Kron Gracie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kron Gracie
Born	(1988-07-11) July 11, 1988 (age 36) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Residence	Montana, United States
Nationality	Brazilian / American
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
Division	Middleweight (BJJ) Lightweight (BJJ) Featherweight (MMA)
Reach	70 in (180 cm)
Style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Fighting out of	Los Angeles, California
Team	Kron Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Gracie Humaita
Teacher(s)	Rickson Gracie
Trainer	Nate Diaz
Rank	Black belt in BJJ Black belt in Judo
Years active	2014–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	7
Wins	5
By submission	5
Losses	2
By decision	2
Notable relatives	Gracie Family
Medal record Representing  Brazil Submission Grappling ADCC World Championship Bronze 2011 Nottingham, UK -77kg Gold 2013 Beijing, China -77 kg Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship Silver 2011 California, USA -76 kg European Championship Gold 2009 Lisbon, Portugal -82.3 kg Pan American Championship Silver 2009 California, USA -82.3 kg Bronze 2012 California, USA -82.3 kg Bronze 2012 California, USA Open Class

Kron Gracie (born July 11, 1988) is a Brazilian and American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, and instructor.

A member of the Gracie family of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he is the son of 9th deg. BJJ red belt Rickson Gracie and a grandson of BJJ co-founder Hélio Gracie. Training jiu-jitsu from a very young age Gracie became a two-time IBJJF World champion and four-time Pan-American champion before receiving his black belt at the age of 19. By 2008 Gracie held a record of 51 consecutive matches won by submission at high level tournaments. After medalling at the Pan-American championship, Gracie became European champion in 2009, World championship silver medallist in 2011 and in 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Champion.

Early life

Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil the youngest son of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) master Rickson Gracie but lived most of his life in Los Angeles after his father moved to California in 1989. He began his BJJ training under his father as a child, winning his first competition as a yellow belt at the age of ten. Kron is the youngest of four children to Rickson Gracie and grandson of the late Helio Gracie. He has two older sisters Kauan and Kaulin, his older brother Rockson died in 2000.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu career

2005–2007: First world and Pan Am championships titles

At the age of 16, competing as a blue belt in the Adult lightweight division, Gracie won the 2004 IBJJF American National Jiu-Jitsu Championship. After receiving his purple belt Gracie won the 2005 Pan Championship then in 2006, Gracie won both the IBJJF World Championship and the CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup. Competing in grappling Gracie won the 2006 NAGA Championship in the Adult Lightweight Division. The following year as a brown belt, he became world champion for the second time and Pan American champion for the fourth time winning double gold, in his division and, after defeating Tom DeBlass, in absolute (aka open class). At that point Gracie held a record 51-match submission streak.

2008–2010: Black belt, European champion, ADCC medallist

In 2008, at the age of 19, Gracie was promoted to black belt by his father a week before the World Championship, however Gracie was submitted by Sergio Moraes in the first match of the middleweight division. In 2009 Gracie won the European Championship after defeating Yan Cabral in the final, a few days after the death of his grandfather, Grandmaster Helio Gracie, he then won silver at the 2009 Pan Championship in the middleweight division after losing by points in the final against Lucas Leite. At the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) grappling competition in Barcelona, the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world, Gracie lost the 77 kilograms (170 lb) Quarter-final after being submitted via mounted guillotine choke by Marcelo Garcia. Two years later Gracie won bronze at 2011 ADCC World after losing again to Marcelo Garcia in a close match after Garcia won by points. Gracie became known as "Ice Cream Kron" due to his calm demeanour when fighting.

2011–2013: Superfights, ADCC World champion

Gracie won silver at the 2011 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, in the lightweight division, submitting Leandro Lo then losing 9-2 to Gilbert "Durinho" Burns in the finals. At 2012 Pan Am, competing under Rickson Gracie BJJ team, Gracie won bronze in middleweight and bronze in absolute after losing in the final against ultra heavyweight Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida; that same year he became World Jiu-Jitsu Expo Superfight champion after defeating Victor Estima in a tight match won by advantage at the World Jiu Jitsu Expo in Long Beach, California. In October 2012 Gracie participated in a Gi Superfight at Metamoris 1 in San Diego, submitting Otávio Souza at seventeen minutes of Round 1 by armbar.

