Renzo Beats Shamrock, Royce Gracie Says Renzo is my Hero

West Hartford, CT, March 05, 2007 --(PR.com)-- On Saturday night, the Showtime Network broadcast EliteXC (Elite Extreme Combat) ended with a win for Gracie. For fans of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), this event was a historic event. The card included the first non-payperview televised women's fight, and the first five fights of the under card were broadcast on the Internet for free.

As the fight progressed, Royce Gracie’s cousin Renzo was able to take Shamrock down a number of times. The fight appeared to be going in favor of Gracie through the first round. In the second round, a warning was given to Shamrock for striking the back of the head [strikes to the back of the head are illegal]. Gracie was on top of Shamrock controlling the position while Shamrock attempted to use knee strikes from the bottom. An illegal strike resulted in a warning. After a second warning for illegal strike referee Herb Dean called a stop to the bout, giving Gracie an opportunity to recover. Gracie was unable to continue due to a concussion, and the official decision was a Renzo Gracie win, due to disqualification. The sport of MMA has evolved, since its inception and rules have been implemented to ensure fighter safety.

Royce Gracie commented about his cousins fight: “Wow! Renzo is my hero, he has taken three fights with top opponents in the last 6 months, who does that?” Jim Hughes, www.gracie-jiu-jitsu.com, Royce Gracie’s representative in New England is responsible for 10 Royce Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Self Defense Academys throughout New England and Puerto Rico commented from his West Hartford location: "Renzo is still in there and going strong at age 40, he is my hero too, also, congratulations to Showtime and Elite XC for a job well done."

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