Khonry Gracie is the 20-year-old son of MMA Legend Royce Gracie the winner of the first UFC tournaments, and the fighter who is actually the most responsible for what the MMA has become over time, due to the presentation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and its power against a lot of bigger and stronger fighters.
Bellator Snaps up Young Prospect Khonry Gracie, Son of Royce Gracie
Khonry Gracie is now officially a member of Bellator and is ready for his first professional MMA fight on January 20th at the first Bellator event in 2018 on Bellator 192.
Khonry made his amateur MMA debut in September and went into the cage wearing Bellator’s gloves. However, after the fight, he confirmed that he would sign for the first big promotion that came after him and that he would love to fight in the UFC.
With the UFC not interested in casual combatants at the moment, Bellator seized the moment. The promotion was working with Royce Gracie earlier when he had a short MMA comeback in their cage in February last year, so it is not unfamiliar ground for young Khonry’s mentor, and most likely, manager.
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a major part of a mandatory skillset for those looking to win MMA fights, and it is safe to say that the young Gracie will have no issues in that area. However, in this day and age, winning with grappling only is no longer a reliable strategy – he’ll need to mix it up.
Khonry is still very young, but he does have the wealth of Gracie experience behind him. Royce remains a legend in the sport and is the first-ever MMA champion in modern combat sports history, having won the inaugural UFC. Some shoes for Khonry to fill!
Khonry Gracie on His MMA Plans, the UFC, and Singing for Bellator
Day After his debut, Khonry Gracie spoke with MMA Fighting:
“[Fighting in the UFC] would be fun, I think it would have some kind of meaning,” he said, “but, like you said, my dad is with Bellator now, so… Again, it’s first come first serve. I’ll go anywhere.”
“I just want to fight, I just want to represent my last night, my grandfather’s jiu-jitsu. I’m here for the family, I’m not here to see what promotion I fight for. That has nothing to do with it.”
“What’s my biggest goal (in MMA)? Represent my family. Represent jiu-jitsu as best as I can. I didn’t come here and join MMA to do boxing, Muay Thai. I came here to represent jiu-jitsu, represent ‘vovô’ Helio’s Jiu-Jitsu.“
As it is apparent from his one amateur MMA fight, Khonry does have the potential to be a great MMA fighter:
Can Khonry Replicate Royce’s Feats in the Cage?
Bellator 192 is scheduled to take place at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California, with the main event of the evening featuring Rory MacDonald vs Douglas Lima for the welterweight Bellator title.
The question is, how much of the Gracie family’s fighting spirit is Khonry going to bring to Bellator? It is clear he has talent, but if we compare him to his father, Royce was already an established black belt, with brawling experience from Gracie challenges, when he won the first UFCs.
Khonry Gracie is still a brown belt in BJJ, and at the age of only 20, he most likely has tons of space to improve and grow. As long as he brings tenacity and a demonstrated he has willingness to listen to his corner, we expect him to do good, and perhaps, one day, fulfill his UFC dream.
Anyway, we wish Khonry all the best to represent our beloved sport and his family in the best light. We’ll be keeping an eye on his performances, however they turn out.
The Gracie Family Tree: Tracing The Origin of Jiu-Jitsu’s Founding Fathers
The Gracie Mindset: 12 Commandments of Jiu-Jitsu by Carlos Gracie
