People knock Royce/Rorian for not having the "best" fighters in the UFC. Guess what, Royce wasn't the best BJJ/GJJ guy either.
So I guess it all evens out in the end!
He was the right person at the right time.
Many good BJJ players at the time could've done what he did.
But they didn't, and We can not deny Royce Accomplishments.
unified is correct
Great post, Kakkarotto_san.
How many other BJJ, luta livre (especially), wrestling, kickboxing legends came into MMA matched up against guys they were set up to overwhelm, and underwhelmed instead?
How many BJJ black belts might have folded under the pressure of Kimo or Severn? Those wins took perseverance and mental strength as much as, if not more so than physical skill alone.
The arguement that they did not have the "best" fighters in the UFC is pathetic. Anyone making this arguement, I would like to ask who at the time do they consider as a worthy set of opponents? Frank Dux? People tend to compare fighters back in the days with modern MMA atheletes. IT's like saying Rome wasn't that great because they didn't fight real opponents like USA.
"The arguement that they did not have the "best" fighters in the UFC is pathetic. Anyone making this arguement, I would like to ask who at the time do they consider as a worthy set of opponents? Frank Dux? People tend to compare fighters back in the days with modern MMA atheletes."
That's retarded. There were plenty of combat athletes across various disciplines that were better than the guys they picked for the first few UFCs. Granted, the ones they got were the ones that were willing to put it on the line.
Yes
Ok answer this...
Has Royce ever refused a challenge?
40 + and still putting his rep on the line.
Fucking fighter right there.
"40 + and still putting his rep on the line.
Fucking fighter right there."
I'm proud of him.
They put Royce on instead of Rickson because Royce looked more like an average guy. It made the wins that much more impressive to demonstrate how effective BJJ was.
"That can be said about any well conditioned athlete.Infact, Kimo walked out on his own power, not carried out."
people keep trotting this BS out and it pisses me off. these guys look "better" because the submissiomn fighter that beat them was MERCIFUL, not because they somehow "won" while desperately tapping out. if the sub fighter feels like it, he can just pop the arm, the knee or whatever, then who looks "worse". if it's a real fight, he can just keep breaking limbs as long as he wants or simply hold the choke until you're DEAD.
do not mistake kindness for weakness.
no.
he capitalized on somethign others did not know.
thats like Putting a Thai champ in the Ring with a novice TKD points styled fighter not use to really being hit.
vengence-that's exactly the POINT bro!
Before Royce Gracie the whole WORLD didn't really know how to fight!
Think about the BS that was being shown around the world and in black belt magazine (if you're old enough, not a diss here)and you will realize.
When has a completely new discipline just appeared and utterly turned the martial arts inside out FOREVER?!?
There wouldn't be a TITO, or a Lidell, since he would only be a kempo guy (LOL!) check his arm for the old school tat. There would have never been the great mixing of wrestling w/ BJJ because there would never have been BJJ all over!
Think how different it would have been to have never heard of Randy Couture unless you were already a wrestler!
See my point?
"Could a majority of the BJJ black belts, at that time (early 90s), do what Royce did in the first UFCs? "
yes they could have but this does not take anything away from Royce
back then people did not know any ground game to speak of no matter who you were. We saw olympic level wrestlers, olympic medalists in Judo and you name it getting tapped when it hit the ground.
Then it all changed. People started to take a closer look at BJJ.
these days everyone cross trains in BJJ or their game has been influenced by BJJ at least in some way so it is way different now. Basically any fighter you face now knows BJJ be it a little or much more. That makes all the difference in the world. Since your opponent knows BJJ you know need other tools too or you have to be really super good at BJJ.
Royce=special=true warrior
Royce had the balls and toughness.
lol@ were sub-par for a modern, shouldnt that be are? Oh yeah, show some respect.
He was special even if there were other BJJ blackbelts as Royce, or even greater only a few think have the hearth and preparation to fight against really dangerous oponents in the UFC 1 , 2 3, OR 4. Full respect to Royce and the Gracie Family.
I noticed his agression was pretty intense in the first two.