Marcelo Alonso

At a glance

• Has covered vale tudo and jiu-jitsu since 1992
• Editor in chief of Tatame magazine for 15 years, at Portal do Vale Tudo since 2009
• Author of Do Vale Tudo ao MMA, 100 anos de luta (2013) and Behind the Octagon (2018)

Overview

Marcelo Alonso is a Brazilian journalist who specializes in combat sports. He has covered vale tudo and jiu-jitsu since 1992, which makes him a firsthand witness to the birth of modern MMA in Brazil.

He spent fifteen years as editor in chief of Tatame magazine, then joined Portal do Vale Tudo in 2009. He also writes for Sherdog. On television, he hosted Combate de Cara a Cara from 2009 to 2014 and Combate News from 2014 to 2018 on the Combate channel. He has been a UFC commentator since 2017.

What you'll find

At Portal do Vale Tudo, he runs Baú do Alonso, a section devoted to vale tudo history: old fights, archives and profiles. He also appears on the PVT podcast and writes news and investigative pieces.

He has written two books: Do Vale Tudo ao MMA, 100 anos de luta, published in 2013, which traces a century of fighting in Brazil, and Behind the Octagon, released in 2018. His X account, @alonsopvt, shares his stories and reactions.

Why follow

Alonso has been covering Brazilian fighting since before the UFC existed. He reported on the vale tudo era, the rise of jiu-jitsu and the UFC's arrival in Brazil, and he tells those stories with sources and archives built up over more than thirty years.

His approach combines investigation with news. When a Brazilian fighter is in the headlines, he can place that fighter's path within the history of the team or fighting family behind them. His books and Baú do Alonso are valuable resources if you want to understand where the great Brazilian academies come from.

MMA Official's take

Marcelo Alonso is for MMA history buffs, jiu-jitsu fans and readers who want context behind the headlines. Start with Baú do Alonso on Portal do Vale Tudo, then follow him on X for his reactions to events.

If you read Portuguese and want the big picture, his book Do Vale Tudo ao MMA, 100 anos de luta is the most complete starting point on the history of fighting in Brazil, written by someone who covered much of that story himself.