UFC opted not to renew Roger Gracie’s contract with the promotion following his unanimous decision loss to Tim Kennedy at UFC 162, and the jiu-jitsu specialist hasn’t decided his next step in MMA.
“I haven’t signed with anyone yet,” Gracie told MMAFighting.com. “I’m busy with my gym, family and seminars, so I believe nothing will happen before the end of the year.”
According to Gracie, several promotions have contacted his managers Ed Soares and Jorge Guimaraes offering contracts, but his next home is still to be determined.
“I’ll probably (define it) early next year,” he said. “My managers spoke with some promotions, but I don’t get involved with that. They call me with updates, but they are the ones who negotiate the deals.”
Gracie, the best competitor in jiu-jitsu history with 10 world titles, made his MMA debut in 2006 and went 2-0 as a heavyweight. He decided to drop to 205 pounds when he signed with Strikeforce, submitting Kevin Randleman and Trevor Prangley, but opted to cut to 185 pounds following a loss to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal.
After a 2-1 run at the middleweight division, the Brazilian will move back to 205 pounds.
“I think I won’t move down to middleweight again,” he said. “It’s a hard cut for me and it’s hurting my performance. My weight is 205 pounds.”
Roger Gracie won’t rule out a return to jiu-jitsu competition either.
“There’s a chance,” he said. “I’m still thinking if I will return to jiu-jitsu or just keep fighting MMA. I’ll make a decision by the end of the year, but there’s a good chance that I will return to jiu-jitsu again.”