MMA and BJJ legend Royce Gracie (14-2-3) met with the media today to promote his trilogy fight with fellow MMA legend and rival Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) at Bellator 149 on Friday, February 19th in Houston, TX. The fight, which can be seen live on Spike TV, takes place 23 years after the first two men squared off in the first UFC event in 1993. Their first fight was a springboard for the growth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the United States since it featured a very muscular and athletic Shamrock submitting to an “average sized” guy in a kimono and proved technique can conquer size. In their second meeting at UFC 5 in 1995, the two combatants fought to a 30-minute time draw, due to a lack of judges.
Here are a few sound bites from Gracie’s media scrum.
“We fight to prove our style is the best self defense style. My father didn’t build fighters. He built instructors.”
“I know more about him than he knows about himself. When we fought 20 years ago, it was a raw Royce Gracie. Now I am stronger, have more endurance. Before I was just raw technique. Raw talent.”
“I am 178-180 pounds for the last 20 years.”
“I am a product of my father’s work. I am here to show the technique he taught me.”
“My father was doing this when he was 90. I am hoping I can do this when I am 90.”
” I beat him first time in less than a minute. Second time, he just held me down for 30 minutes.”
“My fans said show him Gracie Jiu Jitsu. My fans want me to shut him up.”
“He can’t understand how a guy with his strength and his physique lose to somebody like me.”
