UFC Hall of Famer and current Bellator MMA brand ambassador Royce Gracie (48 yrs old) will face Ken Shamrock (51 yrs old) in a trilogy fight on Bellator in February 19, 2016 in Hosuton, Texas.
Also announced for the card was a heavyweight fight between Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (5-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and his former friend and bodyguard Dhafir Harris (2-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) – “Dada 5000.”
Royce has already started his training camp in California. He’s training with his younger brother Royler. Gracie will fight around 180 pounds and Shamrock is expected to be around 200 lbs just like during his last fight vs Kimbo Slice.
Gracie last MMA fight was in 2007, when he defeated Kazushi Sakuraba.
Gracie told MMA Junkie
“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t party. I live a very healthy lifestyle. I think the Royce today would have beat the Royce from 22 years ago. I don’t think it’s the same thing for him. I think the Ken Shamrock today would lose to the Ken Shamrock from 22 years ago.”
About ring rust after not having fought since 2007:
“I’ve been out of fighting? It makes it sound like I’m sitting at home scratching my nuts doing nothing,” Gracie said. “I’ve been going to the range every day. My drawing is good and fast, I’m on target, I shoot and I don’t miss. It doesn’t mean I’ve been going to battle, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t practiced. It’s like a soldier that goes to the range every day and does everything for war. He shoots, he runs, everything is on good. He’s just not in battle. That’s my case. Now I’m going to go to battle. It doesn’t mean I’m fat or out of shape.”
About why he hasn’t fought in 8 years:
“I haven’t had any offers at all: zero. No one was knocking on my door. I was sitting there watching. I’m a fighter. I have a passion for it. It’s not a job or an obligation to go fight. I enjoy traveling, teaching and fighting. It’s in my blood. When Scott Coker first mentioned to me that Ken Shamrock wanted to fight I said, ‘Thank you.’,” Gracie said. “I played a little hard to get, but for sure I knew we had to do the third fight with Ken; there was no doubt. He still insisted on fighting me. I guess the guy cannot sleep for 22 years. He wanted a rematch after I choked him out and embarrassed him and made him tap. […] I don’t know about his motivation, but I think it’s because he cannot sleep for the last 22 years. The guy at 215, 220 pounds cannot beat somebody smaller than him at 180 pounds.”
About what we can expect from him:
“I’m 100 percent representing Gracie jiujitsu. The jiu-jitsu my father created was for the smaller guy to beat the bigger guy. It’s not a question of if I’m going to lose; it’s how I’m going to win. That’s the style. There’s no way he can beat me.”
Royce Gracie training his elbow strikes:
