Roger Gracie exposes the pressure of carrying the family name in MMA: “It wasn’t a wish, it was the way”

Roger gracie (photo) fought in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/UFC

Roger gracie opened his heart and explained the reasons that led him to venture into MMA, a sport that never enchanted him. In an interview with the 'ConnectCast' podcast, the black belt said that he felt pressured by the family tradition of following in the footsteps of his predecessors, who made history in mixed martial arts.

“MMA never really clicked for me. I didn't adjust my weight, I changed weight. I was in the middle of two categories (middleweight and light heavyweight). But my heart was never there. I always loved fighting Jiu-Jitsu, I never loved fighting MMA. I fought MMA out of obligation, because I was a Gracie. Since I was a child, what was the path of every Gracie fighter? Do Jiu-Jitsu and fight MMA”, declared Roger, who is the son of Reyla Gracie (daughter of Carlos Gracie) and Maurício Motta Gomes (one of the 6 black belts of the legendary Rolls Gracie).

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Roger stated that he had no choice when deciding to be a fighter, but just followed the destiny imposed on him by his lineage.

“Every generation before me has done this. The day I decided to be a fighter, for me, was a natural path, not a choice. It wasn't a wish, it was the Gracie way. It was the natural path I chose in life. I got my black belt and started doing MMA. I was winning a lot in Jiu-Jitsu and moved on to MMA. It wasn't because of the passion to fight, but because of being Gracie”, concluded the black belt.

Despite not having the same love for MMA as I did for Jiu-Jitsu, Roger gracie had a respectable career in mixed martial arts. He had 10 fights, won eight, six of them by submission, and was defeated only twice. He also fought in big organizations like Strikeforce and UFC, and became ONE FC's first light heavyweight champion.

Roger gracie He is considered by many to be the greatest name in the history of Jiu-Jitsu, having won ten world titles as a black belt, three of them in the absolute category. He was also champion of the ADCC, the biggest grappling tournament in the world, in 2005, in the under-98 kg category and in the absolute. At 42 years old, he lives in London, where he runs the Roger gracie Academy, one of the largest Jiu-Jitsu academies in Europe.