Ralph Gracie

Ralph Gracie (born May 25, 1971) is a Brazilian martial artist who has competed in mixed martial arts.[3][4][5][6][7][8] He is the son of Robson Gracie and brother to Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie of the Gracie family.[9][10][11] [12]

Ralph Gracie
Born (1971-05-25) May 25, 1971
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[1]
Other namesThe Pitbull[2]
NationalityBrazilian
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)
DivisionLightweight
TeamGracie Jiu Jitsu
Rank5th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Mixed martial arts record
Total7
Wins6
By submission5
By decision1
Losses1
By knockout1
Websitewww.ralphgracie.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Mixed martial arts career

Ralph's 1995 American debut was featured in the short-lived Battlecade Extreme Fighting events.[12][13][14] Gracie won fights versus Makoto Murauko, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi, the longest of which lasted a minute and thirty-four seconds. In sharp contrast to the typical "passive" Gracie approach, Ralph's aggressive and often brutal approach earned him the nickname of "The Pitbull".[2][12][15][16][17][18][19]

In 2003, Ralph ended his absence from fighting to pit his skills against modern MMA fighters, earning a decision win over Dokonjonosuke Mishima.[20][21][22] The following year, he suffered a loss to Takanori Gomi, who stopped Gracie in six seconds with knee strikes to the head in what would be Gracie's last MMA fight.[12][23][24][25]

Upon retirement, Gracie held a record of six wins and one loss in sanctioned fights. He holds a fifth degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has won several BJJ tournaments. Ralph also owns and operates a series of martial arts academies in California, as well as Florida, (specializing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and has been doing so for over a decade.

Academies

Ralph Gracie currently has four academies in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, Santa Clara and Dublin) and two in Orange County (Anaheim and Chino Hills); the largest of these being the San Francisco Academy. Notable instructor, and 6th degree black belt, Luis Eduardo Fraga, has been head instructor at the Berkeley Academy since 2007.[26][27][28][29][30]

Gracie taught former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion, BJ Penn, when he first came to California from Hawaii.

In late 2016, Ralph Gracie Florida academy opened in the city of Port Orange Volusia county under 5th degree black belt Calixto. He grew up with Ralph himself alongside Renzo Gracie, Roberto Gordo Correa, Helio Soneca, Alexandre Soca, Vinicius Draculino and hundreds of the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the world.

In early 2021, Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu issued a public statement on an incident concerning the head instructor at an affiliate gym, whereby he harassed the parent of a former student and left a voicemail including threats and a racial slur.[31]

Championships and accomplishments
  • Extreme Fighting Championship
    • EFC Lightweight Championship (1 time, first, only)[32]
    • 1995 EFC Lightweight Tournament Winner[33]

On April 9, 2019, a warrant was issued for a felony charge in Orange County, California; Gracie and his student, Lincoln Jeferson Pereira, were charged with felony assault for attacking Flavio Almeida of Gracie Barra off the mats at the 2018 IBJJF World No-Gi Championships.[34][35] Gracie fled to Brazil after the incident and did not appear to following court hearings, leading to being indicted for felony assault with an enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury. Gracie failed to enter a plea in his case and did not show up to several hearings. A pretrial date was set for December 8, 2020, and a jury trial date was for 2021.[36] Gracie pleaded guilty to assault for an unprovoked attack and he was sentenced to six months in jail.[37]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
7 matches 6 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 1
By submission 5 0
By decision 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 6–1 Takanori Gomi KO (knees) PRIDE Bushido 3 May 23, 2004 1 0:06 Yokohama, Japan
Win 6–0 Dokonjonosuke Mishima Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Bushido 1 October 5, 2003 2 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 5–0 Steve Nelson Submission (armbar) Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 11 September 1, 1998 1 13:14 Amarillo, Texas, United States
Win 4–0 Ali Mihoubi Submission (armbar) Extreme Fighting 3 October 18, 1996 1 1:34 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win 3–0 Steve Nelson Submission (strikes on the ground) Extreme Fighting 2 April 28, 1996 1 0:44 Montreal, Canada
Win 2–0 Makoto Muraoko Technical Submission (rear naked choke) Extreme Fighting 1 November 18, 1995 1 0:40 Wilmington, North Carolina, United States Won EFC Lightweight Tournament and EFC Lightweight Championship[38]
Win 1–0 Geraldo Silva Submission (rear naked choke) Desafio – Gracie Vale Tudo January 1, 1992 1 1:25 Brazil

