Dana White has been advised by one of MMA’s original rule-makers to cut Kron Gracie after his latest loss on Saturday.
The Jiu-Jitsu Black belt suffered a brutal knockout from Bryce Mitchell at UFC 310, following a grappling-heavy fight that frustrated fans. This loss extends Gracie’s steak to three since returning to the octagon last year, leaving him without a win in 5 years.
Gracie, part of a legendary family in UFC and MMA, seems limited in both his stand-up and wrestling skills. As a result, calls for his release are growing, including some respected fighters in the sport.
John McCarthy Says Kron Gracie’s UFC Career Should End After Latest Loss
After the fight, there was widespread consensus among fans and experts that Kron Gracie’s career might be over. His last win was in 2019 against Alex Caceres, and since returning, he has been defeated twice. One of the sport’s most knowledgeable figures, former referee John McCarthy, who helped shape the original MMA rules, believes Gracie’s time is up. Speaking on his Weighing In podcast McCarthy said;
“I think they should release him.”
“The experiment is over. It doesn’t matter what your name is if you fight like that. He came close in the second round, and the armbar was there for a moment, but you can’t keep jumping guard and pulling guard like that. Bryce Mitchell didn’t even get credit for any takedowns—he said himself that Kron pulled guard, not the other way around.”
“I texted you, Josh [Thomson], and said pulling guard and keeping a closed guard? That’s not going to go well. This sport has evolved, and people are much better at all aspects now.”
“You can’t be a jiu-jitsu specialist without stand-up or solid wrestling, pulling guard and expecting to win. It’s not going to happen—at least, it’s very rare.”
Bryce Mitchell Reveals How Close Gracie Came to Winning with Armbar
In the 10 minutes and 39 seconds that the fight lasted, Kron Gracie failed to score a takedown and landed just six significant strikes. However, there was a brief moment of brilliance in the second round, where he nearly locked in an armbar, a move Mitchell admits almost cost him the fight Speaking to TNT Sports Mitchell admitted;
“If I’d have postured up, he would’ve broken my arm,”
“I’ve trained with some of the best armbar specialists in the world, and it took everything I had—knowledge, patience, and wisdom—to avoid it.”
“About a minute before he got me in the armbar, I knew I was in trouble. During the exchanges, I was trying not to give up my back. I felt it was either let him take my back or go for the arm.”
“My instincts told me, ‘Don’t let him take your back, or he’ll break your neck.’ So I let him go for the arm instead and did everything I could to protect it. It was really, really close.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