In June 2013 Gracie participated in a No-gi Superfight at Metamoris 2 in Los Angeles, defeating Japanese MMA star Shinya Aoki by guillotine choke in seven minutes. In October 2013 Gracie won his division of the ADCC World Championship in Beijing submitting all his opponents including Garry Tonon in the Quarter-final, JT Torres in the Semi-final and Otávio Souza submitted by guillotine choke in the Final.

Mixed martial arts career

2014–2016: Japanese debut, Rizin Fighting

On February 24, 2014, Gracie announced his intention to pursue an MMA career. Gracie chose to cut down weight to compete at 155 pounds (70 kg) instead of his usual 170–180 pounds (77–82 kg) jiu-jitsu and grappling weight class. He started training for his first MMA bout with the California based Scrap Pack, a group of fighters comprising Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu students Gilbert Melendez, Nick and Nate Diaz. Gracie made his mixed martial arts debut on December 23, 2014, facing fellow South Korean wrestler Hyung Soo-Kim at Real Fighting Championship: Real 1 at a catch weight of 161 pounds (73 kg). Gracie won the fight via armbar, sixty-five seconds into the first round.

Gracie fought on December 31, 2015 at Rizin Fighting Federation World Tournament. He faced Asen Yamamoto and won the fight by submission via triangle choke in the first round. Gracie fought Hideo Tokoro on September 25, 2016. He won via rear-naked choke in the first round.

Gracie faced MMA veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri at the Rizin Fighting Federation Grand Prix: Final Round event on December 31, 2016. He won via rear-naked choke in the second round. This improved his professional MMA record to 4-0.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2018–2019

In November 2018, Gracie was signed by the UFC. In his debut fight for the promotion, Gracie faced Alex Caceres on February 17, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 1. He won the fight via submission due to a rear-naked choke in the first round. This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.

Gracie faced Cub Swanson on October 12, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 19. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus award. Many people were confused at Gracie's decision to strike with Swanson instead of taking the fight to the ground where he was predicted to have the advantage. In the years since, several members of the Gracie family have spoken about his loss and criticized his decision to avoid grappling, including his father Rickson and uncle Relson Gracie.

2023

After a four year hiatus, Gracie made his return at UFC 288 on May 6, 2023 against Charles Jourdain. Gracie lost the fight via unanimous decision. Gracie was criticized for his performance by UFC president Dana White, viewers, and fellow fighters, with White saying that Gracie "came in very limited tonight."

Personal life

When not competing, Gracie taught jiu-jitsu at his school in Culver City, California and helped run his father's association. In January 2021, Gracie announced that he was closing his longtime academy and relocating to Montana to open a new BJJ school in response to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in California. Gracie has stated to various media that he believes in the flat Earth conspiracy theory.

In 2024, Gracie announced the release of his first ever online Jiu-Jitsu instructional. It was entitled Fundamentals of Guard-Passing and was met with positive reviews.

Instructor lineage

Kano Jigoro → Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Helio Gracie → Rickson Gracie → Kron Gracie

Championships and achievements

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Main Achievements (at black belt level):

• IBJJF European Champion (2009)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2011)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2009)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2012)

Main Achievements (at colored belts):

• IBJJF World Champion (2006 purple, 2007 brown)
• CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup Champion (2006 purple)
• Copa Pacifica de Jiu Jitsu Champion (2007)
• IBJJF Pan American Champion (2005 purple, 2007/2008 brown)
• IBJJF American National (2004 blue)
• South Bay Open Jiu-Jitsu Champion (2006)

Submission grappling

• 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship – 1st Place – Under 77 kg Division
• 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling Championships – 3rd Place – Under 77 kg Division
• 2008 Rickson Gracie Cup – 1st Place – Adult Middleweight Division – Brown Belt, 1st Place – Adult Open Division – Brown Belt
• 2006 Naga Championships – 1st Place – Adult Lightweight Division – Purple Belt
• 2006 6th Annual Gracie United Tournament – 1st Place.
• 2006 NAGA Chicago Championship – 1st Place.

