Royce Gracie recently reflected on how modern fighters approach their craft, comparing Dagestanis and Brazilians.

He spoke at length about fighters from Dagestan, particularly those connected to Khabib Nurmagomedov, and highlighted what he sees as their defining trait:

The guys from Dagestan, the guys from Khabib’s team, those boys are good, they’re good and they’re dedicated, they have a lot of discipline. What that team doesn’t lack is discipline.

Gracie then contrasted that mindset with what he believes is a growing problem among Brazilian athletes:

That’s what many combat athletes lack today.
And not just in competing, but in football as well.

Our Brazilian soccer team, man, they have several players there, they’re one of the top 10 in the world, but they lack discipline.
Discipline goes out to the party, you know?

According to Gracie, the difference is cultural and habitual:

Like I said, the guys from Dagestan, man, they don’t have that kind of thing, they have discipline, no birthdays, no parties, no “today is Sunday, I can rest” attitude.

It’s about waking up and training every day.

These views echo the philosophy Gracie says was instilled in him by his father, Hélio Gracie, and guided his own career:

I’m an athlete all the time, not just occasionally, not just to say I’m an athlete, not just during a season.
It’s all the time.

Everything is possible, you just need the discipline to get up and do what you have to do. Talent, it all ends. You have to have the discipline to get up and do what you have to do.

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