Ryan Gracie

Ryan Gracie was a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior, and one of the main representatives of the Gracie family in both sport jiu jitsu and no-holds-barred/mixed martial arts during the 1990s and 2000s decades, having also been an important catalyst in the expansion of jiu jitsu in to the São Paulo region of Brazil, where he developed a highly successful team. One of the most bipolar figures in jiu jitsu’s history, Ryan was known as much for his fights on the ring as he was for his street altercations and run-ins with the law, which ultimately led to his death on December 2007.