Royce Gracie
Encyclopedia
Royce Gracie (ˈʁɔjs ˈɡɾejsi; born December 12, 1966) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist
, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.
Gracie gained fame for his domination in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
. He became known for beating opponents much larger than he was, and between 1993 and 1994, he was the tournament winner of UFC 1
, UFC 2
, UFC 4
, and fought to a draw with Ken Shamrock
in the championship match in the Superfight at UFC 5
. Gracie popularized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
and revolutionized mixed martial arts
with his results contributing to the movement towards grappling
and cross-training in the sport.
He holds the most submission victories in UFC history with 11, which he earned between UFC 1
and UFC 4
.
. He is the son of Hélio Gracie
(Helio along with his older brother Carlos Gracie
are the originators of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu—Modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and spent his childhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a toddler, Gracie learned Jiu-Jitsu from his father and his older brothers Rorion
, Relson
, and Rickson Gracie
. He began competing at the age of 8 and by the time he was 16 had attained the level of blue belt.
A year later he was invited by his brother Rorion to help teach Jiu-Jitsu from his garage in America. Despite not knowing English, Gracie accepted the offer and moved to California. He competed in a number of Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in Brazil and the United States and compiled an amateur record of 51–3. Gracie received his black belt
in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
at the age of 18. Gracie is now a 6th degree black belt.
. My brother had already faced and beat him before. He told them to ask him if they knew who he was facing as he should know who he was facing." American kickboxer Benny "The Jet" Urquidez
pretended he didn't know who the Gracies were, so they made a bet to put a $100,000 down each to fight for something. Urquidez later backed down on the bet and allegedly said he didn't want to put his money down and instead put his belt in place of the $100,000 and that if Royce Gracie won, he would become the World Champion in kickboxing.
However, there are contradictory versions of the challenge with Urquidez. According to an interview with Urquidez, the Gracies came to his school and challenged him to a fight. Benny agreed to the fight under the Gracies' rules and asked for time to train and for the fight to be held at a neutral location. When the Gracies found out that Urquidez was a competent grappler and had been training for many years with grappling legend Gene LeBell
and Gokor Chivichyan
, they allegedly backed out of the fight.
and Art Davie
, the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) was an eight-man single-elimination tournament
with very few rules that would award $50,000 to the winner. The basic premise was to find out how different styles of martial arts would fare against each other. Art Davie placed ads in martial arts magazines and sent letters to anyone in any martial arts directory he could find to recruit competitors for the event. Among the takers were kickboxer Patrick Smith
, Pancrase
fighter Ken Shamrock
, and Savate
world champion Gerard Gordeau
.
While Art Davie felt that Gracie's older brother Rickson Gracie, who was stronger and more skilled than Royce, was the obvious choice as the Jiu-Jitsu representative, Rorion Gracie
chose the younger Royce to represent the family style.
In his first match, Gracie defeated journeyman boxer Art Jimmerson. He tackled him to the ground using a baiana (morote-gari or double-leg) and obtained the dominant "mounted" position, also pinning Jimmerson's left arm around the boxer's own neck. Mounted and with only one free arm Jimmerson conceded defeat, mostly due to frustration rather than submission.
In the semi-finals, Gracie fought Ken Shamrock
, who showed excellent grappling skills in his first-round submission win over Patrick Smith. Gracie immediately rushed Shamrock, who sprawled effectively and got on top of Gracie. Shamrock then grabbed Gracie's ankle and sat back to attempt the same finishing hold he used to finish his first match, but Gracie rolled on top of him and secured a rear choke that forced Shamrock to tap the mat in submission. Shamrock later stated that Gracie used his gi suit
as a tool for ligature strangulation to perform the submission, protesting the fact that he was not allowed to wear his wrestling shoes because the event organisers had stated that it could be used as a weapon, feeling that the rules for the tournament were created to favor Gracie. Royce disputed the claim and said he had used a no-gi choke, meaning that there is no need to use his gi to apply this choke.
In the finals, Gracie defeated Savate
World Champion Gerard Gordeau
(who broke his hand in the first round of the tournament against Teila Tuli), taking his opponent to the ground and securing a rear choke, which he incidently also got while using his gi to secure the choke.
Over the next year, Royce Gracie continued fighting in the UFC, obtaining submission wins over fighters such as Patrick Smith
, 250 pound (113 kg) European Judo
Champion Remco Pardoel, and Kimo Leopoldo
. His final UFC victory was in a match that lasted for 16 minutes (there were no rounds or time limits at the time), during which he was continuously pinned underneath 260 pound (118 kg) wrestler Dan Severn
. To end the match, Royce locked his legs in a triangle choke
for a submission victory. The match extended beyond the pay-per-view time-slot and viewers, who missed the end of the fight, demanded their money back.
Time limits were re-introduced into the sport in 1995 and Ken Shamrock would become the first fighter to survive Royce Gracie's submission attack and earn a draw. The match lasted for 30 minutes and a 6-minute overtime. The draw sparked much debate and controversy as to who would have won the fight had judges determined the outcome, or had there been no time limits, as by the end of the fight Gracie's right eye was swollen shut. However, the swollen eye was a result of a standing punch due to a sudden change of the rules in which both of the fighters were restarted on the feet. After this fight the Gracies left the UFC.
