Rener and Ryron Gracie have sent an email statement last week to Gracie Certified Training Center (GCTC) Owners warning them not to do business with their brother Ralek.
Ryron and Rener Gracie affirmed they have nothing to do with Metamoris, no involvement or stakes. And they’ve used strongly worded warnings for GCTC instructors not to engage with Ralek or Metamoris.
“We have no stake in Metamoris, but we have always supported our brother, Ralek,” the email reads.
Following the harshly worded email, Ralek Gracie signed with Bellator MMA. Bellator officials confirmed the signing. Gracie will most likely debut at Bellator 170 scheduled for 21st January in Los Angeles.
He hasn’t fought in MMA since 2011- when he defeated Kazushi Sakuraba at Dream 14 in Japan.
Ralek went on the popular podcast Inside BJJ.
He talked about his move to Bellator:
Everything I’m doing is to move forward and to win. I put myself in this position. I wanted this struggle. It’s my destiny. I’m going to represent Jiu-Jitsu.
He partly blames Metamoris failure to not having had sponsors and now says that he will take a loan to pay off his debts:
We could have had (stupid) sponsors and we wouldn’t have debts but I’m not a good business man. We were pure. We didn’t want to prostitute the athletes.
We lost our investor after the first 2 shows. We were throwing away money.
We have to take a loan to pay the people we owe. I’m not going to wait for Bellator. I wanted to grind it but since everybody hates me, we’re at a stand still. So I’m getting a loan and will pay the athletes.
If I was doing it for money, I would have filed for bankruptcy and told people to kiss rocks.
About the leaked email:
I don’t want to comment but saying anything would be dishonorable. I have already distanced myself from the Gracie academy a long time ago. It’s a family matter.
About his scheduled Bellator fight and how he will prepare:
I don’t have an opponent yet but I don’t think it matters. I competed for a fight on new year’s eve in Japan. It was supposed to happen but it didn’t. We have access to a lot of top fighters like Bryan Ortega, Kevin Casey, Kron Gracie etc…
When asked about his brother’s email statement Ralek told ESPN.com:
“I really want to focus on this right now, but I definitely would say [Metamoris] is doing everything it can to move forward in the most honorable way possible,” Gracie told ESPN. “It’s tough, man. We went through a hard time, and I think people took for granted what we were bringing to the table — something that was revolutionary for the sport. We were really young, really green and didn’t have the business experience.”
“It’s a surreal thing, to answer questions about my brothers — and even trying to defend yourself is dishonorable in this kind of situation. We’re just doing the best we can, and I think there are some stuff behind the scenes that people don’t know about and shouldn’t know about. I really don’t like avoiding questions, but at the end of the day, I really don’t think it’s important or relevant in this circumstance. This [Bellator signing] is very exciting and I’m excited to compete.”
In addition to this Ralek Gracie also wrote a mini essay on fatherhood on his instagram declaring he still has the support of his father, Rorion Gracie:
Reflecting on parenthood I got into deep thought…. “Do what you gotta do and don’t compromise your vision.” -Rorion Gracie • Man, I never understood my father better than when I had kids. I never knew a fraction of his struggle playing with my brothers and drinking coconut water (not soda) as he made it look so easy to come to this country and break his back and to make jiu jitsu a respected art. He never for a second complained about a damn thing that I can remember to indicate his lack of trust. People hated on the Gracie’s and him from every martial arts style and he dealt with power struggles inside his family all while never yelling at my mom. Imagine the temperament under such pressure! People spoke so much trash but he showed up and stood for his vision, putting his physical life in the path of his beliefs every day. His discipline and leadership was something so profound I couldn’t even feel it until I reached my own experiences of true struggle and self motivation. He has my back and appreciates my struggle more than anyone I know in the most energetic and trying time of my life. He helps me by not helping me just as much as he helps me. I fall short every day to that man and his dedication to vision and purpose. I fall short to my children and they know it but they love me anyways. Thank you @roriongracie for leading the way, MMA wouldn’t exist without you and all these jobs are a direct or ancillary result of your unwavering commitment. Your brothers and cousins contributed in their own very significant way and their struggles are reserved for their immediate family’s, though you wouldn’t have had the inspiration without them you stood alone as a man beyond yourself. You sacrificed your desires and never got full credit. You sir are a lynchpin as significant to the evolution of our planet as any great man or woman could be. I’m fighting in your honor and will put it all on the line to represent a fraction of your struggle. I know your father was as proud of you needed him to be and I hope to achieve the same from you some day.
On the subject of his debts he wrote:
Crooks in castles. You go broke paying jiu jitsu athletes too much and they get mad and try to label you a crook when people don’t want to pay for a webcast because you “don’t pay your athletes”… All the new events we inspired will compete to pay everyone more than ever and all the athletes appreciate it-bet.
