| Who is Royce Gracie? | | | | Pardoel, and Kimo Leopoldo. His final UFC victory |
| Well, for the mixed martial arts fans this name | | | | was in a match that lasted for 16 minutes (there |
| would not need any introduction. but for others | | | | were no rounds or time limits at the time), during |
| who have not heard of him, let me give you a | | | | which he was continuously pinned underneath 260 |
| brief biography of this unbelievably one of the | | | | pound (118 kg) wrestler Dan Severn. To end the |
| greatest mixed martial arts fighter ever. | | | | match, Royce locked his legs in a triangle choke |
| Royce Gracie was born in December 12, 1966 | | | | for a submission victory. The match extended |
| and is a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) | | | | beyond the pay-per-view time-slot and viewers, |
| fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He is | | | | who missed the end of the fight, demanded their |
| widely considered one of the greatest fighters in | | | | money back. |
| MMA history. | | | | Time limits were re-introduced into the sport in |
| Gracie became well-known in the mid 1990s with | | | | 1995 and Ken Shamrock would become the first |
| a series of submission victories over much bigger | | | | fighter to survive Royce Gracie's submission |
| opponents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship | | | | attack and earn a draw. The match lasted for 30 |
| (UFC). Between 1993 and 1994, he won 11 | | | | minutes and a 5 minute overtime. Fans have been |
| matches by submission and was the tournament | | | | calling for a rematch ever since. The draw |
| winner of UFC 1, UFC 2, UFC 4, and fought to a | | | | sparked much debate and controversy as to who |
| draw with Ken Shamrock in the superfight at UFC | | | | would have won the fight had judges determined |
| 5. These results contributed to the movement | | | | the outcome, or had there been no time limits, as |
| towards grappling, cross-training and mixed martial | | | | by the end of the fight Royce's right eye was |
| arts. | | | | swollen shut. However, the swollen eye was a |
| Royce is a member of the Gracie family. He is | | | | result of a standing punch due to a sudden |
| the son of Helio Gracie (Helio, along with his older | | | | change of the rules in which both of the fighters |
| brother Carlos Gracie, are the originators of | | | | were restarted on the feet. After this fight the |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and spent his childhood in Rio de | | | | Gracies left the UFC. In November 2003, at the |
| Janeiro, Brazil. Royce learned Jiu-Jitsu from his | | | | ten year anniversary of the UFC, Ken Shamrock |
| father and his older brothers Rorion, Relson, and | | | | and Royce Gracie were the first inductees into |
| Rickson Gracie. He began competing at the age of | | | | the UFC Hall of Fame. |
| 8 and by the time he was 16 had attained the | | | | Royce's official UFC record when he left did |
| level of blue belt. A year later he was invited by | | | | include one loss. In the second round of UFC 3 |
| his brother Rorion to help teach Jiu-Jitsu from his | | | | Royce was to face fighter Harold Howard in the |
| garage in America. Despite not knowing English, | | | | semi-finals. Although Royce came out to the ring, |
| Royce accepted the offer and moved to | | | | he was dehydrated as a result of his first round |
| California. He competed in a number of Jiu-Jitsu | | | | match against Kimo Leopoldo, and had to be |
| tournaments in Brazil and the United States and | | | | physically helped to the ring. The announcers of |
| compiled an amateur record of 51-3. Royce | | | | UFC 3 stated that Gracie's shoulder had been hurt |
| received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the | | | | in the previous round. Before the Howard match |
| age of 18. Royce is now a 6th degree black belt. | | | | began, Royce's corner threw in the towel. |
| Why is Royce Gracie the best UFC fighter ever? | | | | Over three and a half years after he finished his |
| Brainchild of Rorion Gracie and Art Davie, the | | | | tenure in the UFC Royce returned to active |
| Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was an | | | | competition, only to be choked unconscious in |
| eight-man single-elimination tournament with very | | | | under 5 minutes with a "clock choke" by Wallid |
| few rules that would award $50,000 to the | | | | Ismail in a no time limit jiu-jitsu match in Brazil. |
| winner. The basic premise was to find out how | | | | On January 16, 2006, UFC President Dana White |
| different styles of martial arts would fare against | | | | announced that Royce Gracie would return to the |
| each other. Art Davie placed ads in martial arts | | | | UFC to fight UFC welterweight champion Matt |
| magazines and sent letters to anyone in any | | | | Hughes on May 27 2006 at UFC 60. This was a |
| martial arts directory he could find to recruit | | | | non-title bout at a catchweight of 175 lb. under |
| competitors for the event. Among the takers | | | | UFC/California State Athletic Commission rules. To |
