40 Facts About Rickson Gracie

Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 9th-degree red belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist.

Rickson Gracie is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Helio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.

At 20, Rickson Gracie was pitted in a high-profile fight in Brasilia against famous Brazilian professional wrestler and fighter Casemiro "Rei Zulu" Nascimento Martins.

Rickson Gracie claimed Zulu was oiled up with vaseline in order to impede his grip.

However, Helio Gracie refused, demanding either that Rickson received a higher payment or that the bout happened inside the Gracie Academy, which were both rejected, so the fight didn't take place.

Later, Rickson Gracie himself challenged Ruas to an impromptu match during a meeting with luta livre fighters in the Clube Boqueirao do Passeio.

The reasons why this second fight fell off too are disputed: Rickson Gracie claimed Ruas asked for time to train, while Ruas claimed Helio shut down the idea claiming Ruas was not a true luta livre representative.

Months later, Rickson Gracie was challenged by lutador Denilson Maia, but the latter's father died and he had to be replaced by Duarte.

Rickson Gracie won after making him surrender to punches to the face.

Shortly after, claiming that Gracie students had kicked him and thrown sand to his eyes during the fight, Duarte came to Rickson's gym and demanded a rematch.

Rickson Gracie won again, causing a riot which forced neighbours to call the police.

Shortly after, Rickson Gracie challenged Tadeu, who had been entangled in a bout with his brother Royler when the police came.

In 1994, Rickson Gracie was contacted by Erik Paulson to compete in Satoru Sayama's event Vale Tudo Japan.

Rickson Gracie traveled to Japan and participated in the tournament, firstly facing Daido-juku stylist Yoshinori Nishi.

Rickson Gracie took him down and Nishi answered with a lockdown from half guard, but the Brazilian was able to pass his guard and catch him with a rear naked choke when Nishi turned his back.

Rickson Gracie later faced much larger wing chun practitioner Dave Levicki, but he was an even easier prey once taken down, and Rickson won by TKO after a flurry of punches.

Rickson Gracie then fought American kickboxer Bud Smith at the finals, winning by the same method in even less time and getting the tournament's victory.

Rickson Gracie was the better in the fight and performed abundant ground and pound on Anjo, who did not surrender, so Rickson Gracie choked him unconscious.

Rickson Gracie squared against another pro wrestler in the form of Koichiro Kimura, swiftly defeating him, then met shoot wrestler Yuki Nakai at the finals.

In 1997, Rickson Gracie signed up to a fight against Yoji Anjo's superior Nobuhiko Takada in the Pride 1 event.

Now enjoying a growing popularity in Japan, according to Rickson Gracie he was proposed to fight Mario Sperry at Pride 3, but the process was stopped due to Carlson Rickson Gracie's disavowal.

Nonetheless, Takada kept fighting under the jiu-jitsu master, dismounting him and threatening with a heel hook attempt, but Rickson 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.

Rickson Gracie preferred to face Pancrase's retired ace Masakatsu Funaki at Colosseum event.

The event almost got cancelled, as Rickson 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.

Masakatsu appeared to have secured a guillotine choke, but the hold was loose and Rickson Gracie managed to go to the mat.

Rickson Gracie was 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".

Rickson Gracie further said he didn't want to fight a wrestler who was so much smaller than him.

Rickson Gracie mentioned Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Kazuyuki Fujita as candidates to fight him in said return.

Rickson Gracie has confirmed that he is officially retired now and his major focus is to give seminars on Brazilian jiu-jitsu and to try to develop BJJ as his father saw it: not a fighting tool but a social tool, to give confidence to women, children, and physically weak individuals by giving them the ability to defend themselves.

Rickson Gracie was the subject of the 1995 documentary, Choke, by filmmaker Robert Goodman.

Rickson Gracie had a small role in The Incredible Hulk as Bruce Banner's martial arts instructor.

Rickson Gracie's character is credited as an aikido instructor, despite his jiu-jitsu background.

Rickson Gracie has appeared on National Geographic's television programme Fight Science.

On May 8,2020, news surfaced that a Netflix film about Rickson Gracie is in the making, release date targeted in late 2021.

The film is directed by Jose Padilha and the role of Rickson Gracie is played by Caua Reymond.

Rickson Gracie raised the ire of some in the MMA community by criticizing the abilities of top fighters.

Rickson Gracie has to step up in the ring and prove what he says.

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.

Rickson Gracie, claimed to be a former gold medalist at 1980 Pan American Sambo Championships at 74 kilograms, faced judo and sambo champion Ron Tripp.

Rickson Gracie disputed this loss, claiming he was misinformed of the rules of the event, despite claiming to be a two-time Pan American Sambo champion.