Royce Gracie Joins Muhammad Ali and Tiger Woods Among SI’s 50 Greatest Athletes of All Time

Honored to make sports illustrated top 50 athletes of all time list @Reebok pic.twitter.com/nIlHF3Y3q4

— Royce Gracie (@realroyce) January 10, 2014

Even a legend can be humbled, especially when that legend is cast amongst 49 other legends.

The first ever winner of the old-school UFC one-night tournament format, Royce Gracie, was humbled on Thursday when he posted to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram about how honored he was to be selected for Sports Illustrated’s 50 Greatest Athletes of All Time list.

Gracie won three of the first four UFC tournaments. Two of those tournament victories included winning three fights in one night, while the other saw Gracie get the better of four opponents in a single evening. He also fought Ken Shamrock to a 36-minute draw in the Octagon.

Kazushi Sakura handed Gracie the first loss of his career during a Pride fight in 2000, but only after the two battled it out in a 90-minute epic and Gracie’s corner threw in the towel. Gracie suffered a broken femur in the fight.

Congratulations to Royce Gracie.