At UFC 45
in November 2003, at the ten year anniversary of the UFC, Ken Shamrock
and Royce Gracie became the first inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame. UFC President Dana White
said;
Gracie withdrew from a fight with Harold Howard at UFC 3 due to dehydration after his fight with Kimo Leopoldo
. The announcers of UFC 3 stated that Gracie's shoulder had been hurt in the previous round. Before the Howard match began, Gracie's corner threw in the towel.
, a former amateur and professional wrestler who derived his foundation in submissions not from jiu jitsu but rather from catch wrestling
, rose up in the year's stablemate Nobuhiko Takada
(ironically enough, with a judge's decision), before finding himself matched up with Sakuraba
. Gracie and Sakuraba
battled for an hour and a half. Early in the fight, Sakuraba nearly ended things with a knee-bar towards the end of the first round. Later on, Royce returned the favor with a guillotine choke which Sakuraba lingered in, but appeared to be in no trouble since he took the time to play to the crowd by trying to pull Royce's pants down. Indeed, the Gracie's own no time-limit rules began to work against Royce when Sakuraba, displaying much better conditioning, kept punishing Royce instead of going for submissions, prolonging the match.
As the fight wore on however, Sakuraba's wrestling skills and balance nullified Royce's ability to score a takedown and—in some instances—even pull guard. Royce's ever-present jiu-jitsu gi became a weapon for the wrestler to use against him as Sakuraba used it to help him control Gracie on the instances the fight did come to the ground. However, with Sakuraba's control of the takedown, these instances of ground warfare became increasingly sporadic. After the 90 minute battle of punishing leg kicks, Royce's brother threw in the towel. Gracie could no longer stand and suffered a broken femur from accumulated damage. Sakuraba would go on to defeat other members of the Gracie family including Renzo Gracie and Ryan Gracie earning him the nickname "Gracie Hunter."
Gracie returned to PRIDE in 2002 to fight Japanese gold-medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida
in a Judo
vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
limited rules MMA match. Gracie lost that match when the referee stopped the match after Yoshida had sunk in a deep gi-choke. Almost immediately, he contested the loss stating that he was fully conscious when the match was stopped. Later backstage, the Gracies demanded it be turned into a no contest, and an immediate rematch be booked (with different rules for the next time). If not, the Gracie family would pull themselves from PRIDE FC, and never fight for them again. PRIDE, desperate to keep the Gracie family with them, accepted their demands. Afterward, Royce took Rickson's advice and started fighting without a gi
so that his opponents could not stall by holding onto the gi. The grudge match between Yoshida and Gracie had rules more like the standard PRIDE MMA rules. This match took place at PRIDE's Shockwave 2003 event on December 31, 2003. The match had no judges' decision per Gracie's request, and it ended in a draw after two 10-minute rounds.
In September 2004 Pride had a disagreement with Gracie about his participation in the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. Gracie had issues with the proposed opponents and rules (Grand Prix fights must have a winner and cannot end in a draw). He jumped to the competing K-1
organization. Pride sued Gracie for breaching his contract with them. The case was settled in December 2005, with Gracie issuing a public apology, blaming his actions on a misinterpretation of the contract by his manager.
scene at the "Dynamite!" card inside the Osaka Dome
, facing off against former sumo wrestler and MMA newcomer Akebono Tarō
aka. Chad Rowan under special MMA rules (Two 10-minute rounds; the match would end as a draw if there was no winner after the two rounds). Gracie made quick work of his heavy opponent, forcing Akebono to submit to a shoulder lock at 2:13 of the first round. The match was refereed by renowned MMA ref John McCarthy.
Exactly one year later, on the "Dynamite!" card of December 31, 2005, Gracie fought Japan's Hideo Tokoro
, a 143 pound fighter, in a fight ending in a draw after 20 minutes. Gracie's original opponent was scheduled to be the tall Korean fighter Choi Hong-man
, another MMA newcomer.
announced that Royce Gracie would return to the UFC to fight UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes
on May 27, 2006, at UFC 60
. This was a non-title bout at a catchweight of 175 lb. under UFC/California State Athletic Commission rules. To prepare, Gracie cross-trained in Muay Thai
and was frequently shown in publicity materials from Fairtex. In round one, Hughes hyperextended Gracie's arm in a straight armbar, but Gracie refused to tap and held on with a calm expression on his face.
Hughes has stated, in past interviews, that Gracie would rather let his arm break than submit. Hughes went on to win the fight by TKO due to strikes at 4:39 of the first round.
Royce said later after the fight with Hughes that he wanted a rematch and that he wasn't surprised by Hughes' performance, "No, we knew what he was planning to do. We worked out his gameplan before the fight, and he did exactly what we expected. I over-trained for the fight. That was all. I started training too much, too hard, for too long. He did exactly what we expected."
.
