In an interview with Brazilian website Dojjo, 10x world BJJ champion Roger Gracie offcially anounces his return to Jiu-Jitsu with a superfight with Rodrigo Comprido Medeiros at the UFC expo in July. He also intends to compete in more BJJ superfights and to return to the worlds in 2016.
“How did the idea come up to fight in the IBJJF American National Jiu-Jitsu Championship during the UFC Expo?
Actually the idea came from the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, which is also the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation. The two entities are the same. They will hold a Jiu-Jitsu event during the Expo, so they called me and explained about the partnership and that the UFC Expo wanted to stage this matched fight.
That is why I think it was the Confederation’s idea to contact me and invite me to fight against Comprido. I thought it was an excellent opportunity because I hadn’t fought in a long time. I have already fought against him before and he is two-time world champion; he is tough and renowned. I think it will be an interesting fight for me. They invited, I accepted. I was in good shape and there aren’t any MMA fights in the same period.
How are you getting prepared for your come-back?
I make a point of never stopping to train, so I am always in reasonably good shape. The invitation for this fight motivated me greatly, especially to train Jiu-Jitsu more often, because lately I’ve been more focused on MMA.
Now I am strengthening my Jiu-Jitsu training, working on it every day. There are only four weeks until the fight, so I’ve been training twice per day to get very well prepared. It’s been a long time since I fought wearing the kimono, and I want to do very well. I’m taking it very seriously, getting 100% fit.
It will be only one fight lasting 10 minutes, I think, according to the typical competition rules. I feel very good and I’m very excited to return to Jiu-Jitsu fights. For the last few years I was focused on MMA, but I think I really prefer Jiu-Jitsu after all. My passion is the kimono, so I am highly motivated and training hard, looking forward to do my best in the event.
Have you been studying new techniques or will you keep the same game? Are you focusing on your competitor?
No, I haven’t changed anything. I try to focus on my own training and I’ve been training a lot with my students. But I also get extra help from Bráulio Estima, his brother Victor and also Lagarto; we train here together every now and then. Besides that, I train with my students to get more physical fitness. I still train for the MMA, which I will probably fight during summer here in Europe, winter in Brazil. I think it will most likely be in September. I talked to the event organizers and they will confirm the event shortly.
Even though I am fighting Jiu-Jitsu, I haven’t left aside my MMA training, which also helps in my physical conditioning. I think it is not a problem to be focused on both fights at the same time.
What is your ultimate goal? Fighting in the World Championship?
I would like to. I intend to compete in a greater number of Jiu-Jitsu events. After this fight I want to go on and compete in some matched fights.
Next year, I want to fight in the world championship but before that I want to participate in other events, since I haven’t been competing for a long time. It’s been almost six years since my last Jiu-Jitsu competition. In the last five years, my only kimono fight was against Buchecha. One fight in five years is too little to be in shape to compete. I need to get back in pace, so I have to compete in Jiu-Jitsu fights before the world championship. I’m very excited about this next fight, and looking forward to fight more often.
How long do you think you will continue to fight?
It’s hard to tell exactly. Knowing when to stop is very important for an athlete. I am still young, not yet 34. I believe I can continue to fight until 36 or 37. It may be longer than that or not, but I don’t plan to go on for too long after that age. In Jiu-Jitsu, next year’s world championship will be the last I intend to compete. So I am enjoying the fact that I will return to Jiu-Jitsu, but I don’t intend to be in another world event after this next one.
What is your greatest motivation to go back to Jiu-Jitsu?
I love to the MMA challenge, but Jiu-Jitsu is an even greater pleasure. I have already competed in the ADCC and in the MMA but it is in Jiu-Jitsu that I feel true passion to fight and train for. I haven’t participated in championships for five years, but I never stopped training it every day.
I really want to feel the pleasure of competing in Jiu-Jitsu again.”
