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<h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=455086" target="_blank">
Royce: Today's me > 20 years ago me
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<a href="/go=news.detail&gid=455086" ><img class="photo" src="http://img.mixedmartialarts.com/method=get&rs=100&q=75&x=20&y=27&w=310&h=165&ro=0&s=ken-shamrock-royce-gracie.jpg" /></a>
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<p>MMA legend Royce Gracie as a trilogy fight with Ken Shamrock at Bellator 149 on February 19th, 2016. Twenty years ago they fought to a draw. In an interview with Brazil's Globo, Gracie said he is better at 48 than he was at 28.</p>
"I think today's Royce would beat Royce from 20 years ago," said Gracie, as transcribed by Lucas Rezende for BE. "I have been thinking about it. I have more experience. I used to rely on talent too much, now I have talent and experience. I'm more resistant and I still weigh the same."
"It's simple. I can't stand that guy, I'm sorry. He's not my friend nor my enemy. I simply don't like him. There's no friendship, I avoid talking to him all the time. I don't want to talk to him. He talks too much. As if he was the greatest fighter in MMA history. I beat him in less than a minute. In the second fight he laid on me for 30 minutes and he calls himself ‘The World's Most Dangerous Man.'"
Okay so why aren't you fighting in the ufc right now or better yet why aren't you the champ? So basically what he's saying is, he's better than he was back when he was the champ but even being better than he was then, he's not good enough to compete in the current ufc. So Wtf does that say?
lolo at the stupidity on here.
because the Royce and fighters of early UFC's would not be able to compete today with just the skills they had in 1993/94/95. the sport has evolved. but he may be able to beat the earlier version of himself. doesnt mean hes beating current ufc fighters. good god. I cant believe I had to explain that.
these are the 3rd grader comments that make this place/mma suck sometimes.
How so? The man said he's better than he was 20 years ago. Let's be real here man, father time catches up to everyone. He's also still clinging to that "I only train BJJ because it's all you need" mantra. Royce's time has passed. My comment while flippant is accurate.
And I say that with all the respect in the world as Royce deserves it for his accomplishments and what he's done for MMA. But he's not better now than he was then.
these are the 3rd grader comments that make this place/mma suck sometimes.
How so? The man said he's better than he was 20 years ago. Let's be real here man, father time catches up to everyone. He's also still clinging to that "I only train BJJ because it's all you need" mantra. Royce's time has passed. My comment while flippant is accurate.
And I say that with all the respect in the world as Royce deserves it for his accomplishments and what he's done for MMA. But he's not better now than he was then.
It's the trouble with MMAth.
For one thing, the Hughes he fought would have beaten young Royce in UFC 1, too.
That same Hughes might not have beaten Ken from UFC 1.
I have no doubt that the Royce of today would tool the Royce of 1993. His game is so much more well-rounded, and he hasn't likely declined enough physically for that to outweigh his improvements. But I think he might lose to the Ken of 1993, because that little bit of quickness he's probably lost was key in him beating Ken.
I get what you're saying, I guess I just don't see how something like 8 years layoff from active competition plus his age would lead him to believe that.
amadeus - This just tells me that Matt Hughes would have walked thru all the competition from the first 3 UFC's...
as an 01'r you should know better. styles make fights and mma math doesnt work. this tells me Dennis Hallman beats all ufc1-3 fighters and is the 2nd greatest WW next to GSP. see how f'd up that is!
these are the 3rd grader comments that make this place/mma suck sometimes.
How so? The man said he's better than he was 20 years ago. Let's be real here man, father time catches up to everyone. He's also still clinging to that "I only train BJJ because it's all you need" mantra. Royce's time has passed. My comment while flippant is accurate.
And I say that with all the respect in the world as Royce deserves it for his accomplishments and what he's done for MMA. But he's not better now than he was then.
so you coulda just said that. his loss to Hughes has nothing to do with whether he thinks he could be better than an earlier versiopn of himself. its an immature rip on Royce comment. Matt Hughes is like "O Really".. and to show how retarded that statment really is, you do realize that was Royce's ONE and only beat down ever. Fighters are allowed to lose one and get tooled occasionally. but here on the UG he has to be ripped on about it if he says ANYTHING about ANYTHING.
these are the 3rd grader comments that make this place/mma suck sometimes.
How so? The man said he's better than he was 20 years ago. Let's be real here man, father time catches up to everyone. He's also still clinging to that "I only train BJJ because it's all you need" mantra. Royce's time has passed. My comment while flippant is accurate.
And I say that with all the respect in the world as Royce deserves it for his accomplishments and what he's done for MMA. But he's not better now than he was then.
It's the trouble with MMAth.
For one thing, the Hughes he fought would have beaten young Royce in UFC 1, too.
That same Hughes might not have beaten Ken from UFC 1.
I have no doubt that the Royce of today would tool the Royce of 1993. His game is so much more well-rounded, and he hasn't likely declined enough physically for that to outweigh his improvements. But I think he might lose to the Ken of 1993, because that little bit of quickness he's probably lost was key in him beating Ken.
The sad thing about this is that the "Petey my heart" Ken that the UG has made fun of for years, would absolutely destroy any version of Royce Gracie, ever, based TDD alone...
... AND that is not the best version of Ken Shamrock...
... Yet the current version of Ken, who obviously has some serious physical issues that don't even allow him to move correctly; will likely find a way to lose to the current version of Royce.
Ken Shamrock in the 90's is one of the best ever... yet his legacy will likely be defined by losing to guys he would have dominated in his prime.
P.S. - Royce is rightfully a legend, and many of the older fighters have made similar comments about being better than they ever were.
