Rickson Gracie

Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was widely considered to be the best fighter of the Gracie clan, and one of the toughest in the world. In July 2017, he was promoted to ninth-degree red belt, the second-highest ranking in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Rickson Gracie is considered an important pioneer for both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA). He had several vale tudo bouts in Brazil in the 1980s, and in the 1990s Gracie became a high-profile competitor in Japan, having won Vale Tudo Japan 1994 and 1995 tournaments, he also headlined Pride 1 and Pride 4 against popular professional wrestler Nobuhiko Takada, all which are credited to have helped to popularize the sport in Japan. He retired with an undefeated record of 11 wins and no losses, all by submission. Despite the size difference, Gracie won the match at the third round by submitting Zulu with a rear naked choke, gaining immediate national recognition. In any case, Gracie won again, submitting his opponent with another choke in the second round.

Challenges to luta livre In 1988, promoters tried to put together an anticipated fight between Gracie and luta livre exponent Marco Ruas. However, Hélio Gracie refused, demanding either that Gracie received a higher payment or that the bout happened inside the Gracie Academy, which were both rejected, so the fight didn't take place. Shortly after, claiming that Gracie students had kicked him and thrown sand to his eyes during the fight, Duarte came to Gracie's gym and demanded a rematch. Gracie won again, causing a riot which forced neighbours to call the police.

Shortly after, Gracie challenged Tadeu, who had been entangled in a bout with his brother Royler when the police came. Royler and Tadeu fought to a 50-minute draw. The incident intensified Gracie's rivalry with the UWFi and the Japanese shoot wrestling scene, and the desire of UWFi's wrestlers and fans to see Gracie face one of their leading representatives eventually contributed to a long-awaited matchup with UWFi star Nobuhiko Takada at the inaugural Pride Fighting Championships event in 1997. The rivalry between the Gracie family and Japanese shoot wrestlers subsequently continued through Kazushi Sakuraba, a student of Takada, who defeated several members of the Gracie family and became known as the "Gracie Hunter".

Rickson did not compete at Vale Tudo Japan 1996, as he felt the event had stagnated and failed to grow as he had hoped. Instead he took his brother Royler Gracie to represent the family because he did not want to turn his back on the organizers.

Pride Fighting Championships In 1997, Gracie signed up to a fight against Yoji Anjo's superior Nobuhiko Takada in the Pride 1 event. Before the Tokyo Dome's 47,860 spectators, Gracie defeated the inexperienced Takada, mounting him and locking an armbar in 4:47.

Now enjoying a growing popularity in Japan, according to Gracie he was proposed to fight Mario Sperry at Pride 3, but the process was stopped due to Carlson Gracie's disavowal. Gracie only agreed to sign up to a rematch against Takada at Pride 4, stating: "I feel Takada is a warrior and deserves the chance to try and redeem himself."

In their rematch, Takada had improved and was able to wrestle Gracie to neutralize his groundwork advantage, but Gracie used a failed leglock attempt from the Japanese to sweep him and mount him. Nonetheless, Takada kept fighting under the jiu-jitsu master, dismounting him and threatening with a heel hook attempt, but Gracie, who was waiting until the end of the round to prevent Takada from capitalizing should he miss his opportunity, applied an armbar and submitted him again.

In May 2000, after Takada understudy Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Royler Gracie in the Pride 8 event, he took the mic and challenged Gracie, who was in the Gracie corner, but nothing came of it. Gracie preferred to face Pancrase's retired ace Masakatsu Funaki at Colosseum event. The event almost got cancelled, as Gracie demanded special rules which banned headbutts, elbow strikes, and strikes to the head both standing or on the ground, but an agreement was reached when the Pancrase management conceded to ban headbutts and elbows.

At the event, held at the Tokyo Dome and broadcast to 30 million TV Tokyo viewers, Gracie and Funaki started the fight clinching to the corner. Masakatsu appeared to have secured a guillotine choke, but the hold was loose and Gracie managed to go to the mat, although receiving a hammerfist that marked his face. They traded kicks to no effect, until some well timed upkicks from Gracie blew out Funaki's gravely injured right knee. They clinched again, but the Japanese's injury rendered him unable to wrestle Gracie correctly, and he was taken down by the Brazilian, who promptly mounted him. Masakatsu looked stunned while Gracie bloodied his face with ground and pound, and finally Gracie forced his way into a rear naked choke.

After the Colosseum event, Gracie expressed interest in fighting judo medalist Naoya Ogawa, who was signed up for the next Colosseum event. He was also proposed by Pride management to fight Kazushi Sakuraba, who had already defeated Royce Gracie as well, but Gracie refused saying that Sakuraba "didn't have the spirit of a warrior". When the matchup with Sakuraba was brought up again, Gracie expressed disinterest. However, nothing of it came to fruition, even after UFO president Tatsuo Kawamura proposed creating an event in order to hold the match.

In 2003, Antonio Inoki offered Gracie USD$5 million for a fight against Fujita, but it had no answer.

After the match between Royler Gracie and Genki Sudo in 2004, the latter challenged Gracie. Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa tried to put together a bout between both, but he was unsuccessful. Three years later, after Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Masakatsu Funaki, Tanikawa also tried to promote a bout between Sakuraba and Gracie in 2008, with the same results.

