• UFC

Gracie confirms UFC Rio return plan

ESPN staff
April 13, 2011
Matt Hughes beat Royce Gracie at UFC 60 © UFC
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Royce Gracie is poised to make a return to the Octagon after confirming he is planning to feature on the card at UFC Rio.

The 44-year-old was one of the key figures in the early years of UFC, winning the tournaments at UFC 1, 2 and 4.

Gracie's last fight in UFC was a defeat at the hands of Matt Hughes at UFC 60 in 2006. He went on to beat Kazushi Sakuraba in controversial circumstances in 2007, but was subsequently found guilty of using the steroid nandrolone and was banned and fined.

The Brazilian has never officially retired, but has been inactive for the best part of four years. However, the decision to take UFC back to Rio in August led to talk that he could be lured back to the Octagon and it appears as if a return is on the cards.

"It would be the perfect place to do my last fight," Gracie told UOL Esportes of the prospect of fighting at UFC Rio. "I never fought in Rio de Janeiro and I couldn't be more psyched.

"We are negotiating [the fight deal], but we should have it finalised in two weeks. We only had an initial contact and I don't even have an opponent yet, but we should have that finalised soon."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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