Royce Gracie Family Conflict: Who Didn’t Want Him to Fight at UFC 1?
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Royce Gracie may not be so much on the mind of the modern day MMA fan, but if it wasn’t for him and his family, we likely wouldn’t have the UFC, Bellator, Invicta FC, or the other MMA promotions that we’ve come to love.
Gracie was inaugural winner of the UFC’s original one-night tournament format, having defeated three fighters in one night. He went on to win a four fights in one night and another three-fights-in-one-night tournament under the UFC banner, as well as competing in a superfight with Ken Shamrock before moving on to Pride FC.
He never quite returned to his glory days as the UFC got off the ground, but Gracie’s fighting prowess and his family’s contributions to jiu-jitsu and combat sports are legendary.
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
