It all went according to plan. Kron Gracie made his promotional debut at UFC Phoenix against Alex Caceres, and it couldn’t have gone better for the jiu-jitsu standout.
Kron Gracie is a member of the legendary Gracie family, and is the youngest son of jiu-jitsu master Rickson Gracie. The 30-year-old won the prestigious ADCC gold medal in 2013, highlighted by a submission victory against BJJ great Garry Tonon. After winning gold, Kron committed to MMA, and has since gone 4-0 with four submissions. He has two wins in RIZIN, submitting longtime Japanese veterans Hideo Tokoro and Tatsuya Kawajiri. He will be making his promotional debut at UFC Phoenix.
Alex Caceres has been a fun fighter for the UFC since appearing on The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. While his Octagon record is a subpar 9-9 (with an additional victory overturned due to marijuana usage), he has delivered on the entertainment front with three “Fight of the Night” awards and two “Submission of the Night” awards. “Bruce Leeroy” is coming off a split decision victory over Martin Bravo.
Caceres and Kron were trading early, however it only took ninety seconds for Gracie to get Caceres to the mat. As he got the takedown he took the back, and immediately locked in the rear naked choke. From there, it was only a matter of time, and soon after he forced the tap, earning his first UFC victory.
With this victory, Kron Gracie is the first Gracie to win a UFC fight in 25 years, with the last win in the family coming from Royce Gracie at UFC 4 over Dan Severn.
Kron Gracie def. Alex Caceres by submission (Rear-Naked-Choke), Round 1, 2:06
