Royce Gracie Reflects on a Lifetime of Work and the State of Today’s UFC

Royce Gracie at Art of War 12

You can’t really mention UFC without the name Gracie coming to mind and vice versa. The Gracie Family has been an integral part of the UFC, and the entire sport of mixed martial arts, since its inception.

Though he deflects the credit to his father, Helio, UFC 1 champion Royce Gracie stands as a pioneer in what has become the fastest growing sport in the world. He may be lobbying for a slot on the promotion’s return to Brazil in August, and whether or not that slot is warranted is a point of contention amongst longtime fans and UFC execs alike, but there is no denying that Royce Gracie and the Gracie Family are key influences in the sport.

UFC Hall of Famer and former champion, Royce Gracie, took a moment of his time in Toronto to speak one-on-one with MMAWeekly.com about his family’s influence on the UFC as the promotion is set to debut in Ontario before 55,000-plus fans at the Rogers Centre.