In a largely strategic and uneventful fight, Gracie defeated Sakuraba by a somewhat controversial unanimous decision, not only many viewers and MMA Sites felt that Sakuraba won the fight, Sherdog
scored it 29–28 in favor of the Japanese fighter, but also due to the fact that Royce was caught with huge levels of Nandrolone in his system, “Use of steroids is simply cheating,” said Armando Garcia, California State Athletic Commission
executive director. “It won’t be tolerated in this state.”
, an anabolic steroid, after his fight with Sakuraba. According to the California State Athletic Commission, the average person could produce about 2 ng/ml of Nandrolone, while an athlete following "rigorous physical exercise" could have a level of around 6 ng/ml. Both "A" and "B" test samples provided by Gracie "had a level of over 50 ng/ml and we were informed that the level itself was so elevated that it would not register on the laboratory's calibrator," said the CSAC. Gracie was fined $2,500 (the maximum penalty the Commission can impose) and suspended for the remainder of his license, which ended on May 30, 2008. Gracie paid the fine. The California State Athletic Commission's Bill Douglas told MMAWeekly, "Currently, our rules do not support overturning a decision based off the drug test results. However, Armando Garcia and I are meeting with the Attorney General next month to begin the process of modifying the existing laws to incorporate those rules for the future. Should everything move along like I anticipate, I would expect to see the changes in place by the end of the year."
Royce Gracie decided to dispute the allegations during an online video interview on May 2009, more than two years after the fact, saying that his weight in the first UFC event was 178 lb and claiming his weight during his Sakuraba fight was 180 lb, thus only gaining 2 pounds. This was widely disputed by experts as his weight was actually 188lb for the Sakuraba fight. According to ESPN
"Gracie is hardly possessed of an exaggerated physique, but he was clearly more sculpted for his June 2 fight with Kazushi Sakuraba than he was for a May 2006 match with Matt Hughes. In the former contest, he weighed in at 175 pounds; for Sakuraba, he was 188. One may not need to be nutritionist to observe that a muscle gain of 13 pounds in one year at the age of 40 is a strikingly accomplished feat. Athletes nearing the half-century mark are often happy to maintain functional mass, let alone pack it on".
On December 15, 2010 the UFC held a press conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil announcing an event August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena. During the press conference Royce stated: "This return of UFC to Brazil touched me, made me feel the wish of coming back to the Octagon. Everything is being negotiated with Dana White. Let's wait”. On March 11, 2011 Royce Gracie's profile was added back to ufc.com active fighters list as a middleweight. and his manager stated that they were actively negotiating with the UFC for a return to the octagon and said it was just a matter of "getting it nailed down" and that there was plenty of time for it.
UFC president Dana White has indicated to MMA Fighting that the promotion has no interest in offering a fight to Brazilian pioneer Royce Gracie for the UFC's upcoming August event in Rio de Janeiro, refuting previous reports that talks between the two sides could result in a Gracie return.
Royce remains hopeful for a return in the future
Mixed Martial Arts
He starred in the music video for "Attitude
" by Brazilian band Sepultura
.
In an interview in early 2009, Royce made a series of claims, including:
In an interview that took place January 2010 Royce stated that he had adopted his father's stance on belt promotions and had gone back to wearing a dark blue belt, as opposed to the more widely accepted black belt.
|align=center| 14–2–3
| Kazushi Sakuraba
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dynamite!! USA
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Los Angeles, California
, United States
| Gracie tested positive for anabolic steroids after match.
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–2–3
| Matt Hughes
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 60
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:39
| Los Angeles, California
, United States
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 13–1–3
| Hideo Tokoro
| Draw
| K-1 PREMIUM 2005 Dynamite!!
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Match was a draw due to a lack of judges.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–1-2
| Akebono Taro
| Submission (wrist lock)
| K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:13
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 12–1-2
| Hidehiko Yoshida
| Draw
| Pride Shockwave 2003
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
| Match was a draw due to a lack of judges.
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 12–1-1
| Kazushi Sakuraba
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
|
|align=center| 6
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Quarterfinal. Rules modified for unlimited rounds & no ref stoppages.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–0-1
| Nobuhiko Takada
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 11–0-1
| Ken Shamrock
| Draw
| UFC 5
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 36:00
| Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States
| For UFC Superfight Championship. Match was a draw due to a lack of judges.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–0
| Dan Severn
| Submission (triangle choke)
| UFC 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:49
| Tulsa, Oklahoma
, United States
| Won UFC 4 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–0
| Keith Hackney
| Submission (armlock)
| UFC 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:32
| Tulsa, Oklahoma
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0
| Ron van Clief
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:59
| Tulsa, Oklahoma
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
| Kimo Leopoldo
| Submission (armlock)
| UFC 3
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:40
| Charlotte, North Carolina
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Patrick Smith
| Submission (punches)
| UFC 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:17
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
| Won UFC 2 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
| Remco Pardoel
| Submission (lapel choke)
| UFC 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:31
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Jason Delucia
| Submission (armlock)
| UFC 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:07
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Minoki Ichihara
| Submission (lapel choke)
| UFC 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:08
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Gerard Gordeau
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:44
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
| Won UFC 1 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| Ken Shamrock
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:57
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Art Jimmerson
| Submission
| UFC 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:18
| Denver, Colorado
, United States
|
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.
