INQUIRER Sports

CEBU GOT A RARE glimpse into the life and times of a living legend in the realm of mixed martial arts as Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame inductee Royce Gracie arrived in Cebu as part of his Southeast Asian Tour 2009 at the Bistro Ecila at the Ayala Terraces.

As ruthless and fierce as the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ)master was in his heyday as ruler of the UFC and Pride fight organizations, Gracie was quirky, friendly and funny all at the same time as he gamely answered questions from both the press and the fans during his meet-and-greet session.

This was Gracie?s first visit to Cebu and his third to the country, and it was done thanks to the efforts of Renault Lao and the Ultimate Reality Combat Championship (URCC).

?It has been a great experience being here. People recognize me everywhere I go and they ask for autographs and pictures and it?s really great,? added the sixth degree black belt in BJJ.

Gracie became a larger than life figure in the mixed martial arts world for his domination in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

He gained worldwide fame for beating opponents much larger than him, and between 1993 and 1994, was the tournament winner of UFC 1, UFC 2, UFC 4, and fought to a draw with Ken Shamrock in the championship match in the Superfight at UFC 5.

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

?My greatest weapon was that I knew what I was doing. Once you know, everything is easy. You also have to have discipline, not just talent and toughness. I have a lot of discipline, toughness and talent will not keep at the top for a very long time,? said Gracie.

Asked if there was any chance of a comeback in the UFC, Gracie emphatically said no. ?I?m too old for that. I?m just happy to be teaching my team and trying to get my soldiers better and ready for battle,? he added. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio