Roger Gracie: "I am confident I can do very well in MMA."

by Martial Farts on Jan 18, 2011 10:35 AM EST

The UK is blessed to have one of the best grapplers in the entire universe living on our grey and cloudy shores.

Roger Gracie, who teaches and resides in London, is fighting Trevor Prangley in Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg on January 29th.

This will be Roger’s biggest test in MMA to date, with Prangley coming off a win over solid UFC vet Keith "Herky Jerky Style" Jardine.

I called him up and he, graciously, answered…

How has your preparation been for the fight?

Everything is going fine for the fight. I’m injury free, and I’ve been training hard for the last few months. Everything has been done, now I am just keeping sharp and keeping my fitness levels up. I need to drop a couple of pounds but will do that in the last week.

I was going to go to Renzo’s in NYC, but there has been a slight delay on my visa, so I will stay in the UK, and fly straight to California.

Do you have a grand plan for your career in Strikeforce or are you just looking at the next fight?

I’m taking it one fight at a time. I will fight anyone, it doesn’t matter. I’m just going to keep fighting and eventually I will be fighting for the belt. But the belt is not a goal for me. I just want to have some good fights.

What are your plans for BJJ / grappling this year?

I’m definitely going to do the world championships in June. I am not sure about the rest. I may do the Abu Dhabi Pro, or maybe ADCC, but I am not sure.

You won super heavy and absolute at the mundials last year… Strikeforce is expanding its heavyweight roster to include some of the best in the world. Would you ever fight at heavyweight?

MMA is so different to BJJ. You see some heavyweights in MMA, they are huge. For me to go to heavyweight is difficult. I walk around at 100 kilos, so it is easy for me to lose a bit to fight at light heavy.

Various websites report that you have been training with GSP and other big name athletes. How has that been?

That was great. He just came for a week to help me out, help me prepare for my fight. We had some great training sessions, and he gave me some nice tips. How to finish the takedown, control the distance in the fight. I can see what he does best and try to fit it into my own game. I went to Canada in December for a week to train with him, too.

Strikeforce has a good relationship with DREAM and often sends fighters over there. Have you had any talks about this, and is this something you would be interested in?

Maybe. It’s possible, but I have no plans. Definitely possible though as I really enjoyed fighting in Japan, when I fought in SRC. I would like to again.

Recently Carlos Gracie Jr said that it would be difficult to get the same success in MMA as in BJJ, because of things like MMA athletes being able to take a lot of punishment, their size and strength, etc. What do you think?

He gave his point of view. I personally disagree with the things he said. Or rather, I feel differently. It is not as simple as it used to be for a jiu jitsu fighter to succeed in MMA. Now you really need dedication, adaptation… you need to train very hard, and the rules are different, you have to deal with the punches while you are trying to sweep or submit… But I am confident I can do very well. If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t even try.

There you have it. I wish Roger the best, he’s a true ambassador for the sport of jiu jitsu.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

Tweet Comment 23 comments | 6 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Functional strength > mass

Lookit Lesnar vs. Velasquez, Carlinhos.

Also, at least in sport BJJ apparently Roger Gracie IS ‘surprisingly’ strong.

by Chortles on Jan 18, 2011 2:52 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

The look on Drysdale's face is priceless.

Guillotine.

by iiowyn on Jan 18, 2011 3:49 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

I agree

I heard he was freakishly strong. Ripped Robert Drysdale’s new gi sleeve clean in half.

Be water, my friend.
http://www.scramblestuff.com (Imported Japanese MMA goods!)
http://www.thegrapplingdummy.com (my Blog)

by Martial Farts on Jan 18, 2011 3:23 PM EST reply actions

video of that?

If it seems like everyone around you is an asshole, you are probably an asshole.

by judonerd on Jan 18, 2011 3:32 PM EST up reply actions

Here's hoping he can convert that strength into stand-up...

Although it’ll hopefully give him a “standing” grappling edge (i.e. being able to throw a guy with just an underhook, as one of his self-proclaimed students said Roger did to him).

by Chortles on Jan 18, 2011 5:58 PM EST up reply actions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEYZb8vaIv8

Be water, my friend.
http://www.scramblestuff.com (Imported Japanese MMA goods!)
http://www.thegrapplingdummy.com (my Blog)

by Martial Farts on Jan 18, 2011 3:38 PM EST reply actions

7:20

Pure magic.

MMA Fan Since Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar

Twitter: @KenTheGreat

MBN's Current 5 Favorite Fighters: Nate Diaz / Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis / Miesha "Takedown" Tate / Shinya Aoki / Georges "Rush" St-Pierre

by McKinley B. Noble on Jan 18, 2011 4:00 PM EST up reply actions

Don't you mean earlier?

by Chortles on Jan 18, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

Yep.

Everything up to that point and including it.

