The UFC 1, 2 & 4 winner is one of the founding fathers of MMA and one of the most notable names in the world-famous Gracie BJJ clan
Now a brand ambassador for Bellator, Gracie still holds a keen interest in MMA.
Speaking to BloodyElbow recently, Gracie revealed his thoughts on the development of BJJ over the past twenty years and its place in MMA:
“[BJJ has become] horrible. [It has] got really-really bad in the past 20 years. It added so many rules. Like you cannot slam the guy – I just saw a fight, on the internet, somebody was fighting, one guy got the other one, I think in a guillotine. The opponent picked him up, walked, across the cage, and dropped him, knocked him out. In BJJ you can’t do that! Imagine if that fight was on the street, that’ll teach the guy. The guy picks you up, man, let it go. Don’t hang on to him. The guy went for the guillotine, he picked him up, walked across the cage, very calm, stood there, and just dove down to the ground with him. Knocked him out, won the fight. Hey, imagine if that was on a curb.
“You see, so in BJJ, oh no, you cannot slam the guy. Dude, for me not to get slammed all I got to do is let it go. Let go of him. You see, if I just let go. So if a guy like in the guard – if I pick you up, for me not to slam you, all you gotta do is uncross your legs. And I would never. I can’t pick you up off the ground, it’s dead weight, there’s no way I can pick you up.”
