This contract will signal Gracie’s return to MMA after a layoff of over 1 year – he made his debut in December of 2006 in Vancouver, Canada for bodogFIGHT, easily defeating veteran MMA artist Ron Waterman by arm bar in Round 1. Since then, Gracie has continued his grappling dominance in 2007, winning the ADCC 2007 superfight against Jon Olav Einmo of Norway, and winning both his weight class and the open class in the Black Belt division of the BJJ World Championships.
Word is that Roger has been scrambling for the last week to get a visa for Japan in his adopted hometown of London, England so he can attend the March 5th event as a guest and observer, however the visa was not forthcoming at the last minute. Currently, Roger is planning a video tape greeting for the Japanese public, to be aired around the SENGOKU event on March 5th. Enthusiasm is said to be high around Roger, who is appears eager to return to MMA after his hiatus.
Gracie will enter the heavyweight division for World Victory Road (Sengoku), where the leading assets for the new Japanese group include Hidehiko Yoshida, Kaz Fujita and Josh Barnett. Though an opponent is yet to be formally named, it is expected Gracie will ease into competition after the long layoff. One person close to Gracie also pointed out ‘It is Roger’s second MMA fight after all, and he is taking it very seriously. With his family’s background and experience, he knows how rugged MMA is and he knows what it takes. Right now, Roger wants to gain experience and he is in no rush’.
So fans of WVR will potentially get a chance to see the newest phenom from the legendary Gracie family develop. At six foot five inches tall and 220 lbs, Gracie has the physical tools that previous generations of his family did not have, and he appears to be crossing over to MMA with a game plan. It will be interesting to see how the 5th generation of the fighting Gracie family develops.
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