MMA Fan Since Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar

Twitter: @KenTheGreat

MBN's Current 5 Favorite Fighters: Nate Diaz / Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis / Miesha "Takedown" Tate / Shinya Aoki / Georges "Rush" St-Pierre

by McKinley B. Noble on Jan 18, 2011 4:54 PM EST up reply actions

Cool stuff, thanks for posting. Roger’s success will be very much connected to his ability to develop good takedowns & trips, as he will lose most all stand-up battles. Good to see him work with GSP.

by Horselover Fat on Jan 18, 2011 4:04 PM EST reply actions

Interestingly, Prangley's best strategy may be to stand... and paw... and "standing wrestle"

Or alternately, use wrestling standing, maybe get a takedown… and don’t follow Roger to the ground no matter what, even if Roger looks hurt (i.e. from a knockdown).

It supposedly worked for Jacare and Xande in the gi… cough

Although when Bruno Bastos seemed to try it (or at least “fought for the takedown”), Roger Gracie realized what was going on (or at least that too much time was being taken up by the “stand-up”) and promptly pulled guard, then swept, mounted and choked Bastos in less than 30 seconds or something.

by Chortles on Jan 18, 2011 5:54 PM EST up reply actions

Some numbers on this guy

I don’t think he’s competed no-gi BJJ since the ADCC 2005 absolute final (a must-watch by the way), I think these are different cuts of the bout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdFW7S6prDI ( finish at 2:18)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6cJd2R7nNQ highlight version from TATAME (finish at 2:08 )

He is also on something like a fifteen-win streak at the Mundials, last dropping a “points” bout to Xande Ribeiro… the first nine wins of his current streak were ALL by mounted choke*, followed by four subs, a points win (13-to-2), and a default/forfeit (opponent was injured-causing-defeat in an earlier bout).

In over seventy combined gi and no-gi bouts, he has not been submitted since 2000 or something, back when he was a blue belt, and he holds a points win (while brown belt) against then-black belt Demian Maia back in 2002.

by Chortles on Jan 18, 2011 4:25 PM EST reply actions

in short

He is the greatest jiu jitsu fighter to have ever lived.

Be water, my friend.
http://www.scramblestuff.com (Imported Japanese MMA goods!)
http://www.thegrapplingdummy.com (my Blog)

by Martial Farts on Jan 18, 2011 4:39 PM EST up reply actions

All while using "just" Gracie Jiu Jitsu

Although he’s alleged to have said that if your opponent has an attacking technique that overcomes your defense (or vice versa), don’t just try to improve the defense/come up with a specific tactic against that attack… incorporate that attack into your repertoire, and vice versa.

by Chortles on Jan 18, 2011 5:56 PM EST up reply actions

don’t just try to improve the defense/come up with a specific tactic against that attack… incorporate that attack into your repertoire

A very wise approach to take IMO…

Ryan is the only Gracie I can recall who could shoot very effectively in MMA, anyone else I am not thinking of?

Or even just elite BJJ for MMA guys in general?

Shields of course, but he has a true wrestling background.

Maia at least has excellent clinch-based takedowns (tooling former “world class” greco guy Chael Sonnen from the clinch was epic), but I don’t recall him shooting successfully offhand.

Jacare has shown some decent takedown ability IIRC, maybe Paul Harris?

If Werdum had a legit takedown game I would give him a decent chance against Overeem, but since he struggles with any takedowns, I think he gets wrecked by Reem.

"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
"If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying..."
-Bruce Lee

by The American Ronin on Jan 19, 2011 10:13 AM EST up reply actions

Arona had pretty good takedowns too, I think.

by zorba on Jan 19, 2011 11:10 AM EST up reply actions

I think in his debut, or against Jason MacDonald

Maia’s single-leg shot got stuffed (his oppponent sprawling?) but he used it anyway to pull half-guard and initiate what Eddie Bravo called a “lockdown,” just gluing himself to his opponent’s leg and “dogfighting” until Maia was able to take top position.

by Chortles on Jan 19, 2011 2:04 PM EST up reply actions

He competed in a superfight at ADCC 2007, defeating Jon Olav Einemo on points, 5-0.

by zorba on Jan 18, 2011 7:39 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks for correcting me

Einemo is also one of the only two men that aren’t Jacare or Xande to hold a win (again, on points) against Roger, I believe also in ADCC no-gi.

by Chortles on Jan 19, 2011 12:05 AM EST up reply actions

No problemo! Roger is the man, as far as I’m concerned.

It’s too bad he had to pull out of the Drysdale Superfight at ADCC 2009.

by zorba on Jan 19, 2011 11:08 AM EST up reply actions

I remember one BE comment speculating if thta caused Drysdale to lose to Jacare

Due to Drysdale’s focus on Roger.

I have this hilarious (to me) mental image of if they end up as opposing TUF “assistant” coaches, they just see each other, Drysdale just starts huffing and puffing, Roger gets on his back, closes his legs and goes “don’t be scared homie”…

by Chortles on Jan 19, 2011 2:02 PM EST up reply actions