More on the Tragic Death of Ryan Gracie

by Kid Nate on Dec 16, 2007 4:35 PM EST in MMA News

More details are emerging about the tragic death of Ryan Gracie, brother of Renzo and grandson of Carlos Gracie.

Dorothy Willis of the Bleacher Report has far and away the most detailed report I've seen in English so far.

At 7:00 AM on December 15th, 2007, Ryan Gracie was found slumped over and unresponsive in a jail cell in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Gracie had been arrested at approximately 1:30 AM for stealing and crashing a car, and then attempting to steal a motorcycle to flee from police. Ryan was hit on the head by the owner of the cycle, whom he had threatened to kill, and then detained by several cyclists until the police arrived.

Gracie tested positive for marijuana, cocaine, and an unknown antianxiety drug.

That's where things get really weird, the Gracie family apparently retained a doctor who graduated from the Elvis Presley/Judy Garland school of celebrity doping to see Ryan in his cell. Check the list of drugs he shot into Ryan in the hours before Gracie's death:

Psychiatrist Dr. Sabino Ferreira de Faria was called by Gracie's wife after his arrest and attended to him at the jail.

The doctor has allegedly stated that he administered the following drugs to Gracie to calm him down: Haldol (a powerful antipsychotic), Fenergan (which has a side effect of sleepiness), Topamax (for Migraines), Dienpax (tranquilizers), and OmniPlex (relaxant).

The doctor remained with Gracie most of the night, and was notified of Gracie's death as he was returning home. The cause of death has not yet been released by the medical examiner.

Holy shit. I wonder how they spell malpractice in Portugese.

Willis' article concludes with the best one paragraph summation of Ryan's dark side I've read anywhere:

Ryan had a history of many run-ins with the police, and at one time had shot himself in the femur, almost costing him the use of his leg. In Brazil he had a reputation of being a tough street fighter, and was said to have an ongoing feud with fellow BJJ practitioner Wallid Ismail. An acquaintance once said of Gracie, "He was a crazy guy. In America, the police would have just shot him."

I've posted a couple of video clips in the extended entry, one a highlight of Ryan in the ring since I think it's important to remember his accomplishments in the ring and what a talent has been squandered and two clips from Brazilian TV that show the wrecked car he stole and the knife he used whilst carjacking.

Clearly Ryan led a troubled life and harmed himself as well as others as he fought with some nasty personal demons. Let's hope he's found peace. My prayers and sincere condolences go out to the Gracie family.