Neiman Gracie stayed perfect at Bellator 198 in Chicago on Saturday.
Fair or not, the pressure of carrying the Gracie family flag rests almost entirely on the shoulders of Neiman Gracie these days. Undefeated at 7-0 in the cage, Gracie had had an impressive run as a pro thus far. When Bellator 198 touched down in Chicago Il. on Saturday, most expected that run to continue. At twenty-nine years old, the great-nephew of UFC legend Royce Gracie had submissions in six of seven of his professional bouts.
Was that set to continue on Saturday at Bellator 198? Opponent Javier Torres, at 10-3 heading into the night and on a solid win streak of his own, looked to be one of Gracie’s toughest tests to date.
Early on in Gracie vs. Torres, Torres stayed active, circling away, launching leg kicks, and actually clipped Gracie with a punch. Gracie was momentarily stunned, but would later catch a kick, and take Torres down. Ninety seconds in, and Torres was on his back, but quickly worked his way up to the feet, wall-walking back up. Gracie stayed on him, arms clasped around Torres with underhooks. That led to the next takedown, with Gracie in guard. Gracie then backed off, grabbed a leg, and sat back down looking for a leg lock. He’d continue working for leg locks throughout the remainder of the round, with Torres fending him off but unable to escape.
It wasn’t long before Gracie was once again in Torres’ guard in round two. Torres didn’t have much to offer off his back, and looked to the ref for a standup. While he did warn Gracie to work, the standup didn’t come. Gracie then slipped to half-guard, and soon had Torres mounted. The arm-triangle choke was obviously coming, and Neiman Gracie soon had it locked in, stepping over Torres’ legs and squeezing the choke tight. That forced the tap, and Gracie moved to a perfect 8-0!
“It’s Gracie jiu-jitsu, man. Nice and basic, and it works,” Neiman explained after the bout.
Neiman Gracie def. Javier Torres by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 3:18
