Roger Gracie has seen plenty of fighters come and go, but one name stands out to him when it comes to jiu-jitsu inside the Octagon.
Gracie’s new book, ‘The Warrior Mindset: The Tao of a Champion,’ hit shelves on September 11, giving fans a closer look at his remarkable journey.
It is packed with stories from a career shaped by a family that changed the face of martial arts.
With his grappling background and victory over Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, Gracie is well-placed to offer an opinion on which UFC fighter had the best jiu-jitsu game.
Demian Maia named as the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in UFC history by Roger Gracie
Over the years, Roger Gracie has seen plenty of strong jiu-jitsu fighters enter the MMA world.
Still, there is one name that he puts above the rest.
Speaking about who he feels had the best jiu-jitsu in UFC history outside of his own family, Gracie replied: “There are a lot of jiu-jitsu fighters who’ve fought in MMA.
“I think it’s Demian Maia, who fought in the UFC. He’s a very high-level jiu-jitsu black belt, he’s a world champion.
“He fought a lot. From all of them that I have watched compete, he demonstrated the highest level of skill in jiu-jitsu in MMA.
“He tapped Chael Sonnen with a triangle choke.”
Roger Gracie on training Tom Hardy and what the actor is like in the gym
Gracie, widely regarded as one of the greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners of all time, is not short of people wanting to train with him.
One of them is Tom Hardy, who has been sharpening his skills under Gracie’s guidance for a while now.
The actor even contributed the foreword to Gracie’s book.
Speaking to Bloody Elbow, Gracie shed some light on what it is like working with Hardy in the gym.
Gracie’s book, The Warrior Mindset: The Tao of a Champion, published by Blink Publishing at £22, hit the bookshelves on 11th September.
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