Joey Beltran and Renzo Gracie Talk Rolles Gracie's Dismal Debut at UFC 109
by Kid Nate on Feb 11, 2010 3:47 PM EST
in MMA News
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First Rolles' cousin and cornerman Renzo talks to Gracie Fighter (HT MMA Mania) about Rolles' poor performance from his perspective:
"It was embarrasing. I can tell you he wasn't in that bad of shape. Fact is the nerves drained him of his energy. His stand up and ground work looked bad, nothing at all like he was doing in training leading up to the fight and it was if he couldn't hear what I was telling him. I think the pressure he put on himself overwhelmed him. He'll learn and be back."
Renzo has to say that. If Rolles looked as out of shape in practice as he did in the Octagon, he should never have been allowed in the cage.
Our own Leland Roling took a similarly upbeat view of Rolles' prospects:
For a guy like Rolles Gracie, it may take a considerable amount of time to breed that sort of confidence and mental preparation. A loss against Joey Beltran may be exactly what he needs to pick up his training, gain a considerable amount of confidence, and become a mentally tougher fighter for the future. Sometimes, a loss is exactly what a fighter needs.
But Rolles' opponent Joey Beltran has a different take when talking to Ray Hui:
Rolles is catching a lot of flack for the fight, even from his own camp. What did you think of his performance?
Obviously, I know that guy didn't want to fight. I felt bad. I mean, I didn't -- I do feel a little bad for him. Before the fight even happened, he didn't seem like a guy who wants to fight. He doesn't have it in his heart. He's kind of being pushed into it because he's a Gracie. I almost feel bad for the guy because he had so much pressure going into that fight, but it's business. I know I was brought in there to lose so I had to ruin their plans. It is what it is.
What gave you the impression he didn't want to fight?
I don't know. Just with interviews. Just him saying stuff like, "I got into fighting because I wanted to try something new." No, buddy. If you want to compete at this level, you got to have fighting in your heart from day one or else you're going to get hurt real quick.
So whether Rolles is a "born fighter" or not is something only time will tell. If he really doesn't burn with the desire to fight in the cage, I hope for his sake that he has the nerve to stand up to the huge expectations that come with the last name Gracie and walk away.
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Octogon jitters are terrible and being a Gracie probably doesn’t help. But he has a reputation as being lazy in the gym so that doesn’t help him either. I hope that he decides that he wants to do this for a living because he’s an amazing grappler but he can’t half ass it. Beltran is right, you’ll end up getting hurt.
twitter.com/thisredengine
As was stated in the post, “only time will tell.” Maybe, Beltran is correct, but it’s hard for me to put much stock into his impression of Rolles’ desire (or lack of desire) to fight. It’s incredibly difficult to win a fight in the UFC, generally speaking. There aren’t alot of “easy” matchups to be had though some fights are setup to favor certain fighters at times. It’s a big setback for Rolles, but it’s not the end of his MMA career unless he wants it to be.
it is hard to win a fight in the ufc, but even fighters who lose usually show some sort of competency. rolles looked bad everywhere. and it’s not like it was a quick knockout either, rolles had plenty of time to show he had something to offer and he showed absolutely nothing. even his movement in the ring seemed lumbering and unbalanced. i feel for him, i do, it must be a lot of pressure, but the pressure is only going to grow with every loss or every win.
Gracies are among the best MMA fighters in the world
when they pick the rules and opponents.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Gracies are among the best MMA fighters in the world-when it’s 1993.
by Jonathan Snowden on Feb 11, 2010 4:44 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Back when they could get away with picking rules and opponents.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
when there were only representatives of one MA, BJJ was definitely the way to go. once it became true MMA… well, that’s a different story.
Pain is Temporary
Pride is Forever
The art is a victim of its own success. Now that everyone trains BJJ it has become much less of an effective means of beating your opponent.
How did I end up on this bandwagon and why does everything say property of Chael Sonnen?
no doubt, but I view it more of a success awarded to the Gracie family than not. I can only remember Royce saying he hopes Hughes will submit him, and that his work “here” is done. Ironically enough it was the GnP :p
But regardless, anyone who wants to practice MMA today has to know BJJ or at least BJJ defense in order to be able to be competitive at the highest level, and without the Gracies I’m not sure this would have happened.
Pain is Temporary
Pride is Forever
what? nonsesne.
For a guy like Rolles Gracie, it may take a considerable amount of time to breed that sort of confidence and mental preparation. A loss against Joey Beltran may be exactly what he needs to pick up his training, gain a considerable amount of confidence, and become a mentally tougher fighter for the future. Sometimes, a loss is exactly what a fighter needs./blockquote>
how, in the name of god, does a loss that miserable, a performance that pathetic cause a fighter to “gain a considerable amount of confidence.” i’d honestly expect his next performance to be worse if i thought that was possible. i guarantee you this guy isn’t focusing on what he can do to be better next fight, he’s dwelling on the fact that he put on the worst performance the world may have ever seen from a gracie.
Gaining the confidence comes from the training, and to be perfectly honest… I think he needs more fights outside the UFC before coming back.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Feb 11, 2010 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
I think he needs what me and Anton haven't been able to shut up about.
Gracie vs. Kimbo. That could headline a PPV and I still wouldn’t be upset about EXC style marketing. It’s one of the best gas/slopfests to be made.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
thats good for the UFC but not rolles. how does he develop from a fight like that? even if beats kimbo he’s in the same boat for his next fight
i agree with leland that he needs to get more fight outside the UFC and come back if can build his game and confidence properly
It's a builder fight against mediocre competition
just like he’d get in regionals. Kimbo is a street brawler just starting to learn MMA. Gracie’s family sells videos specifically designed to beat up street brawlers. Great fight for both. Plus, just say it out loud. Kimbo vs. Gracie. Say it and then try to honestly tell me you don’t want it to happen.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Kimbo is a street brawler just starting to learn MMA
Hasn’t he had a few years of high level training by now?
How did I end up on this bandwagon and why does everything say property of Chael Sonnen?
Kimbo hasn't taken any of the training seriously
until recently. He didn’t learn much in his time with Bas (proof: no leeever shots) and on the show he said he trains his ground game every few weeks or something like that. ATT is his first real training and he didn’t even have any of them teaching him to cut weight properly, so I’m skeptical as to how great it is for him. His inexperience showed time and time again during the Alexander fight. His only good moment in that was the MOTHERFUCKING KIMBOPLEX!
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
My 8 year old
uses liver shots and he has only seen Bas a handful of times.
It could make the main card but there is zero change they could headline a PPV.
How did I end up on this bandwagon and why does everything say property of Chael Sonnen?
Zero chance that they could?
You’re delusional. They could headline a PPV and it would sell really effing well with UFC branding on it. With Strikeforce promoting it, or even Affliction when it was still around, as a PPV it would likely be the best non-UFC PPV of all time.
I’d buy it.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
There are no numbers on Kimbo as a PPV draw. Combine that with putting him against a guy who was so badly outclassed by a guy who shouldn’t be in the UFC that he basically quit in the second round and there is ZERO chance that they would use this fight to headline a PPV.
If you really just want a complete freak show then they obvious PPV headlining fight would be Kimbo-Walker. Both guys have names and mystique. Rolles Gracie completely destroyed his name and mystique in his last fight.
How did I end up on this bandwagon and why does everything say property of Chael Sonnen?
If the rumors that Gracie has been cut isn't true,
they can still make the Kimbo vs Gracie fight…
It will be a competitive fight, cause Gracie needs his cage time, and Kimbo needs his bread. Put it on the main card or even co-headline a UFN card and we’ll see another broken “most-watched MMA fight” record.
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