Ryan Gracie (August 13, 1974 – December 15, 2007) was a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a member of the Gracie family, and a grandson of Carlos Gracie. Career Ryan trained with his brothers Renzo Gracie and Ralph Gracie, who often served as his cornerman. He also trained Pancrase fighter Gabriel Vella and jiu-jitsu world champion Fabio Leopoldo while in Brazil. Gracie had seven fights in the PRIDE organization, with his first at PRIDE 10 in 2000 and his most recent at PRIDE Shockwave 2004. PRIDE billed Ryan as the "bad boy" of the family who reputedly gained experience fighting in the streets of Brazil. In interviews in 2004, Gracie expressed a strong interest in fighting Kazushi Sakuraba and Hidehiko Yoshida. Sakuraba, known as the "Gracie Hunter" for his many victories over the Gracie family, earlier defeated Ryan with a decision win in 2000. Ryan was the leader and head coach of Gracie São Paulo, one of the largest jiu-jitsu associations in Brazil, with affiliated schools spread over the world. Supported by his cousins Carlos Russo, Daniel Simões and Renzo Gracie, the academy is home of several world champions. Personal life He was the youngest son of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master Robson Gracie. On December 8, 2001, his only son, Rayron Gracie, was born. Ryan's brothers are Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and Ralph Gracie. On January 30, 2021, Ryan's only son Rayron released a short documentary entitled 'Letters to my Father' that reveals his experiences growing up without his father through a series of letters he decided to write to Ryan throughout his teenage years. Gunshot injury In October 2005, Gracie suffered an accidental gunshot wound to the leg while reaching into a closet in his sister's house in Rio de Janeiro, according to a report by GracieMag.com. He was hospitalized and returned to stable condition after receiving a blood transfusion. Death On December 15, 2007, at 7:00am Ryan Gracie was found dead in a jail cell in São Paulo, Brazil. At approximately 1:30am, Gracie had been arrested for stealing and crashing a car and attempting to hijack a motorcycle. The owner of the motorcycle hit Gracie on the head, and he was detained by several cyclists until police arrived. A toxicological examination at the Medical Legal Institute was conducted, after which he was transported to the police station. While in jail,