Renzo Gracie Rekindles His Fire at One: Reign of Kings

Mixed martial arts is a sport that’s always in flux, as new styles and faces step to the forefront. Yet stars from the sport's formative years continue to pop up on occasion, showing that their competitive fire still burns well past their active years. Ultimate Fighting Championship hall of famer Chuck Liddell’s upcoming return from an eight-year hiatus has made headlines in recent weeks. However, before Liddell staps back into the cage, another legend returns from an eight-year layoff: Pride Fighting Championships veteran Renzo Gracie.

Many were surprised to see Liddell announce his return to action at the age of 48. Yet Gracie – the cousin of UFC icon Royce Gracie – will top that and return at 51 years old. “I have been out for so long, but I am still hungry,” Gracie told Sherdog.com. “I still have the heart to compete [and] I do get an occasional itch [to fight again] every time I help an athlete prepare for an upcoming bout.”

On Friday night, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, Gracie will have an opportunity to scratch that itch. He will return again to fight in Asia, a place where many of his MMA exploits occurred with Japanese promotions Rings and Pride. However, this time he will fight under the banner of the region's latest MMA powerhouse: One Championship

“I’ve known Chatri Sityodtong [CEO of One] for a very long time,” said Gracie. “I consider him as my comrade and brother-in-arms in this growing world of martial arts.” Gracie’s relationship with the promotion dates back several years. In 2014, he was a special guest for an event they promoted in Manila, and he’s been cage side for bouts including his cousin Roger Gracie and One Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren.

When the opportunity presented itself to fight for One, it was a chance Gracie felt he could not pass on. “When this was offered, it [was] really difficult to refuse,” he said. Along with the strong relationship he has with the promotion, the locale of the event also adds impetus for this return. “I have this warm affection for Asia. If this is going to be my last [bout], I want to close out my career in One Championship."

When Gracie makes his return to the cage at One Championship's Reign of Kings event, he won’t be dealing with a young upstart looking to make a name for himself. Instead, he will be facing fellow legend Yuki Kondo, a fighter who started his career only four years after Gracie.

The 43-year-old Japanese fighter will have an age and experience advantage over his Brazilian counterpart. Kondo has remained active -- competing as recently as last year -- and logged a stunning 103 bouts during his 22-year career, compared to just 21 bouts for Gracie. The coach, and once again fighter, sees the challenge in this match-up, and he is ready to compete wherever the fighting takes place.

“That’s why I accepted this challenge, because he is no pushover,” Gracie said. “If he wants to scrap, I will give it to him. If he wants to go and grapple with me, well, good luck to him.”

Gracie will be competing in the promotion's welterweight division, which has a limit of 184 pounds. He feels the weight is perfect as he’s fully aware of the difficulties in weight-cutting for any athlete, especially for one at his age.

“The conventional process of cutting weight is actually painstaking,” he says, “It decreases the fighter’s performance on fight night.” At 51, Gracie knows he cannot afford incurring any more physical limitations.

Although this is his first fight in some time, he does admit there were moments in the recent past where a comeback almost happened. “There were some offers to fight for a particular organization [and] there were some big names [as possible opponents],” Gracie says. “But I am glad that my comeback will take place in One Championship.”

When asked if there were certain fighter’s he would love to face again, or for the first time, Gracie had a specific response. “There is only one name in my mind: Kazushi Sakuraba,” he said. The pair had an epic battle at Pride 10 in 2000 that is remembered for Gracie’s right arm being mangled by a kimura from Sakuraba.

The return of Gracie and Liddell, and recent outings from other legends like Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock show the undying fighting spirit of many of the greats from that era. When asked what makes that era of fighters so competitive, Gracie’s answer is simple.

“It all boils down to desire. Desire ignites the flame in the spirit,” he said. “As warriors, we are wired to compete. Champions aren’t determined by how many wins they have [but by] how many times they pick themselves up after a loss.”

Although he is one of Brazil's most famous and accomplished fighters and near the end of his competitive career, Gracie does believe there are many other fighters who could reach similar heights. “I can name a few, such as Felipe Colares, Ricardo Prasel, Virna Jandiroba, Deiveson Figueiredo and Viviane,” he said. “In One Championship, you have Adriano Moraes, Alex Silva and Leandro Issa. Brazil is still one of the top three countries that produces great talent in MMA, in my humble opinion.”