Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 12, 1966, Royce Gracie is one the nine sons of the ‘Godfather of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’, Hélio Gracie, and the younger brother of Rorion Gracie, co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), also known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ), is martial art based on the principal that, by applying correct technique, leverage and pressure, a smaller, weaker person can overcome a larger, stronger opponent. As such, BJJ focuses largely on ground-based, close-contact moves, such as choke holds, joint locks and sweeps, with the intention of achieving a dominant position and forcing an opponent into submission.
The early, pioneering days of the UFC featured ‘no holds barred’ contests with no weight classes so, keen to promote the virtues of BJJ, Rorion Gracie recruited his younger brother, Royce – who had been a black belt practitioner since the age of 17 – to maintain the family honour because of his relatively slight physique. Relecting on his decision, Rorion Gracie said later, ‘…I picked Royce is because he’s a tiny, skinny guy, and that would prove that jiu-jitsu is a better martial art no matter who you’re fighting.’
Royce Gracie stood 6’0″ tall and weighed in at 180lb, or 12st 12lb, so to call him ‘a tiny, skinny guy’ was stretching the point a little, but it would be fair to say that Rorion Gracie proved to be a shrewd judge. Royce Gradie won the first three of the first four UFC elimination tournaments, retrospectively named ‘UFC 1: The Beginning’, ‘UFC 2: No Way Out’ and ‘UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors’, in 1993 and 1994, and went on to become one of the most influential fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history.
The first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, retrospectively renamed ‘UFC 1: The Beginning’, was staged at the now-demolished McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on November 12, 1993. Obviously, the franchise has changed beyond recognition since those early, pioneering days of what would become mixed martial arts (MMA) but, in three decades of full-contact combat, the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history stands at five seconds.
That was the twinkling of an eye that it took American Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal to lay out his opponent, compatriot Ben ‘Funky’ Askren, in a welterweight contest on the main pay-per-view (PPV) card at ‘UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos’ at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on July 6, 2019. Masvidal, who was, at the time, the number four ranked welterweight, according to UFC, immediately threw a flying knee, which Askren effectively ducked into, rendering himself instantly unconscious. Gratuitously, Masvidal also struck his motionless opponent with two right-hand punches before the referee intervened to save Askren from any further punishment.
At that stage of his career, Masvidal was a 16-year MMA ‘journeyman’, having previously signed for Bellator and Strikeforce before making his UFC debut in April, 2013. However, he was catapulted to stardom, at least for a while, and headlined ‘UFC: Masvidal vs. Diaz’ at Madison Square Garden, New York on November 2, 2019. He beat Nate Diaz by controversial technical knockout on that occasion, winning the celebratory ‘baddest motherf*cker’ belt, but, following a series of defeats, announced his retirement from MMA in April, 2023.
By contrast, Askren, a former Olympic freestyle wrestler, had won welterweight titles in Bellator and One Championship and was undefeated for over a decade before joining UFC, at the age of 34, in March, 2019. However, his UFC career lasted just three fights; after losing his unbeaten record in spectacular style, he fought just once more, unsuccessfully, before announcing his retirement from MMA in November, 2019.
The youngest jockey to finish the 2023 Kentucky Derby was Manuel Franco, who was 21 years old at the time. He rode Verifying to a respectable 10th place finish. Manuel “Manny” Franco, a Puerto Rican professional jockey, is widely recognised for his triumph in the 2020 Belmont Stakes astride Tiz the Law. Born on December 19, 1994, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Franco commenced his riding career in 2013 and has since amassed over 1,300 victories. Throughout his journey, he has claimed numerous prestigious stakes races, including the 2019 Travers Stakes, the 2020 Florida Derby, and, of course, the 2020 Belmont Stakes.
Franco is by no means a large guy, which is important when becoming a jockey. In fact, he fits the bill perfectly as he is only 5 ft 1 inches tall. However, this simply means that he is fearless on a horse, getting the most from his equine friend.
