Royce Gracie is a Brazilian partially retired professional mixed martial artist, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and a member of the highly respected Gracie family. One of the most prolific and influential figures in the history of the sport, Gracie was an inaugural inductee into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Fame in 2003. He is the primary reason for the popularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as he demonstrated how effective it can be in a mixed martial arts bout. He radically revolutionised the sport, shifting its focus from punches and kicks to grappling and ground fighting. A native of Rio de Janeiro, he started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was five years old. He earned his black belt after he turned 18 and subsequently left Brazil for California, USA to establish the famed Gracie Academy in Torrance. Gracie shot into fame in 1993 after he participated in and won the MMA tournament at UFC 1. In the ensuing years, he emerged the winner at UFC 2 and UFC 4. Gracie was part of the Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championships in the later years of his career and had several memorable matches there. In 2007, Gracie tested positive for a banned substance. He later retired but made a brief return to face his old rival Ken Shamrock at Bellator 149 in 2016.