Rickson Gracie never fought in the UFC, but he maintains one of the most legendary reputations in mixed martial arts with his famous last name.
Now his life story is being adapted into a feature film.
Breathe: A Life in Flow, Gracie’s autobiography released in 2021, has been acquired by a group of filmmakers including Adam Rifkin, Brad Wyman, and Michael P.J. Gerstein’s FutureIII Entertainment. Wyman is the best known producer out of the three filmmakers after previously working on the Oscar winning feature Monster starring Charlize Theron, and the Pamela Anderson comic book adaptation Barb Wire.
Deadline first reported the news on Tuesday.
The son of Brazilian jiu-jitsu co-creator Helio Gracie, Rickson followed in his father’s footsteps as a top-notch grappler who received his black belt when he was only 18 years old.
While his family became synonymous with the launch of UFC, thanks largely to the involvement of his brother Rorion Gracie and half-brother Royce Gracie, Rickson never competed for the promotion but was still widely considered the best fighter of the family.
Gracie famously touted his undefeated record and claimed he won more than 450 fights during his career, although those numbers have been heavily disputed. As far as what’s proven from his brief MMA career, Gracie held a perfect 11-0 record, which included a pair of wins over Nobuhiko Takada in PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Gracie also won a pair of Vale Tudo Japan tournaments — which were similar in format to early UFC events — where he fought three opponents in one night to claim the title.
“It has been a long time coming for a movie based upon my life,” Gracie told Deadline. “But what’s most important to me, beyond everything else, is that anyone who watches it, will gain some sort of positive perspective or understanding in their lives. That’s my ultimate hope and goal for this project.”
The producers behind the project are currently scouting for directors and a writer to adapt Gracie’s book into a feature length film script. Gerstein, who has spent 24 years as part of Gracie’s jiu-jitsu academy, wants to develop a character driven story that “goes beyond the memoir.”