Gracie gained fame for his domination in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
. He became known for beating opponents much larger than he was, and between 1993 and 1994, he was the tournament winner of UFC 1
UFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
, UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
, UFC 4
UFC 4
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
, and fought to a draw with Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
in the championship match in the Superfight at UFC 5
UFC 5
UFC 5: The Return of the Beast was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 7, 1995, at the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 5 used an...
. Gracie popularized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
and revolutionized mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
with his results contributing to the movement towards grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
and cross-training in the sport.
He holds the most submission victories in UFC history with 11, which he earned between UFC 1
UFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
and UFC 4
UFC 4
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
.
Early life
Royce is a member of the Gracie familyGracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
. He is the son of Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who, together with his brother Carlos Gracie, founded the martial art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, known internationally as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
(Helio along with his older brother Carlos Gracie
Carlos Gracie
Carlos Gracie was the first Gracie to learn Judo from Otávio Mitsuyo Maeda. Based on this judo training, Carlos and his brothers founded the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
are the originators of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu—Modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and spent his childhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a toddler, Gracie learned Jiu-Jitsu from his father and his older brothers Rorion
Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
, Relson
Relson Gracie
Relson "Campeão" Gracie is a retired professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and martial arts personality. He is a member of the legendary Gracie family.Relson currently lives in Hawaii where he still teaches Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at his academy in Honolulu. There are many Relson Gracie affiliated...
, and Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
. He began competing at the age of 8 and by the time he was 16 had attained the level of blue belt.
A year later he was invited by his brother Rorion to help teach Jiu-Jitsu from his garage in America. Despite not knowing English, Gracie accepted the offer and moved to California. He competed in a number of Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in Brazil and the United States and compiled an amateur record of 51–3. Gracie received his black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
at the age of 18. Gracie is now a 6th degree black belt.
The Gracie Challenge
It has been speculated that soon after he received his black belt, Gracie put out the "Gracie Challenge", in which competitors would face him in a No Rules contest, won by submission or knockout, with a prize of $100,000. This claim was nullified in an interview with Royce himself from silvervision.co.uk in which he states, "It wasn't really a $100,000 challenge. My brother had a big problem with one of the big American kickboxers. Somebody was going to do the commentary for the chapter and they called my brother, and asked if he wanted to face him. He said that he would face anyone in MMAMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. My brother had already faced and beat him before. He told them to ask him if they knew who he was facing as he should know who he was facing." American kickboxer Benny "The Jet" Urquidez
Benny Urquidez
Benny Urquidez is an American kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor. Nicknamed, The Jet, Urquidez was a non-contact karate competitor who later pioneered full-contact fighting in the U.S. He made the transition from point to full-contact karate in 1974 – the year of its inception...
pretended he didn't know who the Gracies were, so they made a bet to put a $100,000 down each to fight for something. Urquidez later backed down on the bet and allegedly said he didn't want to put his money down and instead put his belt in place of the $100,000 and that if Royce Gracie won, he would become the World Champion in kickboxing.
However, there are contradictory versions of the challenge with Urquidez. According to an interview with Urquidez, the Gracies came to his school and challenged him to a fight. Benny agreed to the fight under the Gracies' rules and asked for time to train and for the fight to be held at a neutral location. When the Gracies found out that Urquidez was a competent grappler and had been training for many years with grappling legend Gene LeBell
Gene LeBell
Ivan Gene LeBell is a former American Judo champion, instructor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows, and has authored a number of books.In 2000, he was promoted to 9th Dan in US Ju-Jitsu...
and Gokor Chivichyan
Gokor Chivichyan
Gokor Chivichyan is an Armenian Judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts instructor. Gokor currently trains professional and amateur fighters at the Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood. Chivichyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia....
, they allegedly backed out of the fight.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship
Brainchild of Rorion GracieRorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
and Art Davie
Art Davie
Art Davie is a business executive and entrepreneur formerly active in Southern California advertising circles. In 1993, he created and co-produced the tournament which became the televised Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1998, Davie, as vice-president of K-1 USA, brought the successful K-1...
, the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC) was an eight-man single-elimination tournament
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
with very few rules that would award $50,000 to the winner. The basic premise was to find out how different styles of martial arts would fare against each other. Art Davie placed ads in martial arts magazines and sent letters to anyone in any martial arts directory he could find to recruit competitors for the event. Among the takers were kickboxer Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith (fighter)
Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events....
, Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
fighter Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, and Savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
world champion Gerard Gordeau
Gerard Gordeau
Gerard Gordeau is a retired Dutch savateur, karateka, and mixed martial artist. He is the 1991 World Champion Savate and holder of the Dutch Champion Kyokushin Karate title for 8 consecutive years, but foremost known internationally for his fight against Teila Tuli in the first televised Ultimate...
.
While Art Davie felt that Gracie's older brother Rickson Gracie, who was stronger and more skilled than Royce, was the obvious choice as the Jiu-Jitsu representative, Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
chose the younger Royce to represent the family style.
