Royce Gracie

Arguably the most influential figure in MMA is Royce Gracie. Royce is considered to be the one to bring Jiu-Jitsu to the world stage by beating opponents much larger than himself in the UFC. His contributions revolutionized modern MMA fighting where modern fighters had to learn how to grapple. I remember first watching Royce back in 1993 when he fought and I couldn't believe my eyes when he submitted his giant opponents. I never thought that such techniques existed. His performances touched millions because he was the underdog, a classic David and Goliath story where the scrawny guys wins!


Royce is the son of Helio Gracie, Helio along with his older brother Carlos were the originators of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Royce was born and raised in Rio De Janero Brazil, where he learned Jiu Jitsu from his father and his older brothers Rorion, Relson and Rickson. He began competing at the age of 8 and attained his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt at the age of 18.

When he was 17, Rorion sought Royce's help to teach Jiu-Jitsu from his garage in America. Even though he didn't speak English, he agreed to move to California to help his brother. He competed in various tournaments in Brazil and the United States, he compiled an amateur record of 51-3.

Royce was and still is the great fighter who made Jiu-Jitsu a staple for all MMA fighters. Today, an MMA fighter would be considered an incomplete fighter without Jiu-Jitsu in his arsenal.