| were kickboxer Patrick Smith, Pancrase fighter | | | | prepare, Royce cross-trained in Muay Thai and |
| Ken Shamrock, and Savate world champion | | | | was frequently shown in publicity materials. In |
| Gerard Gordeau. | | | | round one, Hughes hyperextended Gracie's arm in |
| While Art Davie felt that Royce's older brother | | | | a kimura, but Gracie refused to tap and held on |
| Rickson Gracie, who was stronger and more | | | | with a calm expression on his face. In a later |
| skilled than Royce, was the obvious choice as the | | | | interview, Hughes stated that he purposely let |
| Jiu-Jitsu representative, Rorion Gracie chose | | | | Gracie out of the arm lock because he knew that |
| Royce to represent the family style. At 175 | | | | Gracie would not submit and would rather allow |
| pounds, and with a frame much smaller than his | | | | his arm to break. Hughes went on to win the fight |
| opponents, the Gracie family felt that Royce | | | | by TKO due to strikes at 4:39 of the first round. |
| would be the perfect fighter to demonstrate the | | | | UFC fighters nowadays are bound with all these |
| claims that Jiu-Jitsu techniques could be employed | | | | rules of engagement that impede a true fighter's |
| to overcome a larger opponent. | | | | fighting skills. We have this time limits that are |
| In his first match, Royce defeated journeyman | | | | geared towards stand up fighters and fighters |
| boxer Art Jimmerson. He tackled him to the | | | | that have less stamina. Their true skills are not |
| ground using a baiana (morote-gari or double-leg) | | | | quite tested with this restrictions of time. |
| and obtained the dominant "mounted" position, | | | | Competitions during the early UFC were definitely |
| also pinning Jimmerson's left arm around the | | | | harder just like what Royce Gracie went through. |
| boxer's own neck. Mounted and with only one | | | | The tournament style competition, where only |
| free arm Jimmerson conceded defeat, mostly | | | | one man is claimed to be the winner, really pin |
| due to frustration rather than submission. | | | | pointed who the battle tested champions were. I |
| In the semi-finals, Royce looked to be the | | | | am not taking anything away from our UFC |
| underdog against 220-pound Ken Shamrock, who | | | | champions right now. |
| showed excellent grappling skills in his first-round | | | | I am sure all of them are legitimate champions |
| submission win over Patrick Smith. Royce | | | | and are great fighters, however, I still believe that |
| immediately rushed Shamrock, who sprawled | | | | had not the rules been changed, I bet we would |
| effectively and got on top of Royce. Shamrock | | | | have had a different outcome of events. Martial |
| then grabbed Royce's ankle and sat back to | | | | art experts believed that the reason why Royce |
| attempt the same finishing hold he used to finish | | | | Gracie was successful was because early MMA |
| his first match, but Royce rolled on top of him | | | | fighters do not know how to fight on the ground. |
| and secured a rear choke that forced Shamrock | | | | Well, hello there, if it were not for Royce and his |
| to tap the mat in submission. Shamrock has later | | | | family, the mixed martial arts world would not |
| stated that Gracie used his gi suit as a tool for | | | | have been exposed to a fighting style that |
| ligature strangulation to perform the submission, | | | | needed to be incorporated with their fighting art. |
| protesting the fact that he was not allowed to | | | | Thanks to the Gracies. And what about the |
| wear his wrestling shoes because the event | | | | ground and pound fighting of wrestling and the |
| organisers had stated that it could be used as a | | | | throw down and grappling skills of judo? They |
| weapon, feeling that the rules for the tournament | | | | have been around for years as well right? And |
| were created to favor Gracie. | | | | yet, none of their styles succeeded with Royce |
| In the finals, Royce was again outweighed by 40 | | | | Gracies' style of Brazilian jiujitsu. |
| pounds, but defeated Savate World Champion | | | | Anyway, no matter what other people say, I |
| Gerard Gordeau (who broke his hand in the first | | | | firmly believe that Royce Gracie is the real UFC |
| round of the tournament against Teila Tuli), taking | | | | champion that has ever lived up to this point. He |
| his opponent to the ground and securing a rear | | | | was a champion with a warrior heart. He won |
| choke. This victory, along with future UFC events, | | | | against much bigger opponents. His stamina and |
| had a substantial impact on the public image of | | | | endurance were definitely tested due to the |
| martial arts and fighting systems. | | | | tournament style fighting competition and no time |
| Over the next year, Royce Gracie continued his | | | | limit restrictions. Unless UFC changes the rules to |
| winning streak in the UFC, obtaining submission | | | | the old UFC again, then I may have a different |
| wins over fighters such as Patrick Smith, 250 | | | | point of view. |
| pound (113 kg) European Judo Champion Remco | | | | |