About Royce Gracie
Gracie didn’t match the stereotype of a thug when he entered the octagon-shaped cage on November 12, 1993, to face boxer Art Jimmerson at UFC 1. He most certainly wasn’t a big, grizzled man covered with scars. Instead, Gracie was rather presentable in a traditional gi as she entered the cage for the inaugural contemporary martial arts style vs. style competition. not, for
There was something in his eyes that anyone who looked at him closely noticed. He exuded confidence and toughness. And we learned why after just 2:18 of the fight.
The fact that Gracie or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was king was known to Gracie’s family, but not to the rest of us. Additionally, this was not Gracie’s first time riding a pony.
Here is his story.
- Date of Birth: Royce Gracie was born on December 12, 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Training Camp: Gracie doesn’t really train with a fighting camp, as his MMA bouts are quite rare. Of course, he trains in Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai.
The Royce Gracie Chapter of the UFC 1 Story
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was co-founded by Royce Gracie’s brother, Rorion (UFC). In order to definitively decide which martial arts style was superior, Rorion and his fellow countrymen had envisioned a competition system. The Gracie family, which included Helio, Royce’s father and co-inventor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, thought their method was the most effective. So
The family had to select one of their many black belts when the contest really took place. Being the most skilled of the brothers at the craft and being a big, strong man, Rickson was the obvious choice. Due to his small stature, the family went with Royce instead, believing that a victory for him would be more remarkable to the public and may have a greater impact on the growth of their jiu jitsu.
Wins Three UFC Tournament Matches for Royce Gracie
Royce was dominant during the first four UFC events, winning three of them with his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a grappling style that emphasizes takedowns, ground dominance, and particularly submissions (joint locks) (UFC 1, 2, and 4). In reality, Gracie did not lose a battle throughout the first four tournaments; instead, in UFC 3, Gracie opted not to fight Harold Howard because of dehydration from a prior match against Kimo Leopoldo (one that he won).
All of Gracie’s opponents throughout these early competitions were submitted. Early on in the UFC’s history, there were no time restrictions, rounds, or decisions; everything was hard-core.
competition with Ken Shamrock
Even though many of us didn’t realize it at the time, only one opponent at UFC 1 had a chance to truly challenge Gracie, and that person was Ken Shamrock. Pancrase fighter Shamrock was more adept at understanding submission techniques than the other competitors. Unfortunately for him, that didn’t mean he did, since only 57 seconds into the first round, Gracie snaked around to his back and applied a rear naked choke to him.
Later, in the UFC’s first SuperFight, Shamrock and Gracie would square off at UFC 5. (non-tournament bout). After 36 minutes, the bout ended in a tie (the rules did not all for judges or decisions). The belief is that Shamrock would have won a decision if it had been feasible because he truly hit Gracie hard during the fight.
Gracie and Shamrock were the first individuals to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at UFC 45 (in November 2003).
defeated by Kazushi Sakuraba
Due to his success in eliminating members of the Gracie family, Sakuraba eventually earned the nickname “The Gracie Killer” He eventually faced Royce after defeating the family and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It took place during the 2000 PRIDE Grand Prix and lasted an astounding 90 minutes. However, in the end, Sakuraba’s wrestling and ability to utilize Gracie’s gi against him forced Gracie’s corner to concede defeat because their opponent had suffered a broken femur from cumulative trauma and had generally had his ground game neutralized during the entire fight. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was thought to be unbeatable in MMA until this battle.
Individual Life
Khonry, Khor, and Kheydon are three of Gracie’s kids, and she also has a daughter named Kharianna.
