Ralph’s 1995 American debut was featured in the short-lived Battlecade Extreme Fighting events. Gracie won fights versus Makoto Murauko, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi, the longest of which lasted a minute and thirty-four seconds. In sharp contrast to the typical “passive” Gracie approach, Ralph’s aggressive and often brutal approach earned him the nickname of “The Pitbull”.
Ralph Gracie (the Pitbull; born May 25, 1971) is a Brazilian martial artist who has competed in mixed martial arts. He is the son of Robson Gracie and brother to Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie of the Gracie family.
Ralph Gracie currently has four academies in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, and Dublin) and two in Orange County (Anaheim and Chino Hills); the largest of these being the San Francisco Academy. Notable instructor, and 4th degree black belt, Luis Eduardo Fraga, has been head instructor at the Berkeley Academy since 2007.
Gracie taught former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion, BJ Penn, when he first came to California from Hawaii.
In late 2016, Ralph Gracie Florida academy opened in the city of Port Orange Volusia county under 4th degree black belt Regis Calixto. Regis Calixto grew up with Ralph himself alongside Renzo Gracie, Roberto Gordo Correa, Helio Soneca, Alexandre Soca, Vinicius Draculino and hundreds of the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the world