When Gastao Gracie first met Japanese Judo emissary Mitsuyo Maeda somewhere in 1916, little did he know that the latter would pass on knowledge to his sons, who would go on to pioneer one of the most popular and effective martial arts in the modern combat landscape, i.e., Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. While it was Gastao’s oldest son Carlos Gracie who first learned the Japanese art from the champion Judoka from the Far East, it was the youngest son Helio Gracie who tweaked the art to swap out brute strength with leverage, timing, and technique, to form what we popularly know as Gracie Jiu Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ).

What followed was three generations of elite fighters, in a family secret that was well guarded for close to a century, and contained within the borders of Brazil. When Rorion Gracie took BJJ to California in the 80s, that completely changed the martial arts landscape forever. No longer a secret, and with the threat of ‘outsiders’ learning the art, the Gracies had to step out into the world and prove their brand of Jiu Jitsu was the most effective, with so many members of the family finding success and being tested at their own game. So the question arises – Who is the greatest member of the Gracie family? For the sake of keeping this piece concise, we’ve narrowed down our list of the top 5 best representatives of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

5. Rolles Gracie Jr.

On number 5, we have Rolles Gracie, who is popularly known as ‘Rollezinho’ or ‘Rolls Junior’. He is the son of the late Rolls Gracie – widely considered the greatest Gracie, because of his introduction of wrestling in BJJ. With a professional MMA record of 8-4, ‘Rollezinho’ impressed the fighting world by winning all of his fights via submission. However, he ended his career with a 3-fight losing spree. Competing in the 2007 ADCC Championships, ‘Rolls Junior’ won three fights and lost another two. His first-ever ADCC battle in 2001 also resulted in an unfortunate defeat. 

Nevertheless, Rolles Gracie successfully claimed the title of Brazilian National Champion in 1996 when he was a blue belt, and also in 1999 when he got promoted to a purple belt. In 2000, he became the Brazilian National Teams Champion. But he didn’t stop there. He became the Grapplers Quest Champion in 2005, and the Pan American No Gi Champion three years later in 2008. 

But all these accolades weren’t enough to put Rolles Gracie on a higher spot. So who’s the next Gracie in line? It’s someone who is widely considered the greatest Jiu Jitsu athlete from the famed Brazilian family, in the modern era.

4. Roger Gracie

As a middleweight contender in the MMA cage, Roger Gracie garnered eight victories to his name. But he also had to face two defeats. Unlike ‘Rollezinho’, Roger Gracie had won one of his fights via TKO by front kick and punches, and another one via a unanimous decision. The rest of his wins came via submissions. Needless to say, no one was ever able to make him tap out on the canvas. 

Roger Gracie secured the 1st position in IBJJF in 200 as a blue belt, in 2001 as a purple belt, and in 2002 as a brown belt. Apart from that, he also was the ADCC champion in 2005. He also won the 1st position in IBJJF World Championships seven times, and the 2nd place five times. His accolades continued as he secured yet another gold in the IBJJF European Open in 2005 and the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2006. He sure went pretty far with his cross choke from full mount.

Next up in our line-up is a man whose legacy is evident in modern MMA, through fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Aljamain Sterling. Who is this famed Gracie member? Let’s find out.

3. Renzo Gracie

Renzo Gracie won 14 of his professional MMA bouts with great finesse but faced defeat in seven of them with one draw in his pro record. Competing under the banner of ONE Championship, he took to retirement following a win by rear naked choke in 2018. But in the ground game, he has won nine bouts and lost just three.

As far as his achievements are concerned, Renzo Gracie became the Copa Atlantico Sul Champion 5 different times. He was also the ADCC champion in 1998 and 2000. However, he lost his ADCC bouts in 2003 and 2011. But the thing that puts him at #3 on our list is his accolades as a figure raising the next generation of athletes under his Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy, headquartered in New York. His students include Matt Serra, Firas Zahabi and John Danaher – infamous for teaching some of the best practitioners of the modern era like Gordon Ryan, Gianni Grippo, Giancarlo Bodoni, Nicholas Meregali, and many others. 

Moving on to the next position on the list, is a man who introduced Gracie Jiu Jitsu to the world. Who is this person? It’s none other than the man who won UFC 1.

2. Royce Gracie

With the help of his brother Rorion, Royce Gracie introduced the world to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through the UFC where he won three bouts in a single night, in the first edition. He was indeed the very first unofficial champion of the UFC. He won the Grand Prix-style tournaments at UFC I, UFC II, and UFC IV. In his career as a mixed martial artist, he secured victories in 15 bouts, losing just two, and fighting to a draw on three. But it was his display of grappling skills that got him wins in 12 of his fights. 

Being the son of the pioneer of BJJ, Helio Gracie, Royce Gracie indeed achieved success beyond measure. He even declared that he would fight the devil himself if he ever stepped into the Octagon. However, he couldn’t compete with the accomplishments of his brother Rickson Gracie who was made to sign a contract by Rorion Gracie barring him from competing on American soil (Rorion clearly knew that Rickson was a better fighter than Royce).

This brings us to the greatest fighter, and truest representative of the Gracie family. This man was responsible for taking Gracie Jiu Jitsu to the Far East, competing against some savages and demolishing all of them. 

1. Rickson Gracie

Rickson Gracie is the only one in the Gracie family to have never tasted defeat in the world of mixed martial arts. Fighting at independent events, Vale Tudo Japan, Pride FC, and Colosseum 2000, he amassed 11 wins, and all of them were finishes. He remained undefeated in BJJ championships, as well as no-holds-barred fights.

It was indeed Rickson Gracie’s attitude that got him the first spot on our list. Do you remember his quote, “If we fight for money, I’ll stop hitting you when you ask me to. If we fight for honor, I’ll stop hitting you when I feel like it”? Well, he often dominated his fights, ending them in the very first round. 

If not for Rorion Gracie, we would have probably had Rickson Gracie representing Jiu Jitsu at UFC 1 instead of Royce. However, Rorion’s rationale was Rickson was too big in stature, and he wanted someone smaller like Royce to show the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu Jitsu against bigger, stronger opponents.

Regardless, the Gracies stamped their names and legacies as some of the greatest fighters to come out of this century. What do you think of the list? Is there someone who you think we’ve missed? Drop down to the comments below and let us know what you think.