In this chat with CagePotato.com reporter Elias Cepeda at the Metamoris 2 pro jiu-jitsu invitational, UFC godfather Royce Gracie gives us his thoughts on modern BJJ — he prefers the old-school basics, big surprise — and tells us how he’s been spending his days now that his MMA life is officially behind him. And believe us, it’s behind him:
“You gotta know when to stop. It’s not an easy business to be in. I’m just teaching and enjoying life [now]. I’m 46 years old, been there, done that, fought everybody. There’s always gonna be a new guy that [says] ‘Hey, can we fight?’ Nahhh. Been there, done that.”
In this chat with CagePotato.com reporter Elias Cepeda at the Metamoris 2 pro jiu-jitsu invitational, UFC godfather Royce Gracie gives us his thoughts on modern BJJ — he prefers the old-school basics, big surprise — and tells us how he’s been spending his days now that his MMA life is officially behind him. And believe us, it’s behind him:
“You gotta know when to stop. It’s not an easy business to be in. I’m just teaching and enjoying life [now]. I’m 46 years old, been there, done that, fought everybody. There’s always gonna be a new guy that [says] ‘Hey, can we fight?’ Nahhh. Been there, done that.”
Heavyweight Stipe Miociccame to the UFC in 2011 with an undefeated amateur and pro record and a penchant for knocking people out. Impressively, he continued his tear once in the world’s top MMA organization, winning his first three UFC bouts, two by stoppage, and earning a main event slot opposite Stefan Struve.
The fight was a step up in competition for the Ohio fighter but he appeared to be handling Struve well until the Dutch fighter staged a come back and TKO’d Miocic in the second round. Suddenly, the Croatian-American fighter’s hype-train was derailed and his undefeated streak snapped.
That was back in September of 2012. Miocic has not fought since then. This Saturday, however, he will be back in the Octagon at UFC 161.
“I took time to heal and then to improve,” Miocic tells CagePotato. “I definitely feel like I’m much better than I was back then.”
Heavyweight Stipe Miociccame to the UFC in 2011 with an undefeated amateur and pro record and a penchant for knocking people out. Impressively, he continued his tear once in the world’s top MMA organization, winning his first three UFC bouts, two by stoppage, and earning a main event slot opposite Stefan Struve.
The fight was a step up in competition for the Ohio fighter but he appeared to be handling Struve well until the Dutch fighter staged a come back and TKO’d Miocic in the second round. Suddenly, the Croatian-American fighter’s hype-train was derailed and his undefeated streak snapped.
That was back in September of 2012. Miocic has not fought since then. This Saturday, however, he will be back in the Octagon at UFC 161.
“I took time to heal and then to improve,” Miocic tells CagePotato. “I definitely feel like I’m much better than I was back then.”
Miocic must feel that way because he’s taken on a heckuva challenge for his return bout — “Big Country” Roy Nelson, who is on a three-fight win streak. Nelson has stopped each of his last three opponents with strikes and would seem to be a rude reintroduction to the UFC for anyone.
Miocic says that he didn’t hesitate to take the fight when it was offered to him, however. “Not at all,” he tells us.
“Fighting a guy like Nelson is another step up and an opportunity to jump right back into and ahead in the division. I couldn’t turn that down.”
Per usual, Miocic has set up camp in his home of Cleveland, Ohio, with his Strong Style Fight Team. The stable has been churning out wins not just from Miocic but also from the likes of Jessica Eye and Forrest Petz.
His team may not be the most well-known, but Miocic has confidence that it has prepared him to take out Nelson. “I get great work with everyone here. Plus, we bring in outside guys for sparring.”
The heavyweight has a quiet confidence and, as the fight draws ever nearer, seems completely focused on the task at hand. “No one likes to lose,” he says.
“The last fight was hard. I was on a run and then had to deal with that. It set me back but I feel good now. Beating Roy will put me right back in there. I can’t wait.”
(And with a snap of his fingers, Homeless Santa vanished from our lives, leaving behind only the crumpled wrapper of the Carolina BBQ Tendercrisp we had left for him on the armoire.)
It wouldn’t exactly be earth-shattering news to tell you that Dana White is not a fan of Roy “Big Country” Nelson. In fact, the President of the UFC has stated exactly that to pretty much anyone who will listen, time after time after “he’s a f*cking idiot.”
