In 1993, inspired by countless exhibition matches termed the "Gracie Challenge" (a tradition that started with his uncle and Gracie jiu-jitsu co-founder Carlos Gracie), Rorion teamed with promoter and business executive Art Davie in the creation the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC).
Next, came the civilian version, "Gracie Combatives®" and "Women Empowered®", a specialized course developed to enable women to defend themselves from sexual assault .