Ralph Gracie

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Ralph (pronounced Halph) Gracie is a Brazilian martial artist. Like other members of the Gracie family, he competed in mixed martial arts. He is the son of Robson Gracie and brother to Renzo Gracie and Ryan Gracie, both of whom have competed in various fighting events. In sharp contrast to the typical "passive" Gracie approach, Ralph's aggressive and often brutal approach earned him the nickname of "Pitbull". He has also taught former UFC welterweight and current lightweight champion, BJ Penn, when he first came to California from Hawai'i.

Ralph's 1995 American debut was featured in the short-lived Battlecade Extreme Fighting events. Gracie easily won fights versus Makoto Murauko, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi, the longest of which lasted a mere minute and thirty-four seconds. Despite Gracie's obvious success, critics are now quick to point out that MMA competitions in this period were still in its infancy. It would take the competition several years to catch up to the Gracie approach to ground fighting.

In 2003, Ralph ended his absence from fighting to pit his skills against modern MMA fighters, earning a decision win over Dokonjonosuke Mishima. The following year, he suffered the only blemish on his record in a six-second loss to Takanori Gomi, who stopped Ralph's opening takedown attempt with a flurry of knee strikes to the head. To date, Gracie has not since returned to the ring.

Upon retirement, Gracie held a record of six wins and one loss in sanctioned fights. He holds a third degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has succeeded in several BJJ tournaments like Joe Moreira's Atlantico Sul Cup. Ralph also owns and operates a series of martial arts academies in California (specializing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and has been doing so for over a decade.

[edit] External links

• RalphGracie.com Official Home Page
• Sherdog Fight Finder: Ralph Gracie