Royce Gracie

tri111

Anyone see this Royce Gracie guy on Setanta the other night, a Brazilian fighter from the early days of UFC.

Apparantly he was unbeaten in all his fights in the 90's and it showed him against a guy 80 lbs heavier than him (that's nearly 6 stone!!!) and he still beat him by a submission. They didn't have weight classes in those days and not many rules either. He was allowed pull the long hair of his opponent and head butts were allowed too - savage stuff. The refereeing too was awful - in another of his bouts it showed his opponent tapping for ages before the referee slowly went in to stop it. Took nearly 10 seconds which must feel like an eternity when you're being choked.

I'm new to this UFC stuff and while I find it brutal, its strangely addictive. I always check Setanta at 11pm each night to see if there's any fights on.

Anyone know if there's any UFC scene in Ireland? (not that I'm going to get involved!)

Roper

Royce and the rest of the Gracie family were responsible for the earliest western exposure to MMA through the UFC in particular. He's a bit of a legend in MMA and while he's a little out of step these days, he's still one of the trailblazers. Go to youtube there and have a look for Rickson Gracie as well if yu're interested. Yes some of the refereeing back then was a bit comical, but in fairness, a lot of those guys didn't really know what Royce was doing!

There's a flourishing MMA scene in Ireland, lots of clubs, lots of shows, one coming up soon ahem ahem www.ko-martialarts.com/tfbc

Martin25

Hi Roper
Why do you think that Royce is a bit out of step?
Just interested.
Martin

rovert

Martin25 wrote: »

Hi Roper
Why do you think that Royce is a bit out of step?
Just interested.
Martin

Sorry Roper but can I chime in? Royce is a single discipline fighter and that single discipline (Gracie Jujstu, probably the most effective single discipline in the world btw) is now studied by most modern day MMA fighters along with a myriad of other fighting styles hence the word Mixed in Mixed Martial Arts. That and Royce wont pass a drugs test.

Roper

Martin25 wrote: »

Hi Roper
Why do you think that Royce is a bit out of step?
Just interested.
Martin

Pretty much agree with what rovert said aside from the drugs jibe:pac:

He's a legend, he did more for the popularity of MMA and BJJ than anyone could hope for, but I just think that the game as moved on a lot since then. That said, would I go to a Royce seminar... yes. Would I go to a Royce seminar if it was on the same day as ... I dunno say Marcelo Garcia seminar. No.

Hey I still love the guy though!

rovert

Roper wrote: »

Pretty much agree with what rovert said aside from the drugs jibe:pac:

Well besides the standard of fighting evolving so has the regulation of the sport. Royce did tested positive for Nandrolone. Also you cant wear a gii in fights anymore nor can you use it to choke people out.

Balfe

tri111 wrote: »

Anyone see this Royce Gracie guy on Setanta the other night, a Brazilian fighter from the early days of UFC.

Apparantly he was unbeaten in all his fights in the 90's and it showed him against a guy 80 lbs heavier than him (that's nearly 6 stone!!!) and he still beat him by a submission. They didn't have weight classes in those days and not many rules either. He was allowed pull the long hair of his opponent and head butts were allowed too - savage stuff. The refereeing too was awful - in another of his bouts it showed his opponent tapping for ages before the referee slowly went in to stop it. Took nearly 10 seconds which must feel like an eternity when you're being choked.

I'm new to this UFC stuff and while I find it brutal, its strangely addictive. I always check Setanta at 11pm each night to see if there's any fights on.

Anyone know if there's any UFC scene in Ireland? (not that I'm going to get involved!)

In the early UFC's the referee's didn't have any authority to stop the fight short of a tapout or a knockout or the fighter's corner throwing in the towel.

It wasn't until UFC 6 (I think) that John McCarthy was given the authority to stop fights.

johnnysmurfman

Hair pulling was allowed as well. I watched Royce Gracie pull some guy's hair out the other night, pretty brutal, the guy's head was bleeding and there were lumps of hair on the canvas.

SuperWoody101

Nothing got to do with this topic but I won a copy of UFC 1 & 2 signed by Royce Gracie.

rovert

SuperWoody101 wrote: »

Nothing got to do with this topic but I won a copy of UFC 1 & 2 signed by Royce Gracie.

PAIN HURTS LOL

Charlie3dan

Not really on topic either but I really like these quotes from Royce:

"This is my house, I built it." Coming back to the UFC in 2006
(I remember watching that interview, Matt Hughes made some nice comments about Royce and then went on to say that the game has changed and he was gonna beat Royce etc. Goldberg walked over to Royce and asked him a long question about his chances and how the ufc had evolved and his only response was the quote above and huge cheer from the crowd........shame he lost that fight)

"I'm Royce Gracie... Some people never learn." In response to Ken Shamrock's prediction of defeating the legend of the Gracie family at UFC 3

"You put the devil on the other side, I'm gonna walk in to fight." UFC 2

stevemc01

tri111 wrote: »

Anyone see this Royce Gracie guy on Setanta the other night, a Brazilian fighter from the early days of UFC.

This is a piss take right?

seanybiker

me brother met him a few years ago. Sounds like a bit of a nob head but brother was in awe

calex71

The choking with the gui is always a sneaky one, its still allowed in Dream if i remember rightly. UFC these days has been sanitised somewhat for main stream audiences not like pride used to be and some of the asian promotions still are. where while i dont think hair pulling is allowed foot stomps to the head are quite legal, as are knees to the head of a downed opponent.

Cant say im a fan of the foot stomps etc as i hate to see fights being won like that, im border line on use of elbows too due to the risks of being cut and getting a blood stoppage, Ive seen many fights were ive been left thinking had it not been for that cut what would have happened.

rovert

calex71 wrote: »

UFC these days has been sanitised somewhat for main stream audiences

Not wasnt, it was "sanitised" for State athletic commissions and the government.

Nothingcompares

This is my house - I built it is a great great great quote.

cowzerp

Nothingcompares wrote: »

This is my house - I built it is a great great great quote.

Well the gracies, rorion to be precise set up the ufc with art davie and he picked royce to represent there art bjj and his family, so it was his house from day 1..winning 3 of the 1st 4 events..