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By: Bob Teal, MMATorch Specialist
Ryan Gracie possessed all the tools that a fighter needs to be great. He also possessed all of the things that can bring a promising career to a quick end. He was filled with equal parts potential and self destruction. In Brazil his name came with all of the expectation and pressure of a nation to be the best. With Ryan, we were never really sure if he was on the road to being a champion or a catastrophe.
Born on August 14th 1974 Ryan grew up in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He was trained in the ways of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from the time he was a young child. Ryan was the Son of Robson Gracie and the grand son of Carlos Gracie. Carlos was one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
The Gracie name has become so entrenched with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that you cannot even mention one without thinking of the other. In fact, if you Google Jiu Jitsu the second thing on the web page is the link for the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy. Nevertheless, to a Gracie Jiu Jitsu is a way of life; a birth right. And Ryan was no exception.
Ryan trained extensively with his brother Renzo, who is a decorated mixed martial artist. He entered into the world of Mixed Martial arts at the age of 26. All of his professional fights would occur with Pride Fighting Championships. He fought a total of seven fights and secured a record of 5-2 in those fights, losing a decision to Sakuraba at the height of his MMA fame. Ryan was of course very skilled on the ground, but he also possessed a big heart, fast hands and a killer instinct. He was merciless and full of confidence, truly an apple that had not landed far from the family tree.
When Gracie began his career in mixed martial arts he was dubbed the bad boy of the Gracies, a name that he would quite unfortunately live up to. Gracie was arrested in 2000 for stabbing someone in a Rio De Janeiro nightclub. In 2005 he allegedly shot himself while handling a firearm and almost cost himself his very own life. But to make things worse this gunshot wound would likely be the reason he had not fought since 2004, but the worst was yet to come.
On the afternoon of December 14, 2007, while in Sao Paulo Brazil Ryan apparently went on a rampage. Allegedly Gracie started off by stealing a car. After he crashed this vehicle it was said that he tried to abscond with a van, but the driver was actually able to fend him off. He then pulled a knife on a 76 year old man and threatened to kill him if he didn’t give him his motorcycle. A group of other cyclists quickly came to the older gentleman’s aid and were able to subdue Gracie until the police arrived.
From there Gracie was apparently taken to an IML where he was tested for illegal narcotics. He allegedly had cocaine and marijuana in his system. He was released from the IML and was taken to a precinct jail in Sao Paulo around three the next morning. At seven in the morning on December 17, 2007, Ryan Gracie’s body was found by officers doing regular rounds. He was apparently slumped over in a corner and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His death is still widely debated to this day. I have read stories that tell several other factors that might have played a role in his death. Some say police brutality, others say physician negligence and over medication. Either way, the person who played the biggest role was Gracie himself. He seemingly made mistake after mistake throughout his life and eventually it caught up to him. He had all the tools in his belt to have become a champion in mixed martial arts. I believe that if he were alive today he would likely be in the UFC and be a huge draw. Unfortunately we will never know.
See a listing of previous WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... columns by CLICKING HERE
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Bob Teal is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring you up to date on fighters you might have forgotten about or perhaps never even knew. Are there any fighters you would like me to write about? Submit your suggestions to me. You can email me at robertjteal@aol.com. For those of you who have responded I truly appreciate your feedback! Thanks for reading MMATorch!
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