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Alex Caceres
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Cub Swanson

Mixed martial arts record

Grappling record

40 Matches, 29 Wins (24 Submissions), 11 Losses (3 Submissions)
Result	Rec.	Opponent	Method	Event	Division	Type	Date	Location
Win	28-11	Otávio Souza	Submission (guillotine choke)	ADCC World Championship	-77 kg	Nogi	October 20, 2013	Beijing
Win	27-11	Jonathan Torres	Submission (armbar)
Win	26-11	Garry Tonon	Submission (rear naked choke)				October 19, 2013
Win	25-11	Andy Wang	Technical Submission (rear naked choke)
Win	24-11	Shinya Aoki	Submission (guillotine choke)	Metamoris 2	Superfight	Nogi	June 9, 2013	Los Angeles, CA
Win	23-11	Otávio Souza	Submission (armbar)	Metamoris 1	Superfight	Gi	October 14, 2012	Los Angeles, CA
Win	22-11	Gabriel Rollo	Points (4-4 ADV)	IBJJF World Championship	-82 kg	Gi	June 3, 2012	Long Beach, CA
Win	21-11	Elan Santiago	Submission (choke)				June 2, 2012
Win	20-11	Victor Estima	Points	World Jiu-Jitsu Expo	Superfight	Gi	May 12, 2012	Long Beach, CA
Loss	19-11	Zak Maxwell	Points (0-4)	ACBJJ World Trials	-77 kg	Gi	September 26, 2012	San Diego, CA
Win	19-10	Beneil Dariush	Referee Decision
Loss	18-10	Victor Estima	Points (2-6)	IBJJF Pan Championship	-82 kg	Gi	April 1, 2012	Long Beach, CA
Win	18-9	Jake Mackenzie	Submission (choke)
Win	17-9	Carlos Ribeiro	Submission (choke)				March 31, 2012
Loss	16-9	Marcus Almeida	Submission (kneebar)		Absolute
Win	16-8	Victor Estima	Disqualification
Win	15-8	Ricardo Evangelista	Submission (footlock)
Win	14-8	David Gill	Submission (choke)
Win	13-8	Claudio Calasans	Submission (guillotine choke)	ADCC World Championship	-77 kg	Nogi	September 25, 2011	Nottingham
Loss	12-8	Marcelo Garcia	Points (0-2)
Win	12-7	Murilo Santana	Submission (guillotine choke)				September 24, 2011
Win	11-7	Jason Manly	Submission (guillotine choke)
Loss	10-7	Gilbert Burns	Points (2-9)	IBJJF World Championship	-82 kg	Gi	June 5, 2011	Long Beach, CA
Win	10-6	Leandro Lo	Submission (choke)
Win	9-6	Rafael Barbosa	Submission (choke)
Win	8-6	Sergio Rodrigo	Submission (guillotine choke)				June 4, 2011
Loss	7-6	Sergio Moraes	Points (4-4 ADV)	IBJJF World Championship	-82 kg	Gi	June 5, 2010	Long Beach, CA
Loss	7-5	Abmar Barbosa	Points (0-11)	IBJJF Pan Championship	-82 kg	Gi	April 11, 2010	Long Beach, CA
Win	7-4	Rodrigo Costa	Submission (armbar)				April 10, 2010
Loss	6-4	Sergio Moraes	Points (0-7)	IBJJF World Championship	-82 kg	Gi	May 30, 2009	Long Beach, CA
Loss	6-3	Marcelo Garcia	Submission (guillotine choke)	ADCC World Championship	-77 kg	Nogi	September 26, 2009	Barcelona
Win	6-2	Enrico Cocco	Submission (rear naked choke)
Loss	5-2	Lucas Leite	Points (0-7)	IBJJF Pan Championship	-82 kg	Gi	April 5, 2009	Long Beach, CA
Win	5-1	Carlos Ferreira	Submission (footlock)
Win	4-1	Abmar Barbosa	Submission (kneebar)
Win	3-1	Nakapan Phungephorn	Submission (armbar)				April 4, 2009
Win	2-1	Pedro Bessa	Submission (guillotine choke)	IBJJF European Open	-82 kg	Gi	January 31, 2009	Lisbon
Win	1-1	Yan Cabral	Submission (choke)
Loss	0-1	Sergio Moraes	Submission (bow & arrow choke)	IBJJF World Championship	-82 kg	Gi	May 31, 2008	Long Beach, CA	Source