Of course, a rider with this much ability doesn’t go unnoticed and so, he has already picked up the Eclipse Award for Outstanding jockey in 2020. This makes him the youngest ever recipient of this award, turning him into an inspiration for up and coming jockeys.
Manuel Franco serves as a role model, not only within the horse racing community but also for individuals worldwide. His remarkable journey underscores the notion that with unwavering determination, one can achieve extraordinary feats. The sport has a lot to expect from Franco, as do the fans but there is no doubt that he will continue to leave his mark on the sport for years to come.
The Rugby World Cup is, of course, a quadrennial men’s international rugby union tournament, which was inaugurated in 1987. Nowadays, twelve seeded teams pre-qualify by right, by virtue of their performance in the previous World Cup, while the remaining eight participants are determined by continental qualifying tournaments. Thus, it is possible that a lower-ranked, Tier Two nation may not qualify for every Rugby World Cup.
However, one Tier Two nation that has competed at every Rugby World Cup so far – by virtue of invitation, in the first instance, or qualification via the Asia/Pacific regional tourament or automatically – is Japan. Indeed, it is the ‘Brave Blossoms’ who hold the record for the longest time between wins at the Rugby World Cup.
Winless in 1987, Japan scored nine tries in a comfortable 52-8 victory over Zimbabwe in their third and final Pool 2 match at the Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast on October 14, 1991. However, in five subsequent appearances at the World Cup, in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, their best result was a 12-12 draw with Canada at Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, France on September 25, 2007, which only came courtesy of a last-gasp try by replacement centre Koji Taira.
In fact, it was not until September 19, 2015 – 23 years and 340 days after that initial victory over Zimbabwe – that Japan record their second win at the Rugby World Cup. In their opening Pool B match against two-time world champions South Africa, Japan delivered on what head coach Eddie Jones had promised ‘could be a day to remember for Japanese rugby’. The Springboks led 32-29 late in the game but, after period of sustained pressure, replacement wing Karne Hesketh scored a try after 84 minutes to give Japan an unlikely 34-32 victory.
Arrogate, under the expert guidance of jockey Mike Smith and the astute training of Bob Baffert, emerged as the victorious contender in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup. On that momentous day, January 28, 2017, the electrifying atmosphere at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, set the stage for an unforgettable showdown. Arrogate showcased unparalleled strength and determination, surging ahead to claim a resounding victory with a commanding lead of 2 1/2 lengths. In the wake of his triumph, Gun Runner settled for second place, while Collected valiantly secured the third spot on the podium. The staggering purse of $12 million awarded to the winner cemented the Pegasus World Cup’s status as the most lucrative horse race in the world at that time.
Arrogate’s journey to greatness was etched in the annals of racing history. Throughout his illustrious career, he achieved awe-inspiring feats, triumphing in an astounding 18 out of 20 races. The pinnacle of his achievements came in 2016 when he conquered the highly prestigious Breeders’ Cup Classic, a triumph that propelled him to be named the Eclipse Award Horse of the Year. The racing world bid a fond farewell to this extraordinary athlete when he retired in 2017. However, the untimely passing of Arrogate in 2020, at the tender age of 7, cast a shadow of sadness over his fans and admirers.
The Pegasus World Cup, a Grade I Thoroughbred horse race, has become an indelible part of the racing calendar. Spanning a challenging distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on the renowned dirt track of Gulfstream Park, this illustrious event continues to captivate audiences with its grandeur and allure. Since its inception in 2017, the race has consistently claimed the title of the world’s richest horse race, with the prize purse soaring to unprecedented heights, reaching an astonishing $16 million at its peak.
Arrogate’s resounding victory in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup resonates as a testament to equine brilliance and serves as an enduring symbol of their unwavering spirit and determination. This historic achievement embodies the remarkable partnership between horse and rider and stands as a milestone in the rich tapestry of horseracing lore.