Issue 059

February 2010

It sounds like the plot for a promising karate movie. The warrior clan that created the town’s famed festival is pushed out of it by a gaggle of well-prepared martial artists who absorbed the clan’s legendary style.  

As they watch from the sidelines, the contest grows well beyond the family’s imagination. It is then up to a member of the new generation, raised on the mats by his uncle after the tragic accidental death of his father, to rise through the ranks of the contest and claim victory on behalf of the family name.  

For Rolles Gracie (pronounced Holl-ess) this is the story of his life. Born in 1978, he is the son of Rolls Gracie and grandson of the founder of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Carlos Gracie. After the tragic loss of Rolles’ father at the tender age of four, the task of teaching him jiu-jitsu went to uncle Rillion, who went on to win several national and international titles. His debut in MMA came in 2007 under the tutelage of his cousin, the legendary Renzo Gracie. Undefeated, his current record stands at 3-0. We caught up with Rolles at his academy in Holmdel, New Jersey, to find out about his plans to represent his family’s name in the Octagon.

The UFC was started by a Gracie and the worldwide spread of jiu-jitsu has a lot to do with its success, yet it has been almost four years since a Gracie has fought in the Octagon. Are you the beginning of a new generation?  

I hope so. It is very important as a member of my family to keep this path open for the generations to come. I am following the footsteps of my father, my grandfather and all my family members.   

How was it for you in 1993, still only 15 years old, to see the family name shine internationally like that at the UFC?

It was an unbelievable experience. I remember when it first happened. First I heard the news then I got to see the video. Back then, I was still living in Brazil and we didn’t have the live pay-per-view but I got to see the video maybe a week or ten days later and I was amazed! I always believed in jiu-jitsu growing up, but you’re 15 years old and you see that happening – a cousin beating all those monsters. It was a pretty amazing experience – I was very excited! 

How was it ‘growing up Gracie’?  

I didn’t have any pressure or stuff like that growing up; I grew up like any normal kid. The only thing that was different was that my heroes were my family members. I always admired them for everything they did, not only on the mat but for the kind of people they were. So I always wanted to be like them. Every kid in Brazil wants to be a soccer player. I wanted to be a fighter like my uncles, my cousins, my father, my grandfather. That was pretty much the only difference. Back when I was growing up, people didn’t know what jiu-jitsu was, not even my friends in school. And now everybody knows it. It is amazing.  

There must be a lot of competition within the family. What is it like to have all those internationally famous cousins, and what is it like to train with your role models?  

I feel that I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to train with my heroes on a daily basis. Competition is big, of course, but I don’t believe in a big rivalry inside the family. I think that each member has their place on the timeline, in the history of jiu-jitsu, MMA and the history of fighting. And that is how it is going to keep going, each one is going to be known by different achievements, different weight classes and different things like that. I think that we have a spot for everybody. In the sky you don’t have too many stars, but at the same time there are too many stars to count.  

You continued your training in Brazil and then you decided to move to Florida in 1998 when you were 20 years old. What prompted you to make that move?  

I was training with my uncle Rillion in the South of Brazil when he decided it was time for him to spread his teachings to the United States. My mother was living in Florida then, so I suggested that would be a good place to start. I went ahead to get everything started.  

Do you feel any pressure by having to carry the Gracie name?  

Yes and no. I don’t put pressure on myself and my family doesn’t put pressure on me. Every time I step in a ring or on the mat, I want to win. But of course, there is pressure because not only I’m fighting for myself, I’m fighting for the generations to come. I want to keep the flame alive for them, and I’m also representing the past generations. So, if you think like this, yeah, it is a great pressure. I try not to think about it.  

In 2004 you decided to move back to the US, to teach and train with Renzo in NYC. What prompted you to make that move?  

I almost feel like I am a little nomad [laughs], traveling all over the place over the years. I always try to see what is best for my career. At that time, things were happening here in the US and I wanted to start MMA. I decided to move to the US because it was not only a place where I could teach and train, at the same time I could benefit from Renzo’s experience.  

So you actually moved to the US with a goal of fighting MMA?  

Not MMA right away; I wanted to be ready for MMA. I wanted to do my transition from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to MMA fighter. That was the goal that I had… and it happened [laughs]. 

How is life with Renzo? He is a seasoned MMA fighter; how does it influence you to work so closely with him?  

RG: Renzo is an amazing person and I benefit a lot from this relationship. He has great experience in the MMA business. He knows what he is doing, he is like an encyclopedia. Whenever he is in my corner I can just close my eyes and follow his instructions and know I will do well. I am so fortunate to be with him.  

FO: Your first fight on the UFC is Mostapha Al-Turk; he is coming off two losses, really hungry for a win. What is your strategy?

Obviously, anyone that is going to fight me knows that I want to bring the fight to the ground; that is my backbone. I know he is going to try to stop me from doing that or he is going to try to land on top of me. So, I’ve got to be ready. These days MMA has evolved so much that you have got to be ready for all aspects of the game. I have been training everything, because you never know what turn the fight is going to take.  

Who are you training with and what is your training regimen?

I have been training with the best in the business. I am traveling between NY, Denver and New Mexico. Here in NY I have been training with Renzo and his guys, in New Mexico with Greg Jackson. Greg also has some affiliate guys in Denver and they have a few heavyweights there.  

You are 6’4” and 250lb (113kg). Does that make you the biggest one in the family?  

By far! [Laughs.] Nah, we have some pretty big family members. My cousin Roger is probably only half an inch shorter than me, just a few pounds lighter. But from my knowledge I am the biggest one. And I am very proud of it [laughs]. I try to eat a lot, I try to keep my weight up there. Everybody asks how I got that big; my father wasn’t that tall, my mother is not that tall. I just say “I was probably made with a lot of love” [laughs]. That is why I got that big – or I stole my brothers’ food.  

Being that size means you could face some pretty tough guys. What do you think of this weight class today?  

Man, this class is pretty stacked right now. It is unbelievable how much talent they have. For a long time people were always questioning the heavyweight class: “The weakest class in MMA”, “Guys are big and sloppy”. Now you’ve got very athletic guys. It’s unbelievable. As the years go by, every weight class gets tougher and tougher, and people get more and more talented. When you jump in you have got to be ready – there is no fooling around in there.  

I gather your goal is to get the belt. Brock is the champion. Do you have plans to fight for the title, and what do you think of him as a champ?  

Man, he is there for a reason. He is huge, he is strong and he is very athletic, and he is learning. Every single fight that he has he gets better. Of course, my goal is the belt. But, like I said, I have to take one step at a time. I have to worry about Mostapha now and then my next opponent. I don’t know what are the plans the UFC has for me but once I decided to be an MMA fighter I had to be ready for whatever is about to come.  

So you are 3-0 today. You plan on staying undefeated?  

RG: Oh, always! I will try to stay undefeated and finish all the fights in the first round [laughs], but again, I think that is a tough job. Too many talented guys out there and too many tough fights. But I have been training to be the best and to prove myself. So I am trying to keep it this way for sure. 

Things are on the up and up for you. You recently signed on with Tapout. How did that go and how does that play?  

Man, it was awesome. It was a great experience. I flew with my manager to LA we had a great meeting. I got to see their facility. Like they like to say, it is a ‘compound’. It’s huge! I was amazed with their structure. The union of the brand Tapout with the Gracie name will be great. They are already designing a signature shirt for me, and it’s going to be a kick-ass one. It should be in stores soon.  

Anything else you want to add?

I just want to thank everybody involved in my training – my training partners, my sponsors, Tapout, Renzo and Greg Jackson. These guys have been amazing.