By Ray Vann
When Khonry Gracie steps into the octagon, he isn’t just bringing his legendary family name – he’s also bringing a lifetime of experience and dedication to the craft.
“I’ve been training in jiu-jitsu since I can walk,” Gracie told Slickster Magazine. Since he was a toddler, Gracie says that he’s been practicing martial arts with his father, Royce Gracie, but it wasn’t until he was in high school that he realized he truly wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps and pursue mixed martial arts as a career.
This decision would see the jiu jitsu expert begin transitioning to stand-up combat throughout his teen years, and by 19 he had fought – and won – his first amateur bout in Tenessee. From there he would be propelled into the world of Bellator, where at 20 he fought in his very first professional match. Going toe-to-toe with Devon Brock at Bellator 192 in California, Gracie lost by decision, but that loss only fuelled a fire to win.
The brawler went on to take down Ron Becker via unanimous decision at Bellator 209 and then trounced Oscar Vera with a first-round armbar at Bellator 225 last August. Gracie’s next match was set to see him square off against Hector Saldana in a preliminary welterweight bout at Bellator 238, but an undisclosed injury forced Gracie to withdraw from the fight.
Prior to the injury, however, Gracie seemed as confident as ever, and said that he was looking forward to showcasing his wrestling and muay thai abilities while also displaying his well-honed jiu-jitsu skills, skills which he says he’s built up after years of tutelage under his father Royce.
My boxing coach, @marvinsomodio and I hitting the speed bags after training today. 3 weeks to go, Memphis here I come! First of many. pic.twitter.com/ggXqMk8wqA
— Khonry Gracie (@KhonryGracie) August 31, 2017
The ever-humble Gracie also mentioned that his inspiration doesn’t only come from his world-famous family members, but that he also looks up to several other current fighters as well.
“Honestly Douglas Lima, being the welterweight champion right now, is one of the guys I definitely look up to,” Gracie said. “He’s very smart, very technical, and he has a lot of power. I grew up watching him and admiring him. Good for him for all the success he’s had!”
“Picking his brain in person, asking about his previous fights would let me learn the most,” Gracie added, mentioning that while he and Lima had seen each other at shows and spoken in passing, the younger fighter would really savor the opportunity to sit down and learn more about what makes “The Phenom” tick.
Gracie was humble about his aspirations in Bellator as well, saying he doesn’t expect to be given a shot at the title any time soon – especially not because of his prestigious family name. “ I would rather work my way up the ladder,” he told Bellator, saying that he would like to increase his numbers before moving on to a belt.
And, speaking of names, we had to ask about how exactly Khonry ended up with such a unique name himself. As it turns out, it actually comes from the Portuguese word for honor – honra. The more you know!