Helio Gracie, the man who invented Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (bjj), died today in Brazil. He was 95 years old.  With bjj, he made vale tudo (MMA with no gloves) popular in Brazil.  Today, it’s a widely known sport in the country.  His son, Rorion, is credited for establishing UFC (how I became an MMA fan).  His other son, Royce, became a champion in the UFC.  Without Helio, there’d be no BJ Penn, Fedor or Anderson Silva.  It’s a sad day in the MMA world.  He was a legend in the sport and we’ll miss him.

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