Carlson Gracie
Carlson Gracie · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The eldest son of Carlos Gracie, a vale tudo fighter in the 1950s and 1960s and the master behind generations of champions. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, posthumously.
- vale tudo fights, with one loss
- 18
Who is Carlson Gracie
Carlson Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro on August 13, 1932. A son of Carlos Gracie, he was registered as Eduardo and had his name changed later. At 17 he won the first Rio de Janeiro state Jiu-Jitsu championship, and at 18 he had his first professional fight, a draw with the judoka Sakai, who outweighed him by 25 kg (55 lb).
The rivalry that defined his career was with Waldemar Santana, who had beaten Helio Gracie. Their first meeting ended in a draw; in the second, at a packed Maracanãzinho arena, Carlson won. His vale tudo record shows 18 fights and one loss.
As a coach he built one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport, and his lineage runs through champions such as Bruno Malfacine, Bernardo Faria, Lucas Lepri, Marcus Buchecha and the Mendes brothers. He died in 2006, in Chicago, at age 73. The IBJJF inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2016.