Eddie Bravo: Metamoris doing for jiu-jitsu what Fertittas did for UFC
Eddie Bravo thought someone was playing a joke on him when he was offered a rematch with Royler Gracie at Metamoris III.
"I was like, 'Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?'" Bravo told MMAjunkie Radio.
The jiu-jitsu guru had coveted another roll with the icon since he had won a career-defining upset in the quarterfinals of the 2003 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling Championships. But as the years passed, the jiu-jitsu match had never come to fruition.
Even a heavily rumored rematch at the 2011 Abu Dhabis had "totally fallen apart," as Bravo remembers.
"I got lucky enough to go against him, and I figured I could do it again," he said. "You think I'm lucky? Maybe I was lucky, but let's do it again. I just wanted to live the dream again.
"I thought it was a trick. But something changed his mind, and now he's down. So it's a beautiful day."
Now, the work begins for Bravo, who's spent the bulk of his recent years focused on training and teaching over competition. He and Gracie will headline the grappling-only event in late September in Los Angeles.
That Bravo gets to compete under the lights of a major event and get paid for it is perhaps the next best thing about the rematch.
"What Metamoris is doing is basically what the Fertittas did for MMA," he said. "We're lucky to finally have all this money behind jiu-jitsu. It's long overdue, and I'm happy that it's right here, right now.
"All that's happened in the past with the rematch, and is it on, is it off – all that, it was meant to be. Because the rematch couldn't have been better timed. Now, you can get paid with just jiu-jitsu. You don't have to do MMA."
Over the years, Bravo lent his skills to countless fighters, though he never fought himself. Many in the traditional jiu-jitsu community were critical of his no-gi style and the cultish devotion it inspired among students. Bravo said it was his love of the art that led him to diverge from traditional methods of instruction, which ultimately yielded several moves that are widely seen in the cage today.
Even with an event such as Metamoris, Bravo said he'd like to see competitors have the option of whether or not to use a traditional jiu-jitsu gi when competing.
"I would like to see all no-gi, but that's my personal preference," he said. "All those tournaments end up being tug-of-war on the sleeves and tug-of-war on the pants, and the sport of grappling struggles when we've got guys playing tug-of-war. I think that the gi doesn't define jiu-jitsu."
In the fall, Bravo will again pit his style against Gracie, who's also focused on teaching after a decorated career in submission grappling that's included three consecutive wins at the Abu Dhabis.
Bravo's understanding is that the two are to compete in a 20-minute match with judges but no points. The search for unbiased officials will be key, he added, though he has no intention of giving outsiders a chance to determine the match's outcome.
"I'm going to try to finish him," Bravo said. "I don't want to go 20 minutes. I want to end it at eight."
But Bravo admitted that Gracie has some powerful tools at his disposal – namely his half-brother, Rickson Gracie, who maintains a god-like status among fighters and grapplers.
"Rickson very well might be studying my game," Bravo said. "It's hard to wrap my brain around that."
Be a Warrior, not a Worrier
Man ik word gewoon zenuwachtig...en lucky? serieus?? Op dat niveau? Das echt een kutopmerking zeg pffff
Ik kijk wel uit naar deze partij.
Ik hoop dat Eddie hem pakt.
Max. 400 x 125
Ben benieuwd. Alleen vind ik Bjj in gi mooier dan nogi. Staand nogi ziet er niet uit imo
Chael Sonnen: The only thing bigger than UFC 167 is Wanderlei Silvas forehead
Chael Sonnen: The only thing bigger than UFC 167 is Wanderlei Silvas forehead
Chael Sonnen: The only thing bigger than UFC 167 is Wanderlei Silvas forehead
Mooi ben benieuwd!!
Vind persoonlijk die Kron Gracie gruwelijk goed check hem op youtube!!!
The Outsiders!! J-MMA #1
Nog niets concreets. Hij traint bij Cesar Gracie met de Diaz brothers. Zijn debuut wordt in Augustus verwacht.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/1/9/...gust-states-im
Max. 400 x 125
Tering wat een line-up zeg! Dat word genieten :-p
Van Grappling Weekly:
Someone sent this to me about the Metamoris 3 rematch between Eddie Bravo and Royler Gracie. Can anyone confirm this?
"There has been some controversy in regards to the main event at Metamoris 3. Due to Eddie Bravo's recent decision to wear Grappling Tights instead of Gi Pants, Royler Gracie's attorney has been rattling some cages to make sure that his client has the clear advantage before the two ever meet on the mat. Below are the final rules for the fight:
*COMING FROM A RELIABLE/UNNAMED SOURCE*
The Rules are...
Royler is wearing Tight Shorts and a Rashguard
Eddie is wearing the Gi Pants
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Royler can grab the pants
Eddie CAN'T grab the shorts
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If either fighter shows up wearing anything other than the agreed upon attire... the fight is off. (This was pushed by Royler's Attorney)
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Interesting fact:
Royler wanted to have it legal to GRAB THE RASHGUARD.
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Please Share This to help stop this embarrassment from happening to our sport! Eddie Bravo deserves to have a FAIR MATCH against Royler Gracie!
Ik heb de live stream gekocht voor $10 heb er zin in!!!!
Chael Sonnen: The only thing bigger than UFC 167 is Wanderlei Silvas forehead
Chael Sonnen: The only thing bigger than UFC 167 is Wanderlei Silvas forehead
Heeft iemand video's? Ik zag alleen Royler-Bravo op youtube staan.
Heb het net bekeken. Was een leuke partij met veel mooie momenten. Was echt onder de indruk van Eddie Bravo, die man komt met allerlei technische aanvallen.
Twas een draw...maar Bravo heeft voor eens en altijd laten zien dat zijn systeem werkt en dat zijn overwinning op Royler geen toeval was...mooie partij!
Mooie spannende partij. Een weekendje geen UFC maar in plaats daarvan Jojo vs Cyborg en Eddie Bravo vs Royler Gracie. Genieten
Zeker een morele overwinning voor Bravo.
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