Gracie confident: 'I would beat Royce from 20 years ago'

More than 20 years after their rematch that ended in a draw at UFC 5, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock will fight one more time at Bellator 149 on February 19th, 2016. Even though Royce has been away from fighting ever since a unanimous decision win over Kazushi Sakuraba back in 2007, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend claims to feel as good as ever. In fact, even better than before.

"I think today's Royce would beat Royce from 20 years ago," He told Globo. "I have been thinking about it. I have more experience. I used to rely on talent too much, now I have talent and experience. I'm more resistant and I still weigh the same."

The fact he's fighting Ken Shamrock adds a little more fuel to the fire, as Royce openly dislikes "The World's Most Dangerous Man."

"It's Ken. It's simple. I can't stand that guy, I'm sorry. He's not my friend nor my enemy. I simply don't like him. There's no friendship, I avoid talking to him all the time. I don't want to talk to him. He talks too much. As if he was the greatest fighter in MMA history. I beat him in less than a minute. In the second fight he lied on me for 30 minutes and he calls himself ‘The World's Most Dangerous Man.'"

Bellator 149 is scheduled to take place on February 19, in Houston, Texas. Alongside Gracie and Shamrock, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Dhafir "Dada 5000" Harris will be on the card as the co-main event of the evening.