When Joe Rogan Unearthed Real Reason Royce Gracie Fought Over Superior Rickson Gracie at UFC 1 (Video)

Joe Rogan is no stranger to the world of mixed martial arts. His popular podcast has featured numerous MMA celebrities over the years. One particularly interesting episode featured veteran referee James McCarthy, who shared some insights into the early days of the UFC. Specifically, McCarthy delved into the promotion of Royce Gracie by his brother Rorion Gracie.

Moreover, this led to Royce becoming a more well-known figure in the world of MMA than his brother. According to McCarthy, Rorion saw the potential for Royce to become a star, instead of Rickson Gracie. He carefully crafted his image and public persona in order to maximize his appeal.

This strategy paid off, as Royce became one of the most iconic figures in the early UFC, winning three of the first four tournaments and establishing himself as a dominant force in the sport.

Why Royce Gracie was promoted over Rickson Gracie?

The 55-year-old podcaster said there are two rumors circulating about Rickson Gracie and his relationship with his brothers. The first rumor is that Royce was unable to control Rickson during their training sessions. The second rumor is that Rickson was physically impressive, which could potentially be a drawback for advertising Jiu-jitsu because Royce Gracie, who was a long and thin fighter, was not as physically impressive as Rickson.

McCarthy said, “But he was 10 pounds heavier than Royce. Okay little bit shorter. He’s shorter than Royce, but if he would have worn the Gi what are you going to see anyways?”

“Nothing. Looks like a guy in Gi. And you know that whole thing of Rorion marketing-wise said ‘Oh it is because Rickson is a big guy.”

Why did Gracie leave UFC?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was founded by Art Davie and Rorion Gracie, with the goal of promoting Gracie Jiu-Jitsu as the ultimate fighting system. In the early days of the UFC, Royce Gracie was a dominant force, winning three of the first four tournaments and never experiencing defeat inside the octagon.

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However, as the sport began to evolve, fighters began to figure out Royce’s fighting style. This was in view during his fight against Ken Shamrock at UFC 5, which ended in a draw. Had Royce stayed in the UFC, it’s likely that he would have struggled to maintain the same level of success as in the early events.

Despite this, the Gracie family had achieved their main objective of proving the superiority of their fighting style. Rorion sold his stake in the company to SEG. Moreover, the Gracie family moved on to enjoy the fruits of their successful experiment in building the Gracie brand.

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