For the first time since 2003 Roger Gracie will not be in the final of the absolute black belt contest at the World Championship.
GRACIEMAG.com came upon the exclusive information a short while back in a conversation with the three-time absolute world champion by phone, confirming the Gracie will not be signing up for this year’s championship.
In an interview published on the GRACIEMAG at the Worlds Blog a little over a week ago Roger had already stated that he was unsure whether he would participate, due to a leg injury that kept him from training for five weeks.
“I tried to get back to full-on training to get into the best shape I could, but I saw that I wouldn’t be able to be 100% to fight. So I decided to sit this one out,” said Roger, direct from London.
That being the case, the biggest throne in Jiu-Jitsu is up for grabs.
Who are you betting on to be the next black belt to claim the title of absolute champion of the world, dear reader? Rodolfo Vieira, Rômulo Barral, Bernardo Faria, Marcus Vinícius “Bochecha, Roberto Cyborg?