On July 21, 2014, Gracie appeared on episode #524 of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast hosted by Joe Rogan.

In November 2014 he became an inductee of the Legends of MMA Hall of Fame, alongside Big John McCarthy, Pat Miletich, and Fedor Emelianenko.

In other media Gracie was the subject of the 1995 documentary, Choke, by filmmaker Robert Goodman. The documentary followed Gracie and two other fighters (Todd Hays and Koichiro Kimura) as they prepared and fought in Tokyo's Vale Tudo Japan 1995. Released by Manga Entertainment, the film has been distributed to 23 countries. Gracie had a small role in The Incredible Hulk as Bruce Banner's aikido instructor, despite his jiu-jitsu background. He has appeared on National Geographic's television programme Fight Science.

In 1998, Gracie made the cover of Karaté Bushido, the oldest magazine dedicated to martial arts in Europe, joining martial artists such as Bruce Lee (1974), Jean-Claude Van Damme (1993), Bas Rutten (1997), Jackie Chan (2000), Fedor Emelianenko (2007), Georges St-Pierre (2008), Jérôme Le Banner (2012), Francis Ngannou (2019), and Dave Leduc (2020).

On May 8, 2020, news surfaced that a Netflix film about Rickson Gracie in production. The film is directed by José Padilha and the role of Gracie is played by Cauã Reymond. The film was targeted for release in the second half of 2021. It is yet to be released and no additional information has been given.

Controversies Criticism of other fighters Gracie raised the ire of some in the MMA community by criticizing the abilities of top fighters. In 1996, speaking about Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament winners, he labelled Don Frye and Mark Coleman as "very weak", and said that the latter "would offer no danger." He also saw Wallid Ismail as an "average fighter," Kazushi Sakuraba as "not a fighter that has a great expertise in anything" and "lucky all the time,"

Though he had not fought in a sanctioned MMA contest in eight years, Gracie claimed in 2008 that he could still beat the current top fighters easily. In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Gracie argued that Fedor Emelianenko was a great athlete, but possessed "so-so" technical ability, and that he (Gracie) was "100% sure" that he could defeat him. Two years after, Gracie stated that he disagreed with those who view Emelianenko as "somehow special" and that he believed Emelianenko deserved to lose the decision in his fight with Ricardo Arona; described Brock Lesnar as having "zero defense from the bottom" in the fight against Carwin; and criticized Shane Carwin for what he perceived were deficiencies in Carwin's jiu-jitsu game, characterizing him as "strong as a bull but flimsy like a paper tiger." Previous critical comments that Gracie made about Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (claiming that Nogueira had "no guard") prompted Wanderlei Silva to say that Gracie is "living in a fantasy world" and launch a new challenge to him.

Fighting record His father Hélio Gracie disputed Rickson's claim to have had over 400 fights. According to Hélio, Rickson has only competed in fights that are commonly known and reported: the two against Rei Zulu and those that took place in Japan. Helio Gracie alleged that Rickson uses practice and amateur bouts to obtain a number over 400, and that if he counted his fights like Rickson does, he would have in excess of one million.

Footage does exist of Rickson competing against his cousin Rigan Machado in a jiu-jitsu match in 1986, in what was one of the first public matches between members of the family. He also competed in sambo and submitted several competitors in a tournament. However, these were not no holds barred or mixed martial arts fights, and as such would count towards his records in jiu-jitsu and sambo instead of his fighting record. faced judo and sambo champion Ron Tripp. Tripp threw Gracie to the canvas by uchi mata in 47 seconds, thus giving Tripp absolute victory under FIAS international sambo rules. Rickson disputed this loss, claiming he was misinformed of the rules of the event, despite claiming to be a two-time Pan American champion in sambo.

Personal life Gracie has four children; Rockson Gracie (deceased), Kauan, Kaulin and Kron Gracie. His son Rockson died of a drug overdose in December 2000; Gracie was scheduled to fight Kazushi Sakuraba that year but the event was canceled and Gracie never fought professionally again.

Gracie announced in an interview on June 21, 2023 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2021.

Rickson Gracie United In August of 2026, Rickson Gracie announced the launch of Rickson Gracie United, "an international affiliation of Jiu-Jitsu clubs, schools, and academies committed to following and helping to spread Rickson Gracie's unique approach to expressing and teaching Jiu-Jitsu."

Mixed martial arts record Win

Masakatsu Funaki Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) C2K: Colosseum

Japan Win

Nobuhiko Takada Submission (armbar) Pride 4

Tokyo, Japan Win

Nobuhiko Takada Submission (armbar) Pride 1

Tokyo, Japan Win

Yuki Nakai Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Koichiro Kimura Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Yoshihisa Yamamoto Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Bud Smith TKO (Submission to punches)

Win

Dave Levicki TKO (Submission to punches)

Win

Yoshinori Nishi Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Rei Zulu Submission (rear-naked choke) Independent promotion

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Win

Rei Zulu Submission (rear-naked choke) Independent promotion

Brasília, Brazil Jiu-jitsu record Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time