Today, there's not an MMA fan alive who isn't aware of Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. But in the early 90's, when the UFC organization was in its infancy, the average fighting fan had nary a concept of it. The first ultimate fighting championship was seen as more of a freakshow than a legitimate competition, with boxers fighting sumo wrestlers, lanky stickmen going up against overweight beasts.
Royce Gracie entered the fray and showed the world what Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu was capable of, and that size didn't determine victory. He popularized the fighting style that's now one of the Now, he'll be doing the exact same thing when EA Sports UFC hits consoles this June.
Now retired, Gracie is considered one of, if not the most influential figure in mixed martial arts, winning UFC 1, UFC 2, UFC 4, and fighting Ken Shamrock to a draw in UFC 5. He holds the record for most consecutive sumbission victories in the history of the UFC, and as a result, popularized both Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, as well as cross-training in different martial arts. Along with Shamrock, Gracie was the first inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Players will have the chance to unlock Gracie in EA Sports UFC in two ways. Either they prove themselves by finishing the game on Pro difficulty or higher, unlocking Gracie in the Welterweight division. If you don't think you're capable, you can pre-order a copy of the game, and Gracie will be there as a bonus from day one.
You can check out Gracie's early revolutionary match in the video below.
EA Sports UFC is due on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this spring. It will be the first UFC game to feature female fighters with Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey.
At last count, the game's roster included more than 30 notable contenders in all, with Georges St-Pierre, Alexander Gustafsson, Jose Aldo, Benson Henderson, Cain Velasquez, Francis Carmont, Chuck Liddell, Carlos Condit, Costas Philippou, Cub Swanson, Cung Le, Donald Cerrone, Demetrious Johnson, Forrest Griffin, Gilbert Melendez, Johny Hendricks, Joe Lauzon, Junior Dos Santos, Chan Sung Jung, Ricardo Lamas, Lyoto Machida, Demian Maia, Mark Hunt, Mike Easton, Minotauro Nogueira, Frank Mir, Erik Perez, Rory McDonald, Scott Jorgensen, Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen, Brad Pickett, Robbie Lawler, and even Bruce Lee.