In his first match, Gracie defeated journeyman boxer Art Jimmerson. He tackled him to the ground using a baiana (morote-gari or double-leg) and obtained the dominant "mounted" position, also pinning Jimmerson's left arm around the boxer's own neck. Mounted and with only one free arm Jimmerson conceded defeat, mostly due to frustration rather than submission.
In the semi-finals, Gracie fought Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, who showed excellent grappling skills in his first-round submission win over Patrick Smith. Gracie immediately rushed Shamrock, who sprawled effectively and got on top of Gracie. Shamrock then grabbed Gracie's ankle and sat back to attempt the same finishing hold he used to finish his first match, but Gracie rolled on top of him and secured a rear choke that forced Shamrock to tap the mat in submission. Shamrock later stated that Gracie used his gi suit
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
as a tool for ligature strangulation to perform the submission, protesting the fact that he was not allowed to wear his wrestling shoes because the event organisers had stated that it could be used as a weapon, feeling that the rules for the tournament were created to favor Gracie. Royce disputed the claim and said he had used a no-gi choke, meaning that there is no need to use his gi to apply this choke.
In the finals, Gracie defeated Savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
World Champion Gerard Gordeau
Gerard Gordeau
Gerard Gordeau is a retired Dutch savateur, karateka, and mixed martial artist. He is the 1991 World Champion Savate and holder of the Dutch Champion Kyokushin Karate title for 8 consecutive years, but foremost known internationally for his fight against Teila Tuli in the first televised Ultimate...
(who broke his hand in the first round of the tournament against Teila Tuli), taking his opponent to the ground and securing a rear choke, which he incidently also got while using his gi to secure the choke.
Over the next year, Royce Gracie continued fighting in the UFC, obtaining submission wins over fighters such as Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith (fighter)
Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events....
, 250 pound (113 kg) European Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
Champion Remco Pardoel, and Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
. His final UFC victory was in a match that lasted for 16 minutes (there were no rounds or time limits at the time), during which he was continuously pinned underneath 260 pound (118 kg) wrestler Dan Severn
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...
. To end the match, Royce locked his legs in a triangle choke
Triangle choke
A triangle choke, or sankaku-jime in Judo, is a type of figure-four chokehold which strangles the opponent by encircling the opponent's neck and one arm with the legs in a configuration similar to the shape of a triangle...
for a submission victory. The match extended beyond the pay-per-view time-slot and viewers, who missed the end of the fight, demanded their money back.
Time limits were re-introduced into the sport in 1995 and Ken Shamrock would become the first fighter to survive Royce Gracie's submission attack and earn a draw. The match lasted for 30 minutes and a 6-minute overtime. The draw sparked much debate and controversy as to who would have won the fight had judges determined the outcome, or had there been no time limits, as by the end of the fight Gracie's right eye was swollen shut. However, the swollen eye was a result of a standing punch due to a sudden change of the rules in which both of the fighters were restarted on the feet. After this fight the Gracies left the UFC.
At UFC 45
UFC 45
UFC 45: Revolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 21 November 2003, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut...
in November 2003, at the ten year anniversary of the UFC, Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
and Royce Gracie became the first inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame. UFC President Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
said;
Gracie withdrew from a fight with Harold Howard at UFC 3 due to dehydration after his fight with Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
. The announcers of UFC 3 stated that Gracie's shoulder had been hurt in the previous round. Before the Howard match began, Gracie's corner threw in the towel.
PRIDE Fighting Championships
Kazushi SakurabaKazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
, a former amateur and professional wrestler who derived his foundation in submissions not from jiu jitsu but rather from catch wrestling
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
, rose up in the year's stablemate Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...
(ironically enough, with a judge's decision), before finding himself matched up with Sakuraba
Kazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
. Gracie and Sakuraba
Kazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
battled for an hour and a half. Early in the fight, Sakuraba nearly ended things with a knee-bar towards the end of the first round. Later on, Royce returned the favor with a guillotine choke which Sakuraba lingered in, but appeared to be in no trouble since he took the time to play to the crowd by trying to pull Royce's pants down. Indeed, the Gracie's own no time-limit rules began to work against Royce when Sakuraba, displaying much better conditioning, kept punishing Royce instead of going for submissions, prolonging the match.
As the fight wore on however, Sakuraba's wrestling skills and balance nullified Royce's ability to score a takedown and—in some instances—even pull guard. Royce's ever-present jiu-jitsu gi became a weapon for the wrestler to use against him as Sakuraba used it to help him control Gracie on the instances the fight did come to the ground. However, with Sakuraba's control of the takedown, these instances of ground warfare became increasingly sporadic. After the 90 minute battle of punishing leg kicks, Royce's brother threw in the towel. Gracie could no longer stand and suffered a broken femur from accumulated damage. Sakuraba would go on to defeat other members of the Gracie family including Renzo Gracie and Ryan Gracie earning him the nickname "Gracie Hunter."
