Jami Thompson
Former professional Brazilian mixed martial artist Royce Gracie also practices Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. He is recognized as one of the most significant figures in the history of mixed martial arts.
Royce Gracie: Early Life and Family
On December 12, 1966, Vera and Helio Gracie welcomed Royce Gracie into the world in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Helio’s father, Rickson, Rorion, and Relson were the three children he and Isabel Soares had together in a previous relationship. After marrying Vera, he had two daughters, four additional sons (Royler, Rolker, Royce, and Robin), and one more boy (Rerika and Ricci).
Helio, Royce’s martial artist father, taught him Jiu-Jitsu at a young age. Hélio Gracie was one of the founders of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
When Royce was just 8 years old, he started taking part in tournaments.
When he became 18 years old, he moved to the United States to live with his older brother Rorion. The two brothers ran separate Jiu-Jitsu courses in their garage. They finally established the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California.
Royce Gracie continues to train in jiu-jitsu while wearing a dark blue belt in memory of his late father. Gracie had a coral belt of the seventh degree, but he didn’t like the idea of Hélio not advancing him.
Career
UFC 1 and UFC 2
UFC’s debut mixed martial arts competition took place at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993.
In his first UFC contest, Royce Gracie defeated former boxer, Art Jimmerson. Jimmerson was forced to submit after being knocked to the ground by Gracie, who then impaled the boxer’s left arm around his neck.
He also triumphed against Ken Shamrock, one of his greatest competitors, in the semifinals. In order to win the competition, Gracie had to fight former mixed martial artist Gerard Gordeau. He threw Gordeau to the ground and then choked him in the back.
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Gracie overcame Remco Pardoel, a Taekwondo and Judo athlete, in the semifinals. To win the UFC Championship a second time, he subsequently submitted Patrick Smith in the pivotal encounter.
UFC 3 and UFC 4
The third UFC match was held at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 9, 1994.
The tournament got off to a good start for Royce Gracie when he defeated Kimo Leopoldo in the first round, but his deteriorating health prevented him from continuing. The next round was when he entered the arena and conceded.
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There was no doubt that Gracie was too exhausted to continue fighting because a UFC bout can only conclude by submission, knockout, or giving up.
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was held at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on December 16, 1994. Royce Gracie used a rear choke to defeat Ron van Clief in the first round.
Keith Hackney was submitted by Gracie in the semifinals. Then, in the decisive round, he submitted professional wrestler Dan Severn with a triangle choke to win the UFC fight.
UFC 5
UFC 5: Return of the Beast, the fifth match, took place at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Independence Arena on April 7, 1995.
There was a lot of interest in the final match between adversaries Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock. Their match lasted 36 minutes and ended in a stalemate since the time limit was imposed that year.
The event caused a lot of controversy because of various concerns concerning the draw. They believed that the result would have been different if a court had made a ruling or if there had been no deadline.
Return to UFC
At their PRIDE 2 event in 1998, Royce Gracie was scheduled to make his PRIDE Fighting Championships debut, but a back injury prevented him from doing so. After that, he competed in the 2000 PRIDE event against professional wrestler Kazushi Sakuraba.
Sakuraba was hampered by Gracie’s no-time limit rule, which led to Sakuraba’s TKO victory in the 90-minute contest. Throughout the fight, Gracie was subjected to multiple low kicks, and by the time it ended, he had shattered his femur.
— Royce Gracie (@realroyce) February 14, 2019
Judoka Hidehiko Yoshida used a mounted chokehold to defeat Gracie in the 2002 PRIDE bout. Royce was declared unconscious by the referee, who awarded the victory to Yoshida.
On May 27, 2006, Royce Gracie fought two-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes in his return to the organization. He was defeated by Hughes via TKO, nevertheless, as a result of strikes in the first round.
Steroids Scandal and Retirement
Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba competed in the K-1 Dynamite!! USA competition on May 8, 2007.
A post-fight drug test showed that Gracie had trace quantities of the anabolic steroid Nandrolone in his body despite the fact that he won the fight by unanimous decision. As a result, the California State Athletic Commission penalized him $2500 and put him on administrative leave until his license expired.
In honor of the UFC’s 20th anniversary and at the UFC 167 event, Royce Gracie announced his retirement on November 15, 2013. In addition, he received the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the World MMA Awards.
Royce Gracie has won the most tournaments in UFC history with 11 victories. He is the only MMA fighter with three UFC victories as of 2021.
Relationship, Marriage, and Kids
In 1994, Dr. Marianne Cuttic, a podiatrist in Los Angeles, wed Royce Gracie. After more than 20 years of marriage, Gracie filed for divorce in 2016.
He requested financial support from his wife and asked her to pay for his legal fees. In addition, he demanded legal custody of his kids.
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On September 5, 2019, Gracie asked the judge to dismiss the divorce petition, and the judge complied. Therefore, Gracie and Cuttic are still technically married, though it’s unknown if they actually cohabitate.
There are four children between the divorcing parents. They have a daughter and three sons (Khonry, Kheydon, and Khor) (Kharianna).
Net Worth and Salary
Sports Illustrated named Royce Gracie one of the 50 Greatest Athletes in the World in 2014. Gracie won tournaments worth more than $170,000 during the course of his UFC career.
His estimated net worth is $5 million in total.
Royce still practices Gracie Jiu-Jitsu even if he is no longer a mixed martial artist. Additionally, he communicates with more than 55 Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu networks worldwide.
Body Measurement
Royce was 55 years old and he had an athletic body. Regarding his body measurement, Gracie stood at a perfect height of 6 ft (1.83 m) tall, and his weight was 80 kg (176 lb) respectively. He is bald but naturally had black hair and dark brown colored eye.
Social Media
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FAQS
What kind of exercise routine does Royce Gracie follow?
Weight training, cross-training, running, and meditation are all part of Gracie’s stringent training regimen. He also trains in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for as many hours as he is able to.
Who is Khonry Gracie?
Professional MMA fighter Khonry Gracie has previously participated in Bellator MMA competitions. He employs the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu method in MMA matches to honor his father, Royce Gracie, who is his oldest sibling.
Quick Facts: Royce Gracie
| Full Name | Royce Gracie |
| Nick Name | Royce |
| Date of Birth | December 12, 1966 |
| Birth Place | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Age | 55 |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Height | 6 ft (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) |
| High School | Not Available |
| University Name | Not Available |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Ethnicity | Not Available |
| Father’s Name | Hélio Gracie |
| Mother’s Name | Vera Gracie |
| Siblings | Rickson, Rorion, Relson, Royler, Rolker, Robin, Rerika, and Ricci |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Skin Colour | Brown |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Former Partner | Marianne |
| Kids | Khonry, Kheydon, Khor, and Kharianna |
| Profession | Former MMA Fighter |
| Style | Gracie Jiu-Jitsu |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Salary | Not Available |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
