Rickson Gracie

Rickson Gracie (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈʁiksõ ˈɡɾejsi]; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was widely considered to be the best fighter of the Gracie clan, and one of the toughest in the world. In July 2017, he was promoted to ninth-degree red belt, the second-highest ranking in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Rickson Gracie is considered an important pioneer for both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA). He had several vale tudo bouts in Brazil in the 1980s, and in the 1990s Gracie became a high-profile competitor in Japan, having won Vale Tudo Japan 1994 and 1995 tournaments, he also headlined Pride 1 and Pride 4 against popular professional wrestler Nobuhiko Takada, all which are credited to have helped to popularize the sport in Japan. He retired with an undefeated record of 11 wins and no losses, all by submission.