Bruce Buffer once engaged in a sparring session with MMA icon Royce Gracie. Due to his successful tenure with the UFC, Buffer is renowned for being one of the all-time greatest combat sports announcers.
Gracie was one of the UFC’s first well-known athletes. In the early years of the organization, he established himself by outclassing opponents who were twice his size owing to his jiu-jitsu skills. Since then, he has served as an inspiration for a number of UFC stars and champions.
Recently, Buffer appeared as a guest on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast. He related the story of visiting the Gracie gym and engaging in a sparring match with Royce Gracie. Gracie challenged Buffer to attack him with all of his might. Gracie then took advantage of the situation to take Buffer down and tap him out.
“We go to the gym, out comes this six-foot-one, six-foot skinny kid, nice kid, 20 something years old. He goes ‘Hi, my name is Royce, come with me.’ He pulls me in a room, we’re alone, the rooms are padded. ”
“He goes, ‘I understand you’re a kickboxer. Come at me, take my head off.’ There’s nobody there. But, you know, the Gracie challenge, so whatever.”
“So I’m game, said ‘You want to put on some gloves?’ He said ‘No, let’s just do this.’ So I go – and I swear to God guys, and I’m not ashamed of this – 45 seconds later, give or take five, I’m on my back, he’s got me in a side choke, he’s choking me out, and he’s going ‘Tap, tap, tap,’ ”
“so I tap. And I’ll never forget it, he gets up in the guard, straightens out his gi and says ‘See, isn’t it nice not to get hit in the face?’ Wow.”
There is no disputing Gracie’s standing as a legend in UFC history. He was the first member of the UFC Hall of Fame and the winner of the UFC 1, 2, and 4 Tournaments. After beating Ken Shamrock under the Bellator MMA banner in the first round via TKO, he retired from his professional MMA career.