Gracie returned to PRIDE in 2002 to fight Japanese gold-medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida
Hidehiko Yoshida
is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a long time veteran of Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, competing in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, also managing to fight in the semi-finals in the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix...
in a Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
limited rules MMA match. Gracie lost that match when the referee stopped the match after Yoshida had sunk in a deep gi-choke. Almost immediately, he contested the loss stating that he was fully conscious when the match was stopped. Later backstage, the Gracies demanded it be turned into a no contest, and an immediate rematch be booked (with different rules for the next time). If not, the Gracie family would pull themselves from PRIDE FC, and never fight for them again. PRIDE, desperate to keep the Gracie family with them, accepted their demands. Afterward, Royce took Rickson's advice and started fighting without a gi
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
so that his opponents could not stall by holding onto the gi. The grudge match between Yoshida and Gracie had rules more like the standard PRIDE MMA rules. This match took place at PRIDE's Shockwave 2003 event on December 31, 2003. The match had no judges' decision per Gracie's request, and it ended in a draw after two 10-minute rounds.
In September 2004 Pride had a disagreement with Gracie about his participation in the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. Gracie had issues with the proposed opponents and rules (Grand Prix fights must have a winner and cannot end in a draw). He jumped to the competing K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
organization. Pride sued Gracie for breaching his contract with them. The case was settled in December 2005, with Gracie issuing a public apology, blaming his actions on a misinterpretation of the contract by his manager.
Fighting and Entertainment Group
On December 31, 2004 Gracie entered the K-1K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
scene at the "Dynamite!" card inside the Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Osaka...
, facing off against former sumo wrestler and MMA newcomer Akebono Tarō
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
aka. Chad Rowan under special MMA rules (Two 10-minute rounds; the match would end as a draw if there was no winner after the two rounds). Gracie made quick work of his heavy opponent, forcing Akebono to submit to a shoulder lock at 2:13 of the first round. The match was refereed by renowned MMA ref John McCarthy.
Exactly one year later, on the "Dynamite!" card of December 31, 2005, Gracie fought Japan's Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in Dream in the bantamweight division. He competed in many mixed martial arts fights in other various promotions such as TFC, ZST, Shooto, Rings and K-1 Hero's.-DREAM:...
, a 143 pound fighter, in a fight ending in a draw after 20 minutes. Gracie's original opponent was scheduled to be the tall Korean fighter Choi Hong-man
Choi Hong-man
Choi Hong-man , often anglicised to Hong-man Choi, is a South Korean kickboxer, mixed martial artist and former ssireum wrestler. In Asia he is called "Che Man", "Korean Monster" and "Korean Colossus"...
, another MMA newcomer.
Return to UFC
On January 16, 2006, UFC President Dana WhiteDana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
announced that Royce Gracie would return to the UFC to fight UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
on May 27, 2006, at UFC 60
UFC 60
UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 27, 2006. The event took place at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.-Background:Headlining the card was a...
. This was a non-title bout at a catchweight of 175 lb. under UFC/California State Athletic Commission rules. To prepare, Gracie cross-trained in Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
and was frequently shown in publicity materials from Fairtex. In round one, Hughes hyperextended Gracie's arm in a straight armbar, but Gracie refused to tap and held on with a calm expression on his face.
Hughes has stated, in past interviews, that Gracie would rather let his arm break than submit. Hughes went on to win the fight by TKO due to strikes at 4:39 of the first round.
Royce said later after the fight with Hughes that he wanted a rematch and that he wasn't surprised by Hughes' performance, "No, we knew what he was planning to do. We worked out his gameplan before the fight, and he did exactly what we expected. I over-trained for the fight. That was all. I started training too much, too hard, for too long. He did exactly what we expected."
Rematch with Sakuraba
On May 8, 2007, EliteXC announced that Gracie's opponent for the June 2 K-1 Dynamite!! USA event in Los Angeles, California, would be Japanese fighter Kazushi SakurabaKazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
.
In a largely strategic and uneventful fight, Gracie defeated Sakuraba by a somewhat controversial unanimous decision, not only many viewers and MMA Sites felt that Sakuraba won the fight, Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
scored it 29–28 in favor of the Japanese fighter, but also due to the fact that Royce was caught with huge levels of Nandrolone in his system, “Use of steroids is simply cheating,” said Armando Garcia, California State Athletic Commission
California State Athletic Commission
The California State Athletic Commission regulates professional boxing, professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the events....
executive director. “It won’t be tolerated in this state.”
Steroids
On June 14, 2007, the California State Athletic Commission declared that Gracie had tested positive for NandroloneNandrolone
Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that may be present naturally in the human body, albeit in minute quantities of less than 0.4 ng/ml. Nandrolone is most commonly sold commercially as its decanoate ester and less commonly as a phenylpropionate ester...
, an anabolic steroid, after his fight with Sakuraba. According to the California State Athletic Commission, the average person could produce about 2 ng/ml of Nandrolone, while an athlete following "rigorous physical exercise" could have a level of around 6 ng/ml. Both "A" and "B" test samples provided by Gracie "had a level of over 50 ng/ml and we were informed that the level itself was so elevated that it would not register on the laboratory's calibrator," said the CSAC. Gracie was fined $2,500 (the maximum penalty the Commission can impose) and suspended for the remainder of his license, which ended on May 30, 2008. Gracie paid the fine. The California State Athletic Commission's Bill Douglas told MMAWeekly, "Currently, our rules do not support overturning a decision based off the drug test results. However, Armando Garcia and I are meeting with the Attorney General next month to begin the process of modifying the existing laws to incorporate those rules for the future. Should everything move along like I anticipate, I would expect to see the changes in place by the end of the year."
