When the UFC debuted its first show, back in 1993, the world was introduced to the brilliant art of Brazillian Jiu-Jistu. And the man who brought this new style to the bigger stage was the infamous Royce Gracie. Son of the legendary Helio Gracie, Royce came out in the tournament the smallest man by a wide margin, but still managed to submit the much larger and more athletic opponents.
Royce continued to win through the next year and a half, clocking his last win late in 1994. After a draw with Ken Shamrock, he didn’t compete in the UFC again until years later when he fought one more fight opposite Matt Hughes, who pounded him out in the first round.
A few years later the successful Rolles Gracie Jr. made his UFC debut against Joey Beltran. Fans were ecstatic at the return of the Gracie clan. There are dozens of Gracies competing in Jiu-Jitsu and many of them made successful careers in MMA. It was an exciting moment for MMA fans. The return of the most famous name in the sport. The name that essentially created the organization. A name that used to strike fear in the hearts of other athletes. A Gracie had finally returned.
Joey Beltran knocked him out early in the second round.
Rolles decided not to re-sign his contract, but fortunately for fans of this family that doesn’t seem to stop reproducing, Renzo Gracie made his debut shortly after against the same man who defeated Royce, Matt Hughes. He lasted more than a round but the end result was ultimately the same, with the country boy recording another victory over the family.
Three more years went by before Strikeforce standout Roger Gracie decided to make his UFC debut against Tim Kennedy. Once again the results weren’t what the Brazilians had been hoping for. The powerful wrestler controlled Roger en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Things weren’t looking up for the Gracie family. Two decades had gone by and despite three different men competing after Royce, none were able to secure a victory. The Gracie name never lost its prestige. They are legends, brilliant Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, and still competent martial artist in the brutal world of MMA, which they had proven time and time again in other organizations.
The name just no longer carries the same weight as it once did. Royce was written off as a man who simply exploited the lack of knowledge and experience of his opponents. The high-level athletes who have trained in all facets of martial arts have shown the ability to completely negate the submission attacks of the most legendary family in the sport. Anybody who knows the sport should be grateful for what the Gracies have done, but these days, it appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship is just too high level for them.
In comes Kron Gracie. His submission skills were hyped up as just on another level, just like all of his blood relatives and training partners before him. His opponent, Alex Caceres, is more well known for his funny looking afro than his combat abilities, but he has shown some skills that could pose a threat to any UFC debutant.
The 30-year-old Kron came out loose and calm, trading a few minor blows with the rangier fighter before quickly grabbing hold of his opponents back. From there, it was only a matter of time, as Kron channeled the skills that made his family famous for years. Quickly, he dragged Caceres to the ground and methodically worked his way to a rear naked choke, submitting “Bruce Leroy” at the 2:06 mark in the first round, becoming the first Gracie to win a UFC fight since 1994. Twenty-five (UFC) winless years and it was finally over in a matter of minutes.
The now 5-0 Kron showed that the family is not dead yet. And they are here to keep fighting and making people tap. A win over Caceres is hardly enough to say this guy is on his way to gold, but cutting straight through the man as easily as he did shows that Kron has what it take to compete on this level.
The Gracie name is back where it should be. Only time will tell what else Kron, or any other member of the family, can do next. But with his name and skills, we may just have another big star on our hands.
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