“Gracie Laying on His Back…”: Opening Up to Joe Rogan, WWE Legend Ric Flair Lays Bare His Honest Assessment of the Early UFC Days

WWE legend Ric Flair revealed to Joe Rogan how a stalled match involving Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock put a young Flair off the UFC and then he never came back. The American professional wrestler, who racked up numerous records and titles during his long professional career, also closely witnessed the booming of the UFC. However, he found it lacking in action when he saw one of the MMA pioneers, Royce Gracie, clinching his opponents. Notably, Royce Gracie ushered UFC into a new dawn as his rivalry with Ken Shamrock put the promotion into the limelight.

The nascent phase of the UFC suffered from a lack of clearly defined rules and led to prolonged matches of fighters stuck in a grappling lock. As a result, it failed to capture the eyeball of a young Ric Flair. The 74-year-old wrestler disclosed the same and labeled it “most boring sh*t” when he sat down with the UFC commentator in the latest episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’.

Ric Flair reveals to Joe Rogan what made UFC boring

The famed podcaster in Ep. #1974 of JRE asked whether a young Ric Flair would have considered a career in the UFC. The guest then recalled his first experience of watching Gracie wrestling Shamrock in Charlotte, North Carolina. Instead of an exciting matchup, he found the Brazilian lying on his back.

The visuals curbed the American wrestler’s enthusiasm, and he decided not to come back. Regardless, he was glad the promotion tweaked the rules. The shift in rules transformed the Octagon matches and the fans could see more action unfolding inside the cage.

He said, “And I think Gracie laying on his back. I said this is bullsh*t. I’m not going back to this. So glad they changed the rules because that damn hold, you know. Now the guys can’t do that.”

“That’s lot more action but watching Gracie hold those guys in that Gracie lock. Like that was the most boring sh*t in the world. What’s there to watch?” he added later on.

READ MORE: “Shoutout to Ric Flair”: UFC Fighter Credits WWE Legend After He Roasts Kansas City Crowd During His Post-Fight Promo

Markedly, Ken Shamrock later on become one of the first fighters to transition successfully to professional wrestling. Most recently, Ronda Rousey adopted a similar career trajectory and even Daniel Cormier has a few WWE appearances under his resume, albeit not in a fighting capacity.

What do you think of these statements by WWE legend Ric Flair? Do you believe the Irish fighter will find it hard to brush off ring rust? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch This Story – “Once he comes back, it’s over”-UFC World Reacts To Latest Colby Covington USADA News