When Helio Gracie met Igor Vovchanchyn!

[theraskal]

Vovchanchyn is a physical specimen, built like an ox. One of his strongest features is his hands. Vovchanchyn recalled meeting the then 96-year-old Helio Gracie backstage at the Pride FC Grand Prix 2000, when the famed founder of Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu complimented him on his strength. Vovchanchyn respectfully shook Gracie’s hand and told him that he has “watched all of his videos and learned from him.” That’s when the Godfather of BJJ grabbed Vovchanchyn’s other hand and said, “if I had fists like yours, I wouldn’t bother with grappling at all.”

https://mymmanews.com/igor-vovchanchyn- ... -pugilist/

[theraskal]

[Masato]

This story is tremendous. I'd never heard.

Helio was wise

I am/was a HUGE Igor fan. Really hard to watch him lose the 2000GP

His pre-PRIDE fights were all great too lol

This is probably not the best HL, but I used to watch it over and over back in the early 2000s


Igor even made the cut for my Sonnens War comic, that's how much of a legend he was to me




Raskal - do you know about Sonnen's War?? Only true oldschool fans will understand it
https://sonnenswar.masatotoys.com/

[Masato]

PS: re; FISTS, and Helio commenting on Igor's fists...

I met Vitor Belfort once on a beach in Rio. I was a huge fan at the time, this was like 2002?

Anyways I remember shaking his hand and being stunned at how huge and strong his hands were. Like they were made of stone.

I was always impressed with my grandfather's hands, they were crazy tough from a lifetime of hands-on work, but they were nothing compared to Vitor. It was weird. It was like shaking hands with the Thing lol.

I imagine Igor's were even harder.

[Masato]

PRIDE Igor vs Belfort would have been a cool match, come to think of it

[Edge Guerrero]

Vovchanchyn is a physical specimen, built like an ox. One of his strongest features is his hands. Vovchanchyn recalled meeting the then 96-year-old Helio Gracie backstage at the Pride FC Grand Prix 2000, when the famed founder of Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu complimented him on his strength. Vovchanchyn respectfully shook Gracie’s hand and told him that he has “watched all of his videos and learned from him.” That’s when the Godfather of BJJ grabbed Vovchanchyn’s other hand and said, “if I had fists like yours, I wouldn’t bother with grappling at all.”

https://mymmanews.com/igor-vovchanchyn- ... -pugilist/

- Gracie mag had a Helio interview that he said, guys would get knockedout if trying to boxe Coleman or Vovchachyn.

[Edge Guerrero]

PRIDE Igor vs Belfort would have been a cool match, come to think of it

- Belfort is a pretty nice guy. But i dont think he could handle Vovchachyn back in that time.Igor had enormous power, guys like Coleman or Fujita could take that type of shots, but they dont care about getting hit. Don't blame any fighter for not wanting to feel Igor power.

[Edge Guerrero]

- Cool thing they were stil friends.

[theraskal]

WOW those comics masato, you are really talented to create that! And Great Vitor Story too....reminded me of when I saw Oleg Taktarov in person and computing how strong he appeared to be....naturally strong like a bull....I remember how thick his forearms and neck appeared to be, it wasn't a superficial weight-lifting created appearance or result of science-based athletic training but a kind of natural construction and which gave the impression of why he was capable of hanging with fighters like Marco Ruas

I have met other fighters but just remember being kind of impressed with Oleg, maybe because he didn't appear to be as athletic or technical on TV but when I saw him in person it gave a different impression

[Edge Guerrero]

WOW those comics masato, you are really talented to create that! And Great Vitor Story too....reminded me of when I saw Oleg Taktarov in person and computing how strong he appeared to be....naturally strong like a bull....I remember how thick his forearms and neck appeared to be, it wasn't a superficial weight-lifting created appearance or result of science-based athletic training but a kind of natural construction and which gave the impression of why he was capable of hanging with fighters like Marco Ruas

I have met other fighters but just remember being kind of impressed with Oleg, maybe because he didn't appear to be as athletic or technical on TV but when I saw him in person it gave a different impression

- Ruas was also very-big, heavier than Belfort, with cinder-block like hands.