Royce Gracie

Royce (pronounced Hoyce) Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is one of nine children, only two of which are sisters. Royce's father, Helio, began training him in Jiu-JItsu when Royce was still just a boy. The youngster gravitated to the art and competed in his first tournament at the tender age of eight. It was the first of many.

Eight years later he received his blue belt, and Royce welcomed in his entry to manhood by earning his black belt at the age of eighteen. He followed that accomplishment up with a move to The US where he roomed with his brother, Rorion. The siblings taught Jiu-Jitsu classes in their garage to pay the bills. Now, the brothers run one of the largest martial arts schools in the country.

1993 was the year that saw Royce make his debut in the world of professional fighting in  the first Ultimate Fighting Championship which was held as a tournament. Royce, who weighed under 180 pounds fought three separate opponents before claiming the championship. His bracket and results in UFC 1 - The Beginning, which included a rear naked choke of future hall of fame inductee, Ken Shamrock, in the first round, were as follows:

Win Gerald Gordeau Submission Real Naked Choke UFC 1 -  The Beginning 11/12/1993 Win Ken Shamrock Submission Rear Naked Choke UFC 1 -  The Beginning 11/12/1993 Win Art Jimmerson Submission UFC 1 -  The Beginning 11/12/1993

The next three UFCs were dominated by Royce also and saw him tap out the "Beast" Dan Severn at UFC 4. 

Royce was held to a draw in UFC 5 where he once again faced Ken Shamrock who appeared to be fighing not to lose. ken looked very concerned of being submitted again and utilized a dormant style that prevented Royce from applying a submission.

Today the Ultimate Fighting Championship and all other martial arts competitions no longer run as tournaments. Competitors do not face the grueling task of having to defeat multiple opponents in one night. That leaves Royce Gracie with the distinction of being the only fighter to have defeated four opponents in one evening. 

He also holds the record of the longest MMA match in history: a 90 min war against the Japanese sensation, Kazushi Sakuraba at the PRIDE Grand PRIX 2000.

Royce utilizes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques perfected by his father, which have been dubbed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Those skills helped him defeat the mammoth Sumo Grand Champion, Akebono who stands 6' 8" and weighs in at 486lbs. Royce defeated Akebono in a stunning 2min 13sec with a shoulder lockat K-1 Premium Dynamite New Years Eve 2004.

Though accomplished in striking, Roce prefers to go to the ground rather than stand and slug like Chuck Liddell.

Royce's accomplishments in MMA have brought the sport into the mainstream and given it an aura of legitimitacy. In November of 2003, Royce Gracie was the first fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame along with fellow UFC veteran Ken Shamrock.

The list of students he has personally instructed include Chuck Norris, Ed O'Neal, Guy Ritchie and Nicholas Cage. He's also provided instruction and services for the CIA, FBI, DEA, Secret Service, Army Rangers, Army Special Forces, Navy Seals and various state and local sheriff and police departments. 

Torrance, California serves as his home along with his wife, Marianne and their three sons, Khor, Khonry, and Kheydon. He maintains a daily training regimen of running, weight training, cardio, meditation, and several hours of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

His last fight was a return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship On May 27, 2006 after an eleven year sabbatical where he would face the current welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

According to www.gracieacademy.com:

"When the bell rang and the fight started, Matt and Royce got into a clinch and went to the ground. Matt was able to pass the guard (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) and establish the sidemount (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) from which he was able to attempt a Kimura lock (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) from which he transitioned into a straight arm lock (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu).

"Royce was able to untangle his arm and in an attempt to get to a better position, he went to his knees. At this point, Matt quickly spun to a backmount and with his hooks (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) in controlled Royce enough to be able to end the fight with an array of punches to the back of the head."

Royce Gracie continues forward in MMA and is among the most respected of its competitors.

Ray Mardo

Ray Mardo is a former freestyle wrestler. The Austin Film Festival honored writer now spends his days as the webmaster of several websites about ultimate fighting championship and mixed martial arts, extreme championship wrestling, world championship wrestling, who is the coolest guy on the planet, and DJ training. 

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