Renzo Gracie Prepares for UFC 112: "There's No Rust Here"

There are certain families that go hand-in-hand with specific sports: the Mannings and football, the Pettys and stock car racing, and the Griffeys in baseball.

In MMA and especially the UFC, there is one name above all that dominates due to historical significance and the sheer amount of actual family members competing. That name is Gracie.

This Saturday as the UFC debuts in Abu Dhabi at the spectacular Ferrari World Sport Center, 43-year-old Renzo Gracie will make his Octagon debut against famed Gracie nemesis Matt Hughes as one of three featured bouts at UFC 112.

Coming To The UFC

For Renzo (pronounced Hen-Zo), the discussions to come to the world’s largest MMA organization began over dinner with UFC President Dana White and Zuffa co-owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta.

It was asked whether Gracie—a veteran of PRIDE and Strikeforce—would have any interest in competing in the UFC.

Gracie immediately pushed back his plate, shook hands, and began training. Now 33 pounds lighter, he’s ready to go.

“They offered me a three fight deal, but I said I want to dive in headfirst,” he explained in his unmistakable thick Brazilian accent. “I said to give me a six-fight deal and fire me at any time you feel like it. If you don’t like my performance, you can let me go.”

The enthusiastic Gracie’s pro debut came on New Year’s Day in 1992, a first round submission win in Brazil. He competed sparingly over the next four years before joining PRIDE in 1997, debuting with a draw against Akira Shoji at the organization’s first show in Tokyo.

After a first-round submission win over Maurice Smith for the Rings promotion in December 1999, Gracie went through a tough stretch in his career, dropping six of seven fights over a six-year period to fighters like Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Carlos Newton, and BJ Penn.

Gracie (13-6-1-1) has competed just three times in the last three-plus years, but has gone 3-0 with victories over Newton, Pat Miletich and Frank Shamrock, a second round DQ win for EliteXC in February 2007.

Gracie isn’t worried about the long layoff.

“When you start training at age five, (several) years isn’t a big deal. Three years for me is a blink of an eye,” Gracie said. “You can’t take me as an ordinary man who just stopped for three years. There’s no rust here, believe it.”

Restoring The Family Name

Despite his age and inactivity, Gracie was signed to that long-term deal last December and kicks it off against the 36-year-old Hughes, the former UFC Welterweight Champion.

Hughes himself has been out of action since last May when he defeated Matt Serra (coincidentally a Gracie student) via unanimous decision.

But Gracie will be taking a little more into his first UFC tilt as he looks to avenge cousin Royce’s first round TKO loss to Hughes at May 2006's UFC 60. The fight was the UFC Hall-of-Famer’s first and only match back in the organization after a 10-year layoff and did not go well.

Gracie explained that at one point, Hughes (43-7) had offered to be a sparring partner for him but that he knew one day in his heart that he would face him and felt that would give him an unfair advantage.

One unexpected advantage the Holmdel, NJ, resident does expect to have this Saturday in Abu Dhabi? Cheers.

“It’s a place I consider my second home. I like the weather, I like the people, I like the food,” he said, noting he went to Abu Dhabi 11 times last year alone. “I do believe I have the hometown advantage in this one.”

On paper, there is a lot going for Gracie against Hughes and then again, there’s a lot going against him. One thing that will always give him an edge though is his last name.

“The whole foundation of this unbelievable organization was attached to the Gracie name from the beginning,” Gracie explained. “It’s great to be back. Like they say, it’s never too late.”