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<h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=438314" target="_blank">
UFC releases Roger Gracie
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<p>Ivan Raupe of Brazil's Combate is reporting that the UFC declined to renew 6-2 lighehavyweight Roger Gracie's contract, leaving him a free agent.</p>
A below-expected performance and loss to Tim Kennedy cost to Roger Gracie his stay in the UFC. The fight with the American was the last of four-fight contract, which he had signed originally with Strikeforce.
The UFC chose not to renew the Brazilian's contract, so he is now free to negotiate with other events. The information was confirmed by Combate.com with sources close to the organization.
Gracie is considering a return to the light-heavyweight division, to as not suffer so much from the cut to middleweight..
Bellator is looked on favorably by his management team, but nothing formal is set.
He looked pretty bad in his debut. Ufc is already jam packed so guess they aren't even willing to make some room even for a gracie. IM ok with it though he doesnt deserve it. He isnt a good enough mma fighter yet. He just needs to fight in smaller organizations and improve a bit before he is welcomed back in.
He doesn't look comfortable in MMA. Wish him the best but I just don't think he's got what it takes for the UFC
this. Espeically fighting in the UFC against top guys.
he is better off in WSOF or Bellator if he wants to continue doing mma. WSOF has a bunch of Gracies so that fits and Bellator is always looking for former UFC fighters so he could help their MW or LHW div by being a name.
Fun fact, since Royce every Gracie in the UFC has had only one fight and then been cut (well Renzo was never officially cut but wasn't given another fight).
Sad, their strength in the early days were in their numbers, always training together, always pushing each other forward. Now they are spread out across the globe, all earning good money teaching BJJ and no one seems to have the hunger to really take it to the next level. Everyone was so hopeful for Roger, but it never really came together. He needs to go train with Damien Maia, as he has worked out a fantastic BJJ style that works in MMA, Roger could learn a lot from him.
I think they should have gave him another fight at 205 first. It just seems wrong to cut the best grappler on earth after 1 fight when he obviously cut way too much.
It was big, hardly huge. I mean is any official purse really.
I understand the cutting him. He is just not complete enough to hang with the most of the decent dudes in the division.
Bellator might be more interesting. He will get a little more space to work on his striking and wrestling.
Still his last performance was rather horrid. If he cannot make the steps needed in Bellator he should just go back to BJJ. Would be slightly dissapointing but there would hardly be real shame in it.
Beast of America - He's not an MMA fighter he's a great bjj guy
Yup. Sports jiu jitsu and mma have developed so much since the early days they've split and branched out opposite of one another. The more developed sports jiu jitsu got the less applicaple it has been for mma. Meaning training sports jiu jitsu isn't the best for mma anymore.
This is so not true but if you are going to make the transition to mma you have to have at least meediocre striking (which roger does not have) or a strong wrestling/judo base which Jacare and Damian Maia has which allow them to hold/control their opponents.
We'll in all fairness Jacare has the full package.
Like all the great wrestlers we see in mma , not all make the grade.