UFC fighter Kron Gracie details the ‘pressure’ he faces while representing his family’s legendary name
The name Gracie is synonymous with combat sports.
Over the last few decades, names like Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and Roger Gracie have left their mark in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA. But, understandably, every aspiring fighter who carries the legendary last name won’t reach the same level of success that his elders have.
That’s precisely where Kron Gracie finds himself. As the son of jiu-jitsu legend Rickson Gracie, he had some mighty big shoes to fill. And for the most part, he succeeded. Kron Gracie is a former IBJJF and ADCC world champion as well as a one-time Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night winner in the UFC. Unfortunately, his career inside the Octagon failed to live up to the hype that came with his name.
After winning four straight fights, most of which were under the RIZIN banner, Kron Gracie moved to the UFC where he earned a first-round submission over Alex Caceres via RNC. He came back seven months primed to keep his undefeated streak alive but suffered a unanimous decision loss to Cub Swanson. That prompted him to take the next four years off.
He returned in May 2023 and delivered a lackluster performance against Charles Jourdain that resulted in his second loss in a row.
Speaking about his iconic name in a video on his YouTube channel, Kron Gracie detailed the pressures that came with being a Gracie as well as the evolution of martial arts. Specifically, the need to master more than one discipline to be successful in today’s fight game.
“It was a lot pressure to have the Gracie name, growing up,” Kron said. “I was always able to trick myself into not letting it affect me so much. My dad was, like, the best fighter in the world. As a kid, that’s what you want to be like. You want to be like the best in the world. If I wasn’t trying to be the best in the world, I was, like, worthless. It’s always been my future. Why shouldn’t I be better than him?
“Growing up, it was all about jiu-jitsu. Everybody did jiu-jitsu to fight. Jiu-jitsu to prove they can beat up a boxer or beat up a wrestler. You’re trying to prove yourself to prove your martial art. Now, it’s merged into a way where you can’t just be good at one martial art and be very successful against everybody who’s at the highest level.
“My dad doesn’t understand that. My grandfather wouldn’t understand that. This generation is already completely different. I think the martial arts is like your own molding. Martial arts, for me, is jiu-jitsu, boxing, and judo. When I say I’m a martial artist is because I built my own formula and I appreciate all the martial arts” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
It remains to be seen if Kron Gracie will climb back inside the Octagon anytime soon or if his MMA days are truly over. Though 35 years old, he only has seven total fights under his belt (5-2). With a limited number of miles on his body, it’s possible that he could come back for a few more fights, should he be interested in testing his mettle on the biggest stages in mixed martial arts once again.
