Com Brasil TV — a channel available on Claro TV, Sky, Vivo TV and Oi TV — will be one hour long and will divide its schedule between technical analysis of games, coverage of events such as VMB 9 (held in Brasília in October 2024, with a peak of 15 million viewers) and interviews with icons of the sport.

One of the organization's recent highlights was the clash between former UFC fighters Cezar Mutant and Sergio Moraes, disputed under the rules of capoeira during VMB 9. The event, held in the federal capital, distributed R$ 100 thousand in prizes, a record amount for the modality, and anticipated the VMB 10 All-Star Game, scheduled for August 3, Capoeirista Day, with confirmed participation of Thiago Marreta e Elizeu Capoeira, both with a stint in the UFC.