Bellator 170's Ralek Gracie: MMA return is about coming back to my roots, coming to terms with myself

LOS ANGELES – Every time a microphone goes in front of Ralek Gracie, the same question follows.

Why are you coming back?

“It seems very obvious to me,” Gracie told MMAjunkie in advance of his return to MMA at Bellator 170 after a seven-year layoff. “I’m just doing what my family has been doing for generations. I’m not coming from anywhere, and I never wanted to stop in the first place. It’s obvious to me, but not necessarily the world.”

Gracie is a member of MMA’s first family. Gracies have been a part of the sport for as long as it’s been in existence. But when one suddenly comes out of what appeared to be retirement, people want to know why.

There’s probably a longer story about why Gracie hasn’t fought since 2010, when the now-defunct DREAM was still in business. But the abbreviated one of why he stayed out of the game for so long is this: He got injured, had a few kids, didn’t get paid for his last fight, and promoted the grappling competition Metamoris – life stuff.

Gracie claims he never wanted to stop fighting. But until some of his contacts at Bellator heard he was available and interested, he didn’t act on his feelings. Until he’d done enough training to figure out he was still physically able to complete a training camp, he didn’t say yes.

But he’s now agreed to fight Hisaki Kato (7-2 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at Bellator 170, which takes place Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., with a main card on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie. The 31-year-old Gracie (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) gets a chance to focus on himself, which is not what he was focusing on when he promoted Metamoris and found himself at the center of controversy over payment of competitors. (He has since promised to meet all of his financial obligations.)

“Being able to zone in yourself and your preparation, it’s one of the most spiritual things you can do is prepare for a fight,” Gracie said. “You’re preparing yourself for war.”

Gracie feels like it was yesterday that he strapped on the gloves for DREAM, and he’s looking forward to finding some measure of “truth” by testing himself in the cage. So he’s getting back in there. He’s got some questions to answer on his own.

“For me, it’s about coming back to my roots, and coming to terms with myself,” he said.

For more from Gracie, check out the video above.

And for more on Bellator 170, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.