Royce Gracie welcomes cases of doping in MMA: 'It shows that the system works'

R. Gracie (photo) commented on recent doping cases in MMA. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

The world of MMA reacted with shock to the recent news of doping in the sport, especially with the case involving Anderson Silva. Royce gracie, a highlight of the early days of the UFC and one of the main names in the history of MMA, sees all these events as something positive.

“I feel like the system works. That is good. Let's not think about the bad side, let's think about the good side. The system works, and that's why they are being caught”, explained the former fighter, in an interview with the North American website “MMA Fighting”.

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Gracie does not consider that all the recent doping cases in MMA are damaging the image of the sport in the public eye. “How many people have been caught recently? Five? Five of how many fighters we have around the world? I don’t think that’s a problem,” she commented.

The champion of UFCs 1, 2 and 4, when the competition was still in the form of a tournament, avoided commenting in more detail on the case involving Anderson, caught in a recent anti-doping test using anabolic steroids. However, the member of the Hall of Fame of the UFC considers that the episode does not tarnish the “Spider” legacy. “I haven't spoken to him, so I don't know. I won't get ahead of myself. But you can’t change the past and the things he did,” he said.

About the case involving Jon Jones, who was caught with cocaine shortly before his fight with Daniel Cormier, in January, Royce commented: “He sometimes forgets that he is a role model for children. He is young, he is human. He goes to parties and ends up being influenced. He made a mistake”, he assessed.

Today at 48 years of age, Royce gracie He concluded his MMA career with 14 wins and two losses. In 2007, after defeating Kazushi Sakuraba in a rematch between the two, the Brazilian was caught taking an anti-doping test using anabolic steroids and has not competed in MMA since then.

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