•    The Pioneer of MMA pioneers

•    “He is the Godfather. He is the man who started it all and we all bow down and kiss the ring of Royce Gracie,” said UFC President Dana White. “He kick-started the entire sport of Mixed Martial Arts.”

•    Far more than any other fighter, current UFC fighters point to Royce as their inspiration to begin fighting, typically recounting the skinny Brazilian’s historic and mind-blowing performance at UFC 1 in 1993.

•    First-ever inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame (back in 2003)

•    Brother, Rorion, a co-creator of the UFC back in early 1990’s

•    While competing inside of the Octagon in the pre-Zuffa era (2001) – when there were relatively few rules and bouts were unsanctioned and banned in some places, back when the UFC was a spectacle and not a sport  – Royce Gracie repeatedly wowed fans by defeating giants who outweighed him by 50, 80 or 100 pounds. This was the intent of Rorion Gracie -- picking the weakest and scrawniest of the Gracie brothers to convince people of the superiority of Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques over other hand-to-hand martial arts. Royce was 6’1, 175 pounds and of average build.

•    Under pre-Zuffa UFC, Royce would beat three much-larger martial artists in one night, which astounded people and won him legions of fans.

•    One of nine children of iconic Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Helio Gracie. The Gracie’s truly are the First Family of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and probably of MMA, for that matter

•    Once beat Sumo Grand Champ Akebono in an MMA fight; Akebono stood 6’8 and weighed roughly 486 pounds. Royce submitted Akebono in under three minutes.

•    Presently 44 years old (13-2-2 record, 11-2-1inside of the Octagon)