Roger Gracie believes one UFC fighter had better Brazilian jiu-jitsu than all the rest.
On September 11, the grappler’s new book, ‘The Warrior Mindset: The Tao of a Champion,’ hit the shelves for his adoring fans to pick up.
The memoir features many fascinating anecdotes from a man whose family ushered in a new era of martial arts.
Gracie, who has a win against Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, knows grappling inside out, putting him in the perfect position to give his stance on which UFC fighters have showcased the best jiu-jitsu.
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Roger Gracie says Demian Maia has the best jiu-jitsu in UFC history
Roger Gracie has watched many talented jiu-jitsu competitors test their skills in MMA.
However, one in particular stands out from the pack.
When asked who has the best jiu-jitsu in UFC history outside of his family, Gracie said: “There are a lot of jiu-jitsu fighters who’ve fought in MMA.
“I think it’s Demian Maia, who fought in the UFC. He’s a very high-level jiu-jitsu black belt; he’s a world champion.
“He fought a lot. From all of them that I have watched compete, he demonstrated the highest level of skill in jiu-jitsu in MMA.
“He tapped Chael Sonnen with a triangle choke.”
Roger Gracie opens up about what it’s really like to train Tom Hardy
Having cemented his status as quite possibly the best jiu-jitsu practitioner of all time, Gracie isn’t short of people wanting to learn from him.
Famous actor, Tom Hardy, is one of them, with the movie icon honing his craft under the watchful eye of the Brazilian.
The MobLand star even wrote the foreword to his coach’s new book.
During his interview with Bloody Elbow, Gracie explained what training Hardy is really like.
The Warrior Mindset: The Tao of a Champion by Roger Gracie was published on 11th September (Blink Publishing, £22), with a foreword by Tom Hardy.