ST. LOUIS — Two full years separated Roger Gracie’s previous fight from last night’s submission victory over Kevin Randleman. Gracie, considered by many to be the world’s top jiu-jitsu specialist, tends to keep himself busy with grappling competitions and clinics.
But after a dominating victory over 14-year veteran Kevin Randleman at “Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery,” Gracie vowed that he would be more active in mixed martial arts going forward.
“The more you fight, the more people look into you,” Gracie said after the fight. “I have been active in jiujitsu and grappling, and now I’m getting more into MMA. I’m pretty sure I’ll be fighting again soon, probably the second part of the year. I’ll be fighting more often now.”
Gracie used his height and reach advantage to keep Randleman at bay. The 6’4″ Brazilian towered over Randleman, who is listed at 5’10” but in reality is probably two inches shorter. It wasn’t the prettiest sight in the world, but it was certainly effective, and Gracie even dropped Randleman to the canvas with a knee in the second round.
That was the beginning of the end for Randleman, the former UFC heavyweight champion who has battled much adversity in recent years. Gracie quickly attached himself to Randleman’s back with a body triangle and used his vice-like grip to put Randleman to sleep almost instantly.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was non-committal when asked to discuss Gracie’s next opponent. “Tonight he fought a guy with a lot of experience in Kevin Randleman,” Coker said. “But we’ll need to sit down with his camp and evaluate where they want to go.”