The UAEJJF is set to showcase a classic jiu-jitsu pairing with its "Legends" series at the 2017 Rio Grand Slam on Nov. 10-12 in Rio de Janeiro. 

Two well-known figures from the early days of vale tudo, Carlos Barreto and Rafael Carino, will battle it out for a chance to qualify for a shot at the Heavyweight Legends title, currently held by Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz, at the upcoming Abu Dhabi World Pro in January. 

Carlos 'Carlao' Barreto: Carlson Gracie MMA Protege

A student of the legendary Carlson Gracie, Barreto handed Kevin Randleman his first loss at UVF 6 in 1997. Barreto went on to have a winning career in MMA and fight against some of the biggest names in sport at the time, such as Igor Vovchanchyn and Aleksander Emelianenko.  

Barreto retired from fighting professionally in 2005 and became an MMA analyst and commentator on Brazilian TV.  

Rafael Carino: World Champion, Old-School UFC Fighter

Carino also tried his hand in the wild world of '90s MMA: He had a big win at UFC 9 (yes, the 1996 event where no closed-first strikes were allowed) over Matt Anderson, but Carinos’s time in the cage was ultimately limited to three fights. Instead, Carino decided to focus on jiu-jitsu, becoming the 1997 weight and absolute Brazilian national champion and 1988 IBJJF world champion. He has since gone on to become a successful coach under the Nova Uniao banner.

The two men will meet under Masters rules at the UAEJJF Rio Grand Slam in what's expected to be a display of heavy pressure and timeless jiu-jitsu.

Watch the UAEJJF 2017 Rio Grand Slam LIVE Nov. 10-12, LIVE on FloGrappling.com