Frederico Lapenda

Frederico Lapenda is a movie producer and fight promoter. He is one of the founders of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Lapenda is credited, along with Ultimate Fighting Championship co-creator Art Davie, as being responsible for the globalization of MMA. Lapenda is also the president of the Beverly Hills Film Festival Grand Jury. He has produced films, MMA events and documentaries including Kidnapping and Unknown Distance. He created Allies of the Amazon, a children's book about four super-powered talking animals who protect the Amazon rainforest, with Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee. In 2011, Lapenda produced the first pay-per-view event on YouTube on his Fight Game Channel, broadcasting a Moscow event worldwide. In 1998, he became the first producer to broadcast MMA on US TV on channel 22 in Los Angeles. In 1997, he introduced PPV to Brazil with his World Vale Tudo Championship III (WVC) event in São Paulo, and in 1997, his WVC event aired on US PPV, making him just the fourth producer to promote MMA on US PPV.