References
  1. "Ralph Gracie". Pridefc.com; PRIDEFC Official Website. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  2. Jake Rossen (September 2004). Gracies in Action. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  3. Black Belt. February 1999. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  4. John Patton (July 1997). Olympic Gold Medalists Impressive at Extreme Fighting Four. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  5. No Holds Barred; The Secret to the Brazilians Fighting Success. Black Belt. September 1997. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  6. Rodney Ley (September 1999). The Gracie Exterminator Speaks About Royce, Ralph, Renzo, and Rickson. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  7. Jay Dee "B.J." Penn; Dave Weintraub (2010). Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just an Accessory. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061960079. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  8. Keith Vargo (February 2004). Team Gracie Beats Japan at Pride's Bushido Show. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  9. Andre Alex Lima (April 1997). Who's Who in Gracie Ju Jitsu. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  10. Jonathan Snowden; Kendall Shields (2008). The MMA Encyclopedia. ECW Press. ISBN 9781554908448. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  11. The Ultimate Fighter; Another Cheap Imitation. Black Belt. March 1996. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  12. Gareth A Davies (January 18, 2008). "BJ Penn set for Joe Stevenson UFC showdown". The Telegraph. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  13. "Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Chicago | Chicago Martial Arts: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Mixed Martial Arts". March 14, 2013. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. David M. Herzenhorn (November 19, 1995). "Barred in New York, 'Extreme Fighting' Moves On". New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  15. "Ralph Gracie". BJJ Heroes. January 21, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  16. Kristin Bender (April 11, 2006). "Jujitsu master stops violence via poise". The Oakland Tribune. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  17. "AMAZING GRACE". Contra Costa. November 27, 1995. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  18. "BJJ in Beaverton with the Pitbull Ralph Gracie". Tigard Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  19. "The Top 10 Gracies of All Time". Cagepotato. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  20. "Black Belt". Black Belt. February 2004. Retrieved April 1, 2013. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. Black Belt. Black Belt. September 2004. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  22. "DUBLIN INSTRUCTOR CASHES IN". Contra Costa. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  23. Damon Martin (September 26, 2005). "Takanori Gomi: On Top Of The World". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  24. "East Meets West On Ultimate Fight Night 21 Conference Call – FIGHT!". fightmagazine.com. March 23, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  25. "Pride Bushido Volumes 1–5 DVD Review". Wrestling101.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  26. "Eduardo Fraga". Ralphgracieberkeley.com. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  27. Erich Kraus; Bret Aita (2002). Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition. ECW Press. ISBN 9781554902385. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  28. Erich Krauss (2004). Warriors Of The Ultimate Fighting Championships. Citadel Press. ISBN 9780806526577. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  29. Jerry Langton (2011). Fighter: The Unauthorized Biography of Georges St-Pierre, UFC Champion. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118017395. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  30. Sam Sheridan (2010). The Fighter's Mind: Inside the Mental Game. Grove Press. ISBN 9780802197948. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  31. https://jitsmagazine.com/ralph-gracie-jiu-jitsu-releases-statement-on-instructors-racist-outburst/
  32. http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/mma/mmaindex.html
  33. http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/mma/mmaindex.html
  34. Cruz, Guilherme (April 20, 2019). "Jiu-jitsu legend Ralph Gracie charged with felony assault". MMA Fighting. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  35. "Ralph Gracie Wanted For Felony Assault of Flavio Almeida at IBJJF No-Gi Worlds". Jiu-Jitsu Times. April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  36. Trial date set for Ralph Gracie in assault case
  37. "MMA fighter Ralph Gracie gets jail in unprovoked assault of 5-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion in Anaheim: DA". KTLA. January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  38. http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/mma/mmaindex.html
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