Royce Gracie has been a consistent presence at Bellator events of late. Now his son will get in the Bellator cage.
If ever there were a man who needed no introduction in the MMA world, Royce Gracie would be it. Winner of the original Ultimate Fighting Championship (you know, UFC 1), Gracie is a legend in both the MMA and BJJ world. Having helped launch history’s biggest MMA promotion, he has been serving of late in an ambassador role for Bellator, popping up at numerous events. Gracie (15–2–3) even got in the Bellator cage at Bellator 149, defeating Ken Shamrock once again. Now, it’s his son Khonry’s turn.
According to a report by Brazil’s Combate, and later confirmed with Bellator officials by Sherdog, Khonry will make his pro debut next year at Bellator 192. That card, otherwise known as Bellator LA, is headlined by Rory MacDonald challenging champ Douglas Lima for welterweight gold. It also sees the first fight in the Bellator World Heavyweight Grand Prix 2018 go down when Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson takes on Chael Sonnen. Make no mistake, it looks to be a big night. With the Gracie name involved, it also feels a little more historic.
While the family’s recent struggles in the MMA world have been well-documented, Neiman Gracie (7-0) has done well for himself in the promotion. Undefeated through seven fights, he is 5-0 in Bellator. Neiman is Royce’s great-nephew.
Twenty-year old Khonry will look to emulate that success. He made his amateur MMA debut back in September at Attitude MMA Fights 10. There, he took a three-round unanimous decision over Ben Clark. Now, it’s time for Khonry to go pro.
Speaking to Combate, Royce Gracie said: “Now it’s my son’s turn to shine on the world’s biggest MMA stage at Bellator 192, on the 20th of January in Los Angeles.”
