Five times BJJ World Champion, Roger Gracie were at European Championship, at Lisboa, Portugal, watching his team’s performance at the tournament. In an exclusive interview with the black belt, Gracie spoke about his preparation for his third MMA fight, revealed the possibility of training with Renzo Gracie at New York, commented the European Championship and Master Helio Gracie’s death, last Thursday. Check below the exclusive interview with Roger Gracie.

How many students did you bring to the European Championship?

I have about 15 students fighting, from white to black belt. I’m with a good team here, they’re training a lot. I think the team is getting bigger now, so it’s good.

How do you see Jiu-Jitsu in Europe?

I think that Jiu-Jitsu has grown in whole Europe. My academy increases every year, I believe that all the academies do too. You see people doing more and more competition, the championships are getting full every years. Soon we’ll have two thousand athletes fighting the European Championship, if it continues like this. This is very good for Jiu-Jitsu. In the European you can really understand the growth of Jiu-Jitsu. People competing in the blue belt, now in purple and brown. This is great.

And how are your training today?

I practice most the physical part and ground part, everything else is secondary. I train a lot the takedowns, do some Boxing, but I focus more on the physical preparation. Preparation, for me, is being there well physically and with a good Jiu-Jitsu.

Do you know when you'll be back to Sengoku?

I’m training to fight MMA now in March, at Sengoku, Japan. It’s 90% right, but it isn’t confirmed yet and I can’t guarantee. But I believe that will happen. I’m training in my gym. If I do fight in March, I’ll continue doing my training in London and four weeks before the fight I believe that I should go to NY with Renzo (Gracie).

How do you come for your third fight?

I think that I develop a lot my game after every fight I do. This will be the third fight in MMA and I believe I’ll be better every fight, not only physically but also mentally, with more experience, in a different way in the ring. The more I compete, the more I overcome myself.

How your family and the Jiu-Jitsu world loses with Helio Gracie’s death?

Master Helio Gracie’s death is sad for everyone, especially for his sons, wife and the people who are closer to him. He was 95 years, I believe that all he had to do in his life he has done. So, of course it’s sad, because nobody likes to lose a father, a husband, but I think he has his mission accomplished here in this world, and as he spoke, the day of his death was suppose to be a celebration. It isn’t a moment of joy, but it’s something that was more or less expected. We couldn’t expect that he would live more than 95 years old.