Renzo Gracie Returning Soon; Possibly Brazil?
In August, three of the new generation of Gracie fighters will all compete on the upcoming One FC 5 show, taking place in Manila.
Brothers Rolles, Gregor and Igor will all take part in the One FC show, Pride of a Nation, and trainer and family member Renzo Gracie is working hard to get them all ready for their upcoming bouts.
He's working so hard in fact that he's also reaping the benefits of the training.
“To push them I've got to get myself in shape too. Today we did like eight rounds and then we did three more rounds of grappling. So even if I don't want to, I get in shape, and if I get in shape, I want to fight,” Gracie revealed when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio. “So I'm really looking forward to being back in there real soon.”
It's been over two years since Gracie last competed in MMA when he lost in his lone bout in the UFC against Hall of Famer and former welterweight champion Matt Hughes.
Now that he's helping his family members, and extended family members like former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, get ready for fights, Gracie is starting to feel the itch to get back in the cage again.
“I'm going to drop a little bit of weight and I'll be in there for sure,” said Gracie.
As far as a return date, Gracie hasn't set any goals for himself, but there is an upcoming show in his home country of Brazil that looks awfully intriguing. The UFC will return to Rio de Janeiro in October for UFC 153, and while nothing has been discussed yet, Gracie admits that the thought of fighting in his home country certainly serves as motivation.
“That's a possibility. In my life I learned one thing, impossible is nothing,” Gracie stated about possibly competing at UFC 153.
“I love the crowd there. I love the intensity that surrounds the whole arena when you're in Brazil fighting and Brazil is cheering. It's a different ball game.”
Gracie has spent much of his life competing and teaching, but if there was one regret he has it's that he never got to fight much in his home country of Brazil.
If that opportunity presented itself, Gracie would have an awfully hard time turning it down, and if it doesn't happen at UFC 153 then keep your eyes on any future UFC card heading to Brazil.
“Almost my whole life I fought in foreign lands. I fought in Japan, I fought in America, but I didn't have the chance to fight in Brazil as often as I would love to do it,” said Gracie.
“For sure, if I have an opportunity I'll be there. If it's not on this next one, believe it's going to be on a future one.”
At 45 years young, Gracie has found the fountain of youth working with his cousins and other top fighters at his academy in New York City, and he's still got plenty of fight left in him.
Now it's just a matter of when, not if, Gracie will return to action.
Follow @DamonMartin on Twitter or e-mail Damon Martin.
For more UFC News and UFC Rumors, follow MMAWeekly.com on Twitter and Facebook.