The fact that Nelson was one-half of the coaching duo at least partly responsible for the worst season of TUF in recent memory (at least ratings wise), surely doesn’t increase his stock in the eyes of The Baldfather, but with “Big Country” knocking out contenders left and right, it’d be insane to let him slip through your fingers, right? Well, according to DW, Nelson’s bout with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 this weekend may be his last in the UFC:
UFC President Dana White used the contract circumstances as a way to explain the pairing of Nelson and Miocic, which looked odd when announced five weeks ago.
The fighters were headed in different directions. Nelson had just defeated Cheick Kongo and ascended to No. 5 in the heavyweight rankings two months ago while Miocic was coming off the first loss of his career and hadn’t fought in nine months.
Slated to fight newcomer Soa Palelei on the preliminary card, Miocic found himself promoted into the Nelson bout on late notice. It was a necessary move, according to White, because of the terms of Nelson’s contract.
“He’s on the last fight of his deal and we owe him a fight,” White said. “He’s not giving us any extensions.”
White reported that the UFC offered Nelson an extension that he turned down, prompting the boss to blast the fighter by referring to him as “the smartest guy on Earth” and “a (expletive) genius.”
(And with a snap of his fingers, Homeless Santa vanished from our lives, leaving behind only the crumpled wrapper of the Carolina BBQ Tendercrisp we had left for him on the armoire.)
It wouldn’t exactly be earth-shattering news to tell you that Dana White is not a fan of Roy “Big Country” Nelson. In fact, the President of the UFC has stated exactly that to pretty much anyone who will listen, time after time after “he’s a f*cking idiot.”
The fact that Nelson was one-half of the coaching duo at least partly responsible for the worst season of TUF in recent memory (at least ratings wise), surely doesn’t increase his stock in the eyes of The Baldfather, but with “Big Country” knocking out contenders left and right, it’d be insane to let him slip through your fingers, right? Well, according to DW, Nelson’s bout with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 this weekend may be his last in the UFC:
UFC President Dana White used the contract circumstances as a way to explain the pairing of Nelson and Miocic, which looked odd when announced five weeks ago.
The fighters were headed in different directions. Nelson had just defeated Cheick Kongo and ascended to No. 5 in the heavyweight rankings two months ago while Miocic was coming off the first loss of his career and hadn’t fought in nine months.
Slated to fight newcomer Soa Palelei on the preliminary card, Miocic found himself promoted into the Nelson bout on late notice. It was a necessary move, according to White, because of the terms of Nelson’s contract.
“He’s on the last fight of his deal and we owe him a fight,” White said. “He’s not giving us any extensions.”
White reported that the UFC offered Nelson an extension that he turned down, prompting the boss to blast the fighter by referring to him as “the smartest guy on Earth” and “a (expletive) genius.”
Although White has had public beefs with fighters before, none of them have seemed as deep-seated and plain bitter as his current lover’s quarrel with Nelson. It doesn’t help that Nelson approaches his contract negotiations — and apparently life in general — with the attitude of a cynical, defiant adolescent, but “Big Country” does go on to make some solid points about White’s contradictory nature and fighter pay in general later in the interview.
A quick example of the former: If you were to click the “he’s a f*cking idiot” link above, you would be taken to an interview with White dated May 29th in which he claims that Nelson hasn’t earned a title shot because “You’re not going to get a title shot for beating No. 6 and No. 8. You have to beat the top guys.” Which is sound logic, except that just a few weeks prior, White promised that exact thing to Gray Maynard (ranked #3) were he to get past T.J Grant (ranked #7).
Clearly, White has an axe to grind when it comes to Roy Nelson. The problem is that rather than attempt to reconcile with his boss like a grown ass man, Roy has chosen to embrace to heel role and essentially commit career suicide. While Nelson may be able to walk away from UFC 161 with a moral victory, it won’t make his exit any easier to accept from a fan’s perspective. The man is a legitimate, unique draw who just so happens to be one of the top 10 heavyweights in the world, yet he appears all too willing to flush his future down the toilet for the sake of coming out on top in a pissing contest.
Is Nelson underpaid considering his talent level? You could surely make the case (FYI, Roy made 24k/24k at UFC 159), but then again, if Roy and fighterslike him are fed up with fighter pay, perhaps they should try proactively solving their problems rather than continuously venting them to any two-bit journalist who will listen. You know who complained a lot without ever accomplishing anything? Hippies, and if Nelson wants to be lumped in with those unkempt slobs, well…*looks at header image and withdraws argument*
Personally, I loathe the idea of Nelson being ousted from the UFC, if only because it means that we will be treated to interview snippets wherein he claims that “I could have totally beaten so-and-so IF the UFC weren’t such cheapskates” for the rest of his career.
Cliff Thompson isn’t a household name in the world of mixed martial arts. He has had just two pro bouts, neither with a major organization, and at 34 years of age, lacks the label of a prospect. His name is currently making the online rounds though, and not because he moved to 2-0 as a […]
Cliff Thompson isn’t a household name in the world of mixed martial arts. He has had just two pro bouts, neither with a major organization, and at 34 years of age, lacks the label of a prospect. His name is currently making the online rounds though, and not because he moved to 2-0 as a […]
The past week or so has been an exciting one for fans of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. It’s also been a little bit of a worrisome one as well.
Jackson has gushed about his new deal with Bellator and the TNA Impact professional wrestling organization. He says he’ll only be asked to fight when he wants to, that he’s excited to finally get to try out a long-time love of his — pro wrasslin’ — and that the Viacom family that owns Bellator might create opportunities for him on television and in movies, through their Paramount pictures movie house.
Jackson left the UFC earlier this year, not just on a three-fight losing streak, but also embittered by what he felt was poor treatment from the organization. Likening promoter/fighter relationships to that of personal, romantic ones, Jackson told CagePotato last week, “…me and Bellator, we tongue kissing right now, baby.”
The fan in me has a soft spot for Jackson. Like many of you, I’ve watched him fight for over a decade. He’s always done so with courage and in exciting fashion. Back in the day, “Rampage” may have also been the most accessible top fighter in the world. There was a time where he set up a phone line specifically for fans. He made the number public and waited for calls. When they came in, he’d pick up whenever he was available, and chat with whoever wanted to talk to him.
Not a whole lot to dislike about a guy like that, right? So, if Jackson has found a new, better situation for himself, where he feels happy, no one can begrudge him that.
The thing is, we’ve seen this situation play out before with the fighter. Being enamored with an organization before ultimately souring on them, and feeling rejected and disrespected when it was all over. While with Pride, Jackson often seemed quite happy. He defended the Japanese promotion in public and compared it favorably to its competitor at the time, the UFC.
By the time the UFC signed Jackson, however, he acted as if it was a life-saving event. I remember speaking with Jackson near the end of his Pride tenure and again shortly after he’d signed with the UFC.
At that time, Jackson didn’t only express satisfaction with his new UFC contract, he spoke of Dana White as if he were a personal friend who had saved him and done him a favor. Six or so years later, Jackson and White routinely trash each other publicly.
During a media conference call last week, Jackson said that Bellator promoter Bjorn Rebney is a guy who “gets it,” and is the type of boss he’s been waiting for his entire career. Jackson says that things are different this time around.
The past week or so has been an exciting one for fans of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. It’s also been a little bit of a worrisome one as well.
Jackson has gushed about his new deal with Bellator and the TNA Impact professional wrestling organization. He says he’ll only be asked to fight when he wants to, that he’s excited to finally get to try out a long-time love of his — pro wrasslin’ — and that the Viacom family that owns Bellator might create opportunities for him on television and in movies, through their Paramount pictures movie house.
Jackson left the UFC earlier this year, not just on a three-fight losing streak, but also embittered by what he felt was poor treatment from the organization. Likening promoter/fighter relationships to that of personal, romantic ones, Jackson told CagePotato last week, “…me and Bellator, we tongue kissing right now, baby.”
The fan in me has a soft spot for Jackson. Like many of you, I’ve watched him fight for over a decade. He’s always done so with courage and in exciting fashion. Back in the day, “Rampage” may have also been the most accessible top fighter in the world. There was a time where he set up a phone line specifically for fans. He made the number public and waited for calls. When they came in, he’d pick up whenever he was available, and chat with whoever wanted to talk to him.
Not a whole lot to dislike about a guy like that, right? So, if Jackson has found a new, better situation for himself, where he feels happy, no one can begrudge him that.
The thing is, we’ve seen this situation play out before with the fighter. Being enamored with an organization before ultimately souring on them, and feeling rejected and disrespected when it was all over. While with Pride, Jackson often seemed quite happy. He defended the Japanese promotion in public and compared it favorably to its competitor at the time, the UFC.
By the time the UFC signed Jackson, however, he acted as if it was a life-saving event. I remember speaking with Jackson near the end of his Pride tenure and again shortly after he’d signed with the UFC.
At that time, Jackson didn’t only express satisfaction with his new UFC contract, he spoke of Dana White as if he were a personal friend who had saved him and done him a favor. Six or so years later, Jackson and White routinely trash each other publicly.
During a media conference call last week, Jackson said that Bellator promoter Bjorn Rebney is a guy who “gets it,” and is the type of boss he’s been waiting for his entire career. Jackson says that things are different this time around.
“Ever since I did that ‘A-Team’ movie it like — it’s like I cheated on [the UFC]. And so, you know what I’m saying, like over here I don’t see any way I can cheat on Bellator, because it seems like, you know what I’m saying, they’re with Viacom. They got me all set up. It’s all in-house and stuff like that,” the former champion explained to CagePotato.
“I see me being happy with these guys for the rest of my career. Because, you know what I’m saying, I can just feel it. And you’re right, I was super happy when I went to the UFC. I’ve done a lot of favors for the UFC, and sometimes, I didn’t get my favors back to me.”
“Rampage” has been here before. Not only with Pride and then White and the UFC, but also with former management — and with disastrous results.
There was a time, early in his UFC career, when Jackson, a Christian, had a head coach who also served as his manager. The coach also had a tendency to also wear his cross on his sleeve, so to speak, and spoke about Christ and faith often.
Perhaps that was a part of what made Jackson trust him a bit too much. Who knows? Whatever the case, that same coach and manager also ran Jackson’s considerable estate. If there is any person on earth qualified to be a world champion MMA fighter’s head coach, manager, and also to have power of attorney or anything resembling it, we’d be shocked. But that’s the type of trust Jackson handed over.
When things went sour between the two, and Jackson also lost his UFC belt to Forrest Griffin, the fighter was so distraught that he went on an insomnia-, caffeine-, and grief-fueled vehicular rampage on Southern California roads, resulting in a police chase and criminal charges. After the incident, Jackson cited disillusionment with people who he felt had betrayed his trust and stolen from him.
I’m not saying that Bellator will break any contracted terms with Jackson — and the organization may very well be the best option for him at this point in his career — but we know that “Rampage” has a history of making business decisions based perhaps too much on emotions, perceived friendships, and perceived slights. So, it is a bit disconcerting that when asked what is so different about this deal, the fighter says that he just “knows” Bjorn Rebney is different when he looks him in the eyes.
Jackson has already voluntarily walked away from the best-paying MMA organization in the world because of emotion. Hopefully he hasn’t jumped into something new based on gut feelings about people he doesn’t truly know and vague promises about possible movie deals in the future.
That isn’t to say that movies and television (Bellator and Spike will create a reality show on Jackson) is not the best route for Jackson at this point. He’s accomplished more in fighting than most ever could and he’s accrued a host of serious injuries over the years while doing so.
Jackson is a proven action film character actor after the ‘A’-Team movie. He’s also brought in the biggest fight programming (UFC 75 and The Ultimate Fighter) ratings for Spike that the network has ever received. The Memphis native even looked like a good fit in his Pro Wrestling debut opposite Kurt Angle last week.
Like many other fight veterans, Jackson has certainly earned the chance to make a living doing less dangerous things than fighting. So, reality TV, movies and maybe even occasional pro wrestling could be the wisest path for him. Jackson describes those opportunities as “a dream come true.”
But, “Rampage” isn’t done fighting. He’ll fight for Bellator, even as he films reality shows, does pro wrestling gigs and takes meetings with movie executives.
With so many other ideas, plans and commitments in mind, will Jackson be focused enough to keep himself out of danger in the cage? He’s been fighting other great fighters, but it is worth noting that Jackson has also been getting beaten pretty handily lately. He wasn’t ever really in any of his last three fights — all losses — and he has a 4-5 overall record over the past five years. If a champion on the downturn of his career is to keep on fighting and do so without taking too much additional damage, one imagines he’d need to be completely focused on fighting.
Jackson insists that he is focused, and that he can walk and chew gum at the same time, so to speak. “Rampage” says that he’s excited to fight in Bellator, even in their grueling tournament structure. But, the fighter also seems to view himself more as an entertainer these days, in and out of the ring.
“Well a lot of people misunderstand things,” Jackson told us.
“Like people thought since I did a movie I wasn’t focused on fighting no more. I turned to a superstar and, you know what I’m saying, I didn’t want to fight no more and stuff like that. People always assumed things, and one thing that you misunderstanding is that I’m here to entertain people. I’ve done a lot in this sport, and I come from the Pride generation where it’s entertainment first.
“So I know that realistically I probably won’t win all my fights in Bellator. But I be damned if I won’t entertain people. I’m going to come over and put on the most exciting fights.”
Yes, Jackson has earned the right to try and make money entertaining us outside of the cage. When a fighter who used to once be driven to be the best now simply hopes to titillate spectators by hitting and being hit, however, it can be a bad sign of damage to come.
“As soon as American fans start understanding that — like two guys in a cage one guy has to lose,” Jackson said.
“When American fans understand that then you can really appreciate and respect MMA the way the Japanese fans and people from all over the world respect it. It’s just Americans — like we have different way of thinking, you know what I’m saying. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re just different from everybody else. But my main job is to entertain the fans.”
(“God, I could so go for an eclair right now-NO! FIGHT IT, BIGFOOT! PUNCH THE HUNGER AWAY.”)
We know, we know, not a goddamn word in that title makes sense.
Let’s run a hypothetical scenario by you: You’re a 6’4”, 285-pound, acromegalic UFC fighter. Your head is the size of a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ and your fists were the models upon which Hulk Hands were molded. Being that you’re Brazilian, you also have an eternal blood feud with another UFC-employed fighter/camp that can be traced back to ancient blood drawings on the Pico da Neblina.
So your enemy of all enemies finally gets back from his most recent suspension and picks up an impressive win inside the octagon. You could use a nice win yourself, being that you were just knocked out by your division’s champion for the second time (in a year) in your last fight. However, the 70 pound weight advantage you hold over your foe all but rules that option out. Do you a) Needle the shit out of the guy until he agrees to fight you at a catchweight or b) Try and settle things on the streets — no gloves, no rules, ala Rocky V.
I personally will attend the doctors to see if I am able to lose weight without spoiling my health. If can do it, I will drop weight to make this fight for sure. All I want to do is just fight him because words won’t make him change.
(“God, I could so go for an eclair right now-NO! FIGHT IT, BIGFOOT! PUNCH THE HUNGER AWAY.”)
We know, we know, not a goddamn word in that title makes sense.
Let’s run a hypothetical scenario by you: You’re a 6’4”, 285-pound, acromegalic UFC fighter. Your head is the size of a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ and your fists were the models upon which Hulk Hands were molded. Being that you’re Brazilian, you also have an eternal blood feud with another UFC-employed fighter/camp that can be traced back to ancient blood drawings on the Pico da Neblina.
So your enemy of all enemies finally gets back from his most recent suspension and picks up an impressive win inside the octagon. You could use a nice win yourself, being that you were just knocked out by your division’s champion for the second time (in a year) in your last fight. However, the 70 pound weight advantage you hold over your foe all but rules that option out. Do you a) Needle the shit out of the guy until he agrees to fight you at a catchweight or b) Try and settle things on the streets — no gloves, no rules, ala Rocky V.
I personally will attend the doctors to see if I am able to lose weight without spoiling my health. If can do it, I will drop weight to make this fight for sure. All I want to do is just fight him because words won’t make him change.
And why exactly does Bigfoot want a piece of Thiago Silva so bad he can taste it (and it tastes a lot like rice cakes)? The answer is simple: Thiago Silva broke his heart.
I had so much respect and consideration for him at one time. Besides being a good training partner, I had him as a friend. When he had a problem at ATT, I was the only one who was on his side until the end.
I used to visit his house and he did mine, I was something of a brother to him and he simply stabbed me in the back and cheated me. He said I’m upset because he left ATT, but he knows its not because of that why I’m mad.
He’s mentally sick, we’re completely different people. I am a family guy. I respect my father, mother, wife, I treat my friends well, without pulling their legs, and I don’t take drugs.
How is Silva taking all this, you ask? Like a true gamesman, he combined a little bit of option A and B.
Tell that big fool to come over here then we will see what’s what. For me it’s OK but, he talks a lot that guy, he is stupid. I don’t like him at all. Anytime he wants, man, especially if its for money! We can even do it for free, let’s go.
I would fight him whenever he wants. I trained with Bigfoot for three years. Ask him what he ever did to me. He was beaten like a little dog.