Royce Gracie decided to dispute the allegations during an online video interview on May 2009, more than two years after the fact, saying that his weight in the first UFC event was 178 lb and claiming his weight during his Sakuraba fight was 180 lb, thus only gaining 2 pounds. This was widely disputed by experts as his weight was actually 188lb for the Sakuraba fight. According to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
"Gracie is hardly possessed of an exaggerated physique, but he was clearly more sculpted for his June 2 fight with Kazushi Sakuraba than he was for a May 2006 match with Matt Hughes. In the former contest, he weighed in at 175 pounds; for Sakuraba, he was 188. One may not need to be nutritionist to observe that a muscle gain of 13 pounds in one year at the age of 40 is a strikingly accomplished feat. Athletes nearing the half-century mark are often happy to maintain functional mass, let alone pack it on".
Possible return to UFC
While Gracie does not consider himself officially retired, neither is he actively searching out matches, telling FanHouse, "I get approached all the time. I just have to say, 'Set up a show,' and I can fight. That's easy. But I don't really have that urge to fight, that anger to fight." In a recent interview in December 2010 , he stated that he might go for a superfight, but he is negotiating his comeback for 2011.On December 15, 2010 the UFC held a press conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil announcing an event August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena. During the press conference Royce stated: "This return of UFC to Brazil touched me, made me feel the wish of coming back to the Octagon. Everything is being negotiated with Dana White. Let's wait”. On March 11, 2011 Royce Gracie's profile was added back to ufc.com active fighters list as a middleweight. and his manager stated that they were actively negotiating with the UFC for a return to the octagon and said it was just a matter of "getting it nailed down" and that there was plenty of time for it.
UFC president Dana White has indicated to MMA Fighting that the promotion has no interest in offering a fight to Brazilian pioneer Royce Gracie for the UFC's upcoming August event in Rio de Janeiro, refuting previous reports that talks between the two sides could result in a Gracie return.
Royce remains hopeful for a return in the future
Mixed Martial ArtsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- UFC 1UFC 1The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
Tournament Winner - UFC 2UFC 2UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
Tournament Winner - UFC 4UFC 4UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
Tournament Winner - UFC Hall of Fame
- UFC Viewer's Choice AwardUFC 45UFC 45: Revolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 21 November 2003, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut...
- Most submission victories in UFC history (eleven)
- Tied for third most consecutive victories in UFC history (eight)
- UFC 1
- Black Belt MagazineBlack Belt MagazineBlack Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
- 1994 Competitor of the Year http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/719
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Fight of the Year (2000)- vs. Kazushi Sakuraba on May 1
Personal life
Gracie and his wife Marianne have three sons, Khonry, Khor, and Kheydon and a daughter named, Kharianna.He starred in the music video for "Attitude
Attitude (Sepultura song)
"Attitude" is Sepultura's eighth official single, and the second of three to be taken from the 1996 album Roots. The song is amongst the band's best-known and remains a concert staple to this day...
" by Brazilian band Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
.
In an interview in early 2009, Royce made a series of claims, including:
In an interview that took place January 2010 Royce stated that he had adopted his father's stance on belt promotions and had gone back to wearing a dark blue belt, as opposed to the more widely accepted black belt.
Mixed martial arts record
|Win|align=center| 14–2–3
| Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dynamite!! USA
Dynamite!! USA
SoftBank presents Dynamite!! USA was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by FEG, the promoters of K-1 kickboxing and Hero's MMA events, and EliteXC...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
| Gracie tested positive for anabolic steroids after match.
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–2–3
| Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 60
UFC 60
UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 27, 2006. The event took place at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.-Background:Headlining the card was a...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:39
| Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 13–1–3
| Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in Dream in the bantamweight division. He competed in many mixed martial arts fights in other various promotions such as TFC, ZST, Shooto, Rings and K-1 Hero's.-DREAM:...
| Draw
| K-1 PREMIUM 2005 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2005 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2005 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 and Hero's on New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31, 2005 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Match was a draw due to a lack of judges.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–1-2
| Akebono Taro
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
| Submission (wrist lock)
| K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 on New Year's Eve, Friday, December 31, 2004 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:13
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 12–1-2
| Hidehiko Yoshida
Hidehiko Yoshida
is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a long time veteran of Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, competing in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, also managing to fight in the semi-finals in the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix...
| Draw
| Pride Shockwave 2003
PRIDE Shockwave 2003
Pride Shockwave 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. Gary Goodridge announced he would retire from Pride. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2003.- Quinton Jackson vs. Ikuhisa Minowa:Jackson defeated Minowa by TKO ...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
| Match was a draw due to a lack of judges.
