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'I hit like a girl' admits Gracie ahead of UFC 112

Renzo Gracie will not be looking for the KO against Matt Hughes © UFC

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UFC 112 comes to Abu Dhabi on April 10 and it's live on ESPNUK. Subscription details can be found here.

Renzo Gracie has made the astonishing admission that he "hits like a girl" ahead of his UFC debut against Matt Hughes this weekend.

Gracie hails from the most powerful family in MMA history, and at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi he fights a man in Matt Hughes who once beat Renzo's brother Royce. Hughes's legacy in the UFC welterweight division is already rubber-stamped after he twice won the 170lb belt, which makes Saturday's bout a showdown of two legendary names within the sport.

Hughes brings a relentless takedown offence and some of the most vicious ground-and-pound seen inside the Octagon, while Gracie lives up to his family name with exemplary black belt Jiu-Jitsu skills. Neither man pulls up many trees in the stand-up, but Hughes undoubtedly holds the advantage in that area - as Gracie readily acknowledges.

"I've been training a lot of stand-up but I hit like a girl - I'll be honest with you," said the 43-year-old Brazilian. "I put all my weight, all my will, all my power into my punches but I still don't knock anybody flat. Maybe God gave me these hands to be a pianist and I end up being a fighter. Who knows?

"God gave me other gifts though and I am going in there to finish Matt Hughes. I have a lot of ways to finish him so it will be an interesting fight."

Gracie is so respected that even Georges St-Pierre sought his help ahead of the Dan Hardy fight, and with victories over Pat Miletich, Oleg Taktarov, Frank Shamrock and Carlos Newton to his name, the Brazilian has a resume to back up his reputation.

Hughes's takedown approach could play right into the hands of the sixth degree black belt in Abu Dhabi and, after seeing GSP nullify Hardy so impressively at UFC 111, Gracie is ready to show the world that the fight does not have to end as soon as a wrestler has secured top position.

"When I signed with the UFC I had one demand. I had no demands on money, no demands on anything else, the only demand I had was I don't want no tomato can. I only want tough competition. If I'm going to go in there, I only want to measure against the best.

"Matt is dangerous in all aspects. He has good stand-up, he has excellent takedowns, and his game is very strong on top. But I do believe I'm made to fight him. You have to have an incredible guard to stop him when he's on top, and I don't mind having my back on the floor. A lot of people see guard as the position to stop your opponent's punches. Believe me, guard is far more than that and that is what I'm going in there to prove."

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