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Rickson Gracie: ‘I See Kron Doing Much More Than Just Winning The UFC Title One Day’

Rickson Gracie: ‘I See Kron Doing Much More Than Just Winning The UFC Title One Day’

 

 

Back in May of this year, Kron Gracie signed with the Chinese-based, Japanese-managed, promotion Real Fight Championship, who is expanding internationally. He was supposed to be fighting in Japan on the same card as Gabi Garcia (who would also make her MMA debut) sometime by the end of the year.
Real Fight has hosted three shows so far, all in China.
Kron’s MMA debut has been set for December 23, 2014 at the Ariake Coliseum. in Tokyo, Japan.

Kron’s father Rickson Gracie had this to say to Guilherme Cruz for MMAFighting:

“They haven’t found an opponent yet, but it’s set,” said Rickson to Guilherme Cruz for MMAFighting. “Travel, hotel, everything set for him to fight on Dec. 23. He will fight at 155 pounds.”

“He’s doing part of his camp there, and part at his gym in Los Angeles. The best thing is that Gilbert and the Diaz brothers will fight at the end of the year, so they are all in the same training rhythm.”

“I try to be an advisor, give him support. He will have to deal with his first MMA bout, fighting in a different country. It’s stressful. We don’t want to see him now against a guy with 30 professional fights. The idea is having him fight a guy with background in a martial art and with some MMA fights.”

“We don’t want to throw him into the fire like the family used to do in the past. ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter if he’s 45 pounds heavier than me, I’ll fight him.’

“I try to protect Kron in a way that he won’t face the worst challenge in his first MMA fight, and then he will be ready to fight the best.”

 

Asked if he can see Kron winning the UFC title one day:

 

“I can see him doing more than that (winning the UFC) ,” said Rickson of winning the UFC lightweight belt. “He’s focused, he wants to bring jiu-jitsu back to MMA. He’s not doing crosstraining to work on his weaknesses. He won’t start boxing, kickboxing, wrestling. He will use his jiu-jitsu to neutralize the wrestler, the striker, and work on his expertise.

“I don’t want him to learn how to knock someone out with a punch. He would need another life just to learn how to deal with fighters who come from this background. He has to learn how to avoid fighting his opponent’s game.”