INQUIRER Sports

CEBU WILL BE in for a treat this weekend as mixed martial arts (MMA) legend and Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Royce Gracie visits Cebu as part of his Southeast Asian Tour 2009.

Gracie will be at the Bistro Ecila at the Ayala Terraces for a press conference, right after his training seminar on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the CJRS MMA gym at 10 am on the same day.

Royce is a member of the famed Gracie family, the originators of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, a modern form of Jiu-Jitsu. He began competing at the age of eight and by the time he was 16, had attained the level of blue belt. He holds the most submission victories in UFC history with 11, which he earned between UFC 1 and UFC 4.

He gained fame and stardom for his dominance of the UFC, where he loomed larger than life for his victories over fellow hall of famer Ken Shamrock.

He popularized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and revolutionized mixed martial arts with his results contributing to the movement towards grappling and cross-training in the sport.