A former staple in PRIDE’s early MMA events, and a pioneer of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United States, Renzo Gracie is among one of BJJ and MMA’s most notable fighters turned coaches—having helped produce champions like Georges St-Pierre, Frankie Edgar, and Chris Weidman. He’s also slowly built a reputation for his ultra-right wing politics.
Gracie was named a “tourism ambassador” in 2019 by populist far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. A position that eventually resulted in his threatening to choke French president Emmanuel Macron. But, just as concerning as his willingness to play the role of political heavy is his seeming admiration for Nazi rhetoric.