Renzo Gracie, member of the Gracie family of Brazil, is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
MMA, often referred to as ultimate fighting is a full contact sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, while standing and on the ground. Its origins can be traced back to the Greek Olympic Games with Pankration, a no-rules fighting sport. More recently, the sport Vale Tudo that had developed in Brazil from the 1920s was brought to the United States by the Gracie family in 1993 where it developed into the modern-day UFC.
The UFC is currently the largest MMA promotion company in the world, and it’s still gaining popularity. It currently has a cable-television deal in the works, and is expanding into Canada, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia.