Rickson Gracie update!

[NHBMARK1]

From the Wrestling Observer:

"PRIDE: Rickson Gracie was in Japan this past week and said that neither
K-1 nor Pride had made an offer to him for New Year's Eve, but that he
was waiting for an offer. I guess it's a way to keep his name out there
with the idea he'd still fight anyone, while in the end, not fighting
anyone because nobody meets his price tag"

Sounds about right to me.

Thoughts?

[danfaggella]

That may be, I sure hope he finds someone to fight I love that guy. I would pay to see him in a match any day.

[NHBMARK1]

No disrespect intended, but please tell me why this guy's so great?

Please don't tell me you believe the 400-0 bullshit.

[danfaggella]

I don't entirely beleive any inflated "stats", but I'd consider him a great fighter and I like his philosophy. He is a solid, cerebral fighter and beleives in constant personal growth.

[NHBMARK1]

Maybe.

What I think is he was & I stress was a great fighter & always was & maybe still is a great BJJ (under those rules) player & probably a great instructor.

But NOBODY here is EVER going to tell me he could hang or beat a top 5 MMA fighter in his weight class today.

Just my 2 cents

[OmaPlata]

Very simply put: the sport has evolved and Rickson hasnt, thats it.
I would love to see him fight again, to see if his heart and mind could overcome a modern MMA fighter.
I really think the guys Rickson would fight would destroy him these days. Tito Ortiz would beat him down into a pulp. Silva would to, or Franklin, look what he did in his last fight.
Rickson would have to rely on his BJJ training, which in its days was great, but now a days, almost all those guys are black belts.
It would be really sad to see him come in and fight, I would think he would get killed. Sure he has the chance to get a submission, but the game has changed. If he won, great, we would never hear the end of it, if he lost, it would be by ground and pound or KO, he wouldnt get tapped.
By all accounts, Rickson is 9-0 in MMA, all by submission. His 400-0 fights are BJJ tourneys and some no-rules street fights and tourneys in Brazil. As much as its bullshit, its still true no one has beaten him in those tourneys and fights. He lost a Sambo match to Mark Tripp however, of that there is no dispute

[shasan]

yeah.. rickson is pretty damn good. 400-0.. .well.. haha... maybe not. But inflated stats don't make or break the fighter.

[pstevens]

Rickson probably went out looking for a promoter to get him a fight in Japan, but no one cares because he's 40, hasn't fought anyone in the longest time and has very bad interpersonal and negotiating skills. Someone needs to tell Rickson this is MMA not boxing... You can't go around asking for $500K per fight.

[danfaggella]

I don't think its fair to assume that he has bad intrapersonal and negotiative skills, I don't know if he is the one running around just saying HEY FIGHT ME FOR 500GRAND!!! Then when someone tries to barter a bit he says NO **** YOU!!! I really think there is more to it that that.

[pstevens]

I don't think its fair to assume that he has bad intrapersonal and negotiative skills, I don't know if he is the one running around just saying HEY FIGHT ME FOR 500GRAND!!! Then when someone tries to barter a bit he says NO **** YOU!!! I really think there is more to it that that.

I'm not assuming. Rickson has said in numerous interviews (you'll have to dig them up on your own) that he has a figure in mind (I believe it was something like $100K - $500K) that represents his usual fee, and that he won't fight for less. Very few people have ever had success negotiating with Rickson, because he doesn't give an inch. And now that his marketability is over, few places are willing to negotiate.

[cam427]

I think the assumption that he would lose to Tito is a huge leap. Tito is also well past his used-by date. As to all of the top guys (which does not include Tito) being black belts in BJJ there is a big difference between a black belt and an 8th degree black belt. The same as the difference between a white belt and a black belt.

[OmaPlata]

I think the assumption that he would lose to Tito is a huge leap. Tito is also well past his used-by date. As to all of the top guys (which does not include Tito) being black belts in BJJ there is a big difference between a black belt and an 8th degree black belt. The same as the difference between a white belt and a black belt.

Its not all about the ground game though, its the other things that Rickson is not up to date with, strikes, elboes, knees, ground and pound, etc. Tito is a black belt on the ground prolly in anybodies book. And 8th vs 1st degree wont be as big a difference with no-gi.
But its true, a master makes a regular black belt look like white belt when they roll, ive seen it and never thought it to be true before that, total domination