UFC veteran Roger Gracie set to join ONE FC, moving back up to light heavyweight

Roger Gracie is heading to Asia and will be joining the ranks of ONE Fighting Championship. As Bloody Elbow learned from sources close to the situation, the 32-year-old jiujitsu legend will have a multi-fight deal with the Asian promotion, with the signing expected to be officially announced in the coming days.

MMA Fighting was first to report on a deal being 'close', with separate sources informing us that it has since been finalized.

As he announced earlier this week, Roger will be moving back up to light heavyweight, stating that competing at middleweight was a 'mistake' as it affected his performance.

His relatives in Rolles Gracie, Igor Gracie, and Gregor Gracie have all competed in ONE FC in the past, with Renzo Gracie having strong ties with promotion officials. He now joins a light heavyweight roster that has fighters such as Jake Butler, Cristiano Kaminishi, James McSweeney and Sylvain Potard.

Roger last competed at UFC 162 on April 2013, losing his only fight with the promotion in a decision to Tim Kennedy. Known as one of the most accomplished BJJ competitors in this era, Gracie has compiled a 6-2 record in MMA, with wins over Keith Jardine, Trevor Prangley and Kevin Randleman in Strikeforce.

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