Bellator 222 – June 14th in Madison Square Garden
Mixed martial arts promotion Bellator MMA is bringing some top-notch fighting talent to New York on June 14 for Bellator 222, and fight fans around the world are eager to watch some of MMA’s biggest names go toe-to-toe in the World’s Most Famous Arena – Madison Square Garden. Neiman Gracie (age 30) will be headlining that bout with a matchup against the Bellator Welterweight World Champion Rory MacDonald, sharing the main card with former UFC champs Lyoto Machida and Chael Sonnen. In an exclusive interview with Slickster Magazine, the Jiu-Jitsu specialist talked about the upcoming event and explained that he’s following in his family’s footsteps as he climbs the ranks of the MMA world.
Born to Jiu-jitsu royalty
Jiu-jitsu, according to Neiman, is in the Gracie blood and was an activity that seemed to come naturally at every family gathering. “We were always grappling whenever we got together,” Neiman explained. “It was great to grow up as a Gracie, I learned a lot.”
Receiving his education from legendary kinsmen like Royce and Helio Gracie, Neiman says that he honed his skills in jiu-jitsu as a young man, adapting the art to best suit his body type and putting his own flair on the techniques he learned growing up. It was watching his uncle Royce compete in the UFC, however, that convinced Neiman to move out of the world of jiu-jitsu and expand into the wider realm of mixed martial arts. He entered into the MMA world with a debut fight at the World Series of Fighting promotion WSOF 5 in Atlantic City, NJ, back in 2013, in a night that was especially important not just to Neiman but to the whole Gracie clan.
“Two of my cousins were also on the cards,” Neiman said. “Gregor and Rolles also had their first fight the same night as me.” Neiman, however, was the only Gracie to score a victory at that event – Rolles was defeated in the second round via KO from Derrick Mehmen, while Gregor lost via unanimous decision to Richard Patishnock. Neiman, however, managed to submit Darren Costa 3:57 into the first round via armbar, beginning a steadily rising career in the MMA world.
The following year, Neiman moved into Bellator MMA. Since then, several other big names have made their way to Bellator and other fighting leagues, something which Neiman sees as a sign of good things to come. “I think it’s great for the sport because there won’t be one group controlling everything,” Neiman told Bellator when asked about the exodus of big-name fighters from the UFC. “Hopefully we’ll start to get bigger contracts because of it, and we can get paid like boxers.”
Bellator 222
A New Yorker for the past several years, Neiman says that he might have some hometown advantage over his opponent Rory MacDonald during their upcoming MSG matchup on June 14. “I get to sleep in my own bed,” Neiman joked before reminding us that once those gates are locked anything can happen and any advantages can fly out the window.
To help ensure that he keeps his edge in the fight Neiman says that he’s preparing for this fight more than ever before, ramping up his training and expanding his skills into boxing, wrestling, and Muay Thai to complement his well-honed jiu-jitsu talent. “Muay Thai really mixes well with jiu-jitsu,” Neiman explained, saying that his last performance against Ed Ruth at Bellator 213 serves to highlight how he has worked to blend the two arts to his advantage.
When asked about the upcoming match, Gracie spoke well of his opponent’s abilities in the octagon. “Rory, he’s pretty good everywhere” he said before mentioning that MacDonald was primarily a striker. Despite this, Neiman also said that MacDonald was skillful on the ground and his jiu-jitsu skills were something to be recognized. When it comes to those jiu-jitsu abilities, however, Neiman didn’t seem too phased. “I think I’m the best in the world at that” Neiman told Slickster, explaining that MacDonald’s real danger would come from his potent standup game.
The Future
If Gracie manages to take MacDonald down at 222, he says that his next step is to face two-time Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima. Lima is fresh off a stunning knockout victory against Michael “Venom” Paige at Bellator 221, but Gracie says that he isn’t too worried.
“His fighting style is very similar to Rory’s” Gracie said. “It will be a grappler vs. a striker.”
Before he can step into the ring with Lima, however, we still need to see what Gracie does on June 14. So don’t forget to tune in at 10pm and watch all the action go down live at Madison Square Garden!
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