It's the rematch many expected would never happen. At the Abu Dhabi Combat Club No-Gi Submission Grappling tournament in 2003 Eddie Bravo scored the most significant win of his career by beating legendary grappler (from a legendary family) Royler Gracie via triangle choke. Eddie Bravo was thoroughly thrashed by Leo Vieira in the next match at that same tournament , but the Gracie win was so significant that Bravo has managed to use it to help make a career in being a Jiu Jitsu guru while pushing his take on the Rubber Guard and his 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu schools.

Since then efforts from both sides have been made to make a rematch happen but it has failed to materialise thus far for one reason or another. Now it looks like it might finally happen as the official ADCC Facebook page announced the match up:

ADCC will make 2 "masters" superfights on World Championships. Fight time 10min

Eddie Bravo VS Royler Gracie

Mario Sperry VS Renzo Gracie

Mario Sperry vs Renzo Gracie is a pretty great match up as well as both have been pioneers in the BJJ and MMA world with Sperry learning his craft under Carslon Gracie who was known for favouring the top game and almost having a wrestling mindset to the submission game which Sperry took with him when he co-founded Brazilian Top Team that has been home to the Nogueira Brothers, Ricardo Arona and Paulo Filho, to name a few. Sperry was also an early ADCC champion and Absolute (open weight class) champion in 1998. Renzo Gracie should need no introduction having found success in ADCC and MMA as well, his last MMA match being in Abu Dhabi last year against Matt Hughes.

As for the Bravo vs Royler rematch, Royler has still been competing where as Bravo has not competed since the ADCC 2003 tournament. Bravo can train seriously from now until September but just like last time I'd have to chose Gracie as the favourite. Should Bravo win again, don't be surprised if we witness and ego explosion. I'm still somewhat dubious if this will actually happen, but it's certainly the closest its come so far.

Eddie Bravo vs Royler Gracie 1 ADCC 2003 Video:



