Amazon Forest Combat will say goodbye to Royler Gracie

Royler (right) alongside his father, Hélio Gracie

One of the greatest legends of world jiu-jitsu, Royler Grace announced that he will have the last MMA fight of his career on September 14th, at Amazon Forest Combat, in Manaus. The Brazilian will face Japanese Masakutsu Ueda in the main fight of the event, which, with a structure and card worthy of the biggest international events, will feature names such as the former WEC champion Paulo Filho, Olympic judo medalist Satoshi Ishii and former UFC fighters Maiquel Falcao, Roan “Jucão” and Karo Parisyan.

One of the greatest representatives of the gentle art in the world, Royler was one of only two fighters to win the ADCC for three consecutive years. Stating that an athlete “must know when to stop”, Royler looks back fondly on his career, and does not hide his happiness at saying goodbye amid high-level fighters, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

“Saying goodbye to Brazil was my priority. Fighting here is a different feeling, especially in Manaus, one of the biggest breeding grounds for MMA fighters and, especially, jiu-jitsu in the world”, celebrates Royler. “The card is above any expectations, it is completely different in Brazil. You can see that there is a heavy investment, with a lot of people from outside.”

Looking for his sixth professional MMA victory, he is training for his last battle in San Diego, where he currently resides. Missing the “Brazilian air”, he intends to arrive early to acclimatize, but says he is ready to take action.

“My head is in tune with my body, working very well. I'm training well, but it's different from Brazil. Even though the quality here is great, and I have the chance to train with a lot of MMA people, including UFC and Strikeforce, the atmosphere is not the same”, comments Royler. “That's why I'm going to arrive in Manaus first, which is very hot. The good thing is that I really like it there.”

Check out the full event card:

Royler Grace vs. Masakatsu ueda;

Josh Burkman vs. Roan Jucão;

Paul Philo vs. Satoshii Ishii;

Antonio Braga Neto vs. Maiquel Falcao;

Alexandre Capitan vs. Shannon Slack;

Jordan Smith vs. Karo Parisyan;

Ronnie Torres vs. DrewFicket;

Dileno Lopes vs. Danny Martinez

Georges Clay vs. Anthony Birchack

Sergio Junior vs. Daniel Acácio;

Rivaldo Junior vs. André Leocardio