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 12–1-1
| Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazushi Sakuraba
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals
The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 1, 2000. The event concluded the Pride open-weight tournament of 2000. It is famous for containing one of the most anticipated matches...
|
|align=center| 6
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Quarterfinal. Rules modified for unlimited rounds & no ref stoppages.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–0-1
| Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2000. The event began the Pride Openweight tournament of 2000.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 11–0-1
| Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
| Draw
| UFC 5
UFC 5
UFC 5: The Return of the Beast was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 7, 1995, at the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 5 used an...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 36:00
| Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States
| For UFC Superfight Championship. Match was a draw due to a lack of judges.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–0
| Dan Severn
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...
| Submission (triangle choke)
| UFC 4
UFC 4
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:49
| Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, United States
| Won UFC 4 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–0
| Keith Hackney
Keith Hackney
Keith Hackney , is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter. He competed in two Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments.-Biography:...
| Submission (armlock)
| UFC 4
UFC 4
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:32
| Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0
| Ron van Clief
Ron van Clief
Ron van Clief is an American martial artist and an actor in Hollywood and Hong Kong action films. He is the father of poet Shihan van Clief.- Early life :Van Clief was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City...
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 4
UFC 4
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:59
| Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
| Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
| Submission (armlock)
| UFC 3
UFC 3
UFC 3: The American Dream was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.-History:UFC 3 used an...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:40
| Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith (fighter)
Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events....
| Submission (punches)
| UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:17
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
| Won UFC 2 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
| Remco Pardoel
| Submission (lapel choke)
| UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:31
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Jason Delucia
Jason DeLucia
Jason DeLucia is a retired American mixed martial artist. . He holds victories over Masakatsu Funaki, Matt Hume, Minoru Suzuki, Yuki Kondo, Ikuhisa Minowa, Kiuma Kunioku, Chris Lytle, and Manabu Yamada...
| Submission (armlock)
| UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:07
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Minoki Ichihara
| Submission (lapel choke)
| UFC 2
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:08
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Gerard Gordeau
Gerard Gordeau
Gerard Gordeau is a retired Dutch savateur, karateka, and mixed martial artist. He is the 1991 World Champion Savate and holder of the Dutch Champion Kyokushin Karate title for 8 consecutive years, but foremost known internationally for his fight against Teila Tuli in the first televised Ultimate...
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 1
UFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:44
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
| Won UFC 1 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 1
UFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:57
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Art Jimmerson
Art Jimmerson
Art Jimmerson is a retired boxer who competed at super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight. As an amateur, Jimmerson was the 1983 National Golden Gloves Middleweight champion. He finished his boxing career in 2002, with a record of 33–18.-Biography:In November 1993,...
| Submission
| UFC 1
UFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:18
| Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States
|
See also
- Gracie familyGracie familyThe Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
- Hélio Gracie (Father)Hélio GracieHélio Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who, together with his brother Carlos Gracie, founded the martial art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, known internationally as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
- Carlos Gracie (uncle)Carlos GracieCarlos Gracie was the first Gracie to learn Judo from Otávio Mitsuyo Maeda. Based on this judo training, Carlos and his brothers founded the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
- Rickson Gracie (Half-brother)Rickson GracieRickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
- Carlos Gracie Jr. (Cousin)
- Renzo Gracie (First cousin, once-removed)Renzo GracieRenzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
- Rorion Gracie (Half-brother)Rorion GracieRorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
- Relson Gracie (Half-brother)Relson GracieRelson "Campeão" Gracie is a retired professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and martial arts personality. He is a member of the legendary Gracie family.Relson currently lives in Hawaii where he still teaches Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at his academy in Honolulu. There are many Relson Gracie affiliated...
- Royler Gracie (Brother)Royler GracieRoyler Gracie is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He ran the Gracie Humaitá jiu-jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for many years under his father Helio's direction, but currently resides in San Diego, US.Royler travels around the world teaching...
- Rolker Gracie (Brother)Rolker GracieRolker Gracie is a 7th degree red and black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a prominent member of the Gracie family and the fourth son of Helio Gracie. Along with his younger brother Royler Gracie he is associated with the Gracie Humaitá jiu-jitsu school....
- Carlson Gracie (Cousin)Carlson GracieCarlson Gracie, Sr. was a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was the eldest son of Carlos Gracie, founder of the system with his uncle Hélio Gracie, and learned the art from his uncle and his father. He was a member of the legendary Gracie family.- Biography :Carlson Gracie would later split...
- Rolls Gracie (Cousin)Rolls GracieRolls Gracie was a notable practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a member of the Gracie family.- Biography :...
- Ralek Gracie (Nephew)Ralek GracieRalek Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist. He is the son of Rorion Gracie and a member of the legendary Gracie family, and is the nephew of former UFC Champion Royce Gracie and Rickson Gracie. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under his father Rorion,...
- Kyra Gracie Guimarães (First cousin, twice-removed)Kyra GracieKyra Gracie Guimarães is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and grappling world champion.-Biography:She is one of the few Gracie women to achieve a black belt in BJJ and is the first Gracie female to actively compete in the sport...
- Hélio Gracie (Father)
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
- List of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners