“The YAMMA Masters Division is still a real weight class, right?”
Before UFC 134 marked the promotion’s highly anticipated return to Brazil, Royce Gracie trolled the MMA community pretty hard by claiming that he not only wanted to fight on the card, but also that he had been negotiating with the UFC in order to make this happen. Needless to say, Royce wasn’t successful.
With the UFC 153 fight card beginning to fill out for the promotion’s return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it now appears that one time UFC competitor Renzo Gracie wants in on the action. But, you know, only if it’s cool with everyone. As MMAWeekly is reporting:
“That’s a possibility. In my life I learned one thing, impossible is nothing,” Gracie stated about possibly competing at UFC 153.
“I love the crowd there. I love the intensity that surrounds the whole arena when you’re in Brazil fighting and Brazil is cheering. It’s a different ball game.”
Gracie has spent much of his life competing and teaching, but if there was one regret he has it’s that he never got to fight much in his home country of Brazil.
If that opportunity presented itself, Gracie would have an awfully hard time turning it down, and if it doesn’t happen at UFC 153 then keep your eyes on any future UFC card heading to Brazil.
So why is a man who hasn’t competed since losing to Matt Hughes two years ago at UFC 112 looking for a spot on the card? According to Renzo, it’s because he’s been getting back in shape while helping Rolles, Igor and Gregor Gracie prepare for their upcoming bouts at ONE FC 5 in Manila. As he told MMAWeekly Radio:
“To push them I’ve got to get myself in shape too. Today we did like eight rounds and then we did three more rounds of grappling. So even if I don’t want to, I get in shape, and if I get in shape, I want to fight. So I’m really looking forward to being back in there real soon.”
I have no problem with letting the aging veteran have one last fight in the UFC before he officially calls it quits. Scratch that – yes I do. Much like everyone wondered when Royce was campaigning for a return to the Octagon, who is the UFC going to find for Renzo to fight? Who? I will give Renzo credit where it’s due though: At least he’s not going full retard on us like Tim Sylvia did. What, where did you think I was going with that one?
Let’s all admit that Renzo back to the UFC would be a terrible idea and never speak of this again. But rather than end on a sour note, I’ll leave you with this. Enjoy.