Roger Gracie, a legend in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, recently opened up about his mixed martial arts (MMA) career on the “Connect Cast” podcast…
And, well, despite being a ten-time world champion in Jiu-Jitsu, Roger’s venture into MMA was marked by a sense of familial duty – rather than a true love for the sport.

Roger explained why:

MMA never really “hit” me. I couldn’t get the weight right, I was changing weight classes.
I was in between two categories (middleweight and light heavyweight). But my heart was never there.

I always loved fighting Jiu-Jitsu, I never loved fighting MMA.
I fought MMA out of obligation, for being a Gracie.

Since I was a child, what was the path for every Gracie fighter? Practice Jiu-Jitsu and fight MMA.

Reflecting on his lineage, Gracie felt that following the path into MMA was an inevitable choice:

All the generations before me did this.

The day I decided to be a fighter, for me, it was a natural path, not a choice. It wasn’t a desire, it was the Gracie way.
It was the natural path I chose in life.

I got my black belt and went to do MMA. I was winning a lot in Jiu-Jitsu and moved to MMA.
It wasn’t out of a passion for fighting, but rather for being a Gracie.