Ryan Gracie (August 13, 1974 – December 15, 2007) was a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.[2] He was a member of the Gracie family and a grandson of Carlos Gracie.[3][4]
| Ryan Gracie | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 13, 1974 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Died | December 15, 2007 (aged 33) São Paulo, Brazil |
| Other names | The Pitbull Bad Boy Gracie Crazy Brutal |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Division | Middleweight |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Vale Tudo |
| Team | Ryan Gracie Team |
| Rank | 4th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu[1] |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 7 |
| Wins | 5 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Notable relatives | Gracie Family |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pan-American Championship | ||
 |
1998 – California, USA | -94 kg |
| Brazilian National Championship | ||
|
1997 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | -94kg |
Career
editRyan trained with his brothers, Renzo Gracie and Ralph Gracie; the latter often served as his cornerman.[5] He also trained Pancrase fighter Gabriel Vella and jiu-jitsu world champion Fabio Leopoldo while in Brazil.[5]
Gracie had seven fights in the PRIDE organization, with his first at PRIDE 10 in 2000 and his most recent at PRIDE Shockwave 2004. PRIDE billed Ryan as the "bad boy" of the family who reputedly gained experience fighting in the streets of Brazil.[6] In interviews in 2004, Gracie expressed a strong interest in fighting Kazushi Sakuraba and Hidehiko Yoshida.[5][7] Sakuraba, known as the "Gracie Hunter" for his many victories over the Gracie family, defeated Ryan earlier with a decision win in 2000.
Ryan was the leader and head coach of Gracie São Paulo, one of the largest jiu-jitsu associations in Brazil, with affiliated schools spread over the world. Supported by his cousins Carlos Russo, Daniel Simões, and Renzo Gracie, the academy is home to several world champions.
Personal life
editHe was the youngest son of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master Robson Gracie. On December 8, 2001, his only son, Rayron Gracie, was born. Ryan's brothers are Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and Ralph Gracie.
On January 30, 2021, Ryan's son, Rayron, released a short documentary titled Letters to my Father, which reveals his experiences growing up without his father through a series of letters he decided to write to Ryan throughout his teenage years.[8]
In October 2005, Gracie suffered an accidental gunshot wound to the leg while reaching into a closet in his sister's house in Rio de Janeiro, according to a report by GracieMag.com.[9] He was hospitalized and returned to stable condition after receiving a blood transfusion.
Death
editOn December 15, 2007, at 7:00 A.M., Ryan Gracie was found dead in a jail cell in São Paulo, Brazil. At approximately 1:30 A.M. that day, Gracie had been arrested for stealing and crashing a car and attempting to hijack a motorcycle. The owner of the motorcycle hit Gracie on the head, and Gracie was detained by several cyclists until police arrived. A toxicological examination at the Medical Legal Institute was conducted, after which Gracie was transported to the police station.[10] While in jail, Gracie's wife called psychiatrist Dr. Sabino Ferreira de Faria to attend to him. The psychiatrist was later accused of medical negligence by over prescribing medication and causing Gracie's death. Ferreira was later sentenced to two years of community service for recklessness.[11] The doctor was with Gracie most of the night, and was notified of Ryan Gracie's death as he was driving home.[12] Gracie was found alone and slumped into a corner when police were doing a routine check of the jail cells.[10]
Mixed martial arts record
edit| 7 matches | 5 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 1 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 5–2 | Yoji Anjo | Submission (armbar) | PRIDE Shockwave 2004 | December 31, 2004 | 1 | 8:33 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 4–2 | Ikuhisa Minowa | Decision (split) | PRIDE Bushido 3 | May 23, 2004 | 2 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 3–2 | Kazuhiro Hamanaka | KO (soccer kicks) | PRIDE Bushido 1 | October 5, 2003 | 1 | 7:37 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 2–2 | Shungo Oyama | Technical Submission (armbar) | PRIDE 22 | September 29, 2002 | 1 | 1:37 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Loss | 1–2 | Tokimitsu Ishizawa | TKO (injury) | PRIDE 15 | July 29, 2001 | 1 | 4:51 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Kazushi Sakuraba | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 12 - Cold Fury | December 23, 2000 | 1 | 10:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 1–0 | Tokimitsu Ishizawa | KO (punches) | Pride 10 - Return of the Warriors | August 27, 2000 | 1 | 2:16 | Tokorozawa, Japan |
References
edit- ^ Federação Paulista de Jiu-Jitsu >> Faixa Preta 4º Grau URL accessed on October 12, 2012.
- ^ BJJ.org. Ryan Gracie Archived 2006-06-14 at the Wayback Machine. www.bjj.org. URL last accessed on April 8, 2006
- ^ International Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Family Tree Archived 2009-09-17 at the Wayback Machine. www.550media.com. URL last accessed on April 8, 2006.
- ^ Clifton, Paul. Carley Gracie: The Lion of the Gracie Family. gracie.com. URL last accessed on April 8, 2006.
- ^ a b c "PRE-PRIDE BUSHIDO 3 INTERVIEW". PRIDE. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ "PRIDE profile". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- ^ "SHOCKWAVE 2004 INTERVIEW". PRIDE. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ "Rayron Gracie Releases Documentary Tribute 'Letters to My Father'". 7 February 2021.
- ^ "Ryan's family thanks support". GracieMag.com. 2005-10-27. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ a b "Ryan Gracie Found Dead at 33". Sherdog.
- ^ "TATAME - Tudo sobre o mundo das lutas". tatame.com.br. Archived from the original on 2012-11-17.
- ^ Dorothy Willis. "Ryan Gracie, the "Bad Boy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu," Dies in Jail Cell". Bleacher Report.