Kron Gracie, the son of legendary Rickson Gracie, is one of the most promising members of the Gracie family today. As the only actual Gracie who is keeping the legacy alive, Kron has a lot to live up to. Although Neiman and Roger Gracie are notable, they are not actual Gracies.
After a successful stint in Rizin, Kron made his way into the UFC in 2019. He emerged victorious in his debut but struggled against seasoned veteran Cub Swanson just six months later, in October of the same year. Since then, he has been absent from the world of MMA.
The Long MMA Hiatus
Despite his promising MMA career, Kron has been having a personal crisis of some sort long before the pandemic. He closed his longtime academy and relocated to Montana when the pandemic shut down the world. He has been somewhat of a recluse ever since, and his semi-estranged father doubted that Kron will have another UFC bout during his book tour.
Gracie took a break from being a recluse to accuse Burns of PED use back in April of 2022
However, it seems that Kron has been keeping a close eye on the MMA world from the shadows. He took issue with the positive attention that Gilbert Burns received for his epic clash against Khamzat Chimaev. Kron shared a snap of a jiu-jitsu podium with himself coming in first, Gilbert Burns in second, and the man who shared the picture in third. Kron captioned the picture with a doping accusation against Burns, claiming that he has been “juicing for a long time.”
It is essential to note that Kron competes at featherweight, whereas Burns switched from lightweight to welterweight and has been on a tear since. Burns’ physique has not diminished under USADA, and he still competes in jiu-jitsu when his busy MMA schedule permits it. By most accounts, Kron has no interest in competing in jiu-jitsu.
Back in April of 2022, there was a confirmation that Gracie was still in the USADA pool giving a glimmer of hope to the fans.
Kron will be facing Charles Jourdain at UFC 288. The event is set to take place on May 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The promotion has not officially announced it, but the event is targeted to feature a bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and the returning Henry Cejudo.
Here’s a look at the current UFC 288 card:
- Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo – bantamweight title
- Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush
- Bryce Mitchell vs. Jonathan Pearce
- Charles Jourdain vs. Kron Gracie
- Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba
- Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Devin Clark
- Andre Petroski vs. Armen Petrosyan
- Nate Maness vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
- Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya
- Johnny Munoz vs. Daniel Santos
