EA Sports UFC: Royce Gracie Will Be Unlockable Fighter in the Game

First Bruce Lee, now this.

EA Sports has announced that Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Royce Gracie will be an unlockable bonus for fans who preorder EA Sports UFC on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

The game is scheduled for release on the aforementioned platforms on June 17.

Gracie's inclusion further augments the presence of legends on the game's playable roster. The announcement that Lee would be a mystery fighter added some cinematic appeal and a touch of class. Having Gracie in the game takes fans back to the UFC's roots.

The Brazilian legend will be unlockable in two different ways: Gamers can defeat the career mode to add him to the playable roster, or simply preorder the game from participating dealers. (See the link above for details.)

Legendary performers in video games have become all the rage, so Gracie's inclusion makes perfect sense.

Back before the UFC had weight classes, Gracie dominated the promotion's early events. In the UFC's formative years, men of all different sizes and disciplines competed in one-day tournaments to crown a champion.

Markus Boesch/Getty Images

At just 6'0", 176 pounds, Gracie won UFC 1, 2 and 4.

He had unforgettable battles with Ken Shamrock, Gerard Gordeau, Remco Pardoel, Patrick Smith, Dan Severn and Kimo.

image from EA Sports UFC Flickr

In his trademark gi, Gracie submitted 11 straight opponents in the UFC. As you can see from the image above, it appears the version of Gracie that will be available will be a late 30s or early 40s re-creation.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

If you compare the two photos above, you can see how accurately Gracie has been rendered in the game.

Expect the submission ratings to be sky-high for this grappling legend. 

Hopefully he and any other legends included in the game aren't given unrealistic ratings. While it's totally understandable that Gracie would have heightened skills in his areas of expertise, it wouldn't be realistic to make him an elite striker in the game.

We'll have to wait to see how the ratings and such are handled. But this latest announcement further raises the anticipation for the game's release.

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