Rickson Gracie, the legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, has long claimed an undefeated record of 400-0 in competition. However, that claim is disputed by Dr. Ron Tripp, who says he defeated Gracie in a sambo match at the 1993 U.S. Sambo Championships.
In a recent interview, Tripp recounted his brief encounter with Gracie at the tournament in Norman, Oklahoma. Tripp, a decorated judo and sambo competitor, said he was unaware of who Gracie was at the time.
“We’re going through the rounds and I fought some guy from Pennsylvania I think and I fought a guy from Ohio and I think I fought one or two other guys and we’re down to like either the quarterfinals or semis,” Tripp recalled. “So Pat comes over and he goes well you know you got one of the Rickson guys, he’s a jujitsu guy.”
Tripp said the match ended quickly after he executed a throw on Gracie: “He came inside and tried to get a grip, my grip just threw crap out of him and uh, uh made they called a full point on it and that was it.”
At the time, Tripp didn’t think much of the victory. It wasn’t until years later that he realized he had defeated the famous Rickson Gracie. “I think it was probably not for maybe eight years later nine years later people asked me about it,” Tripp said.
Gracie has disputed the loss and claimed he protested the result. However, Tripp stands by the victory as legitimate under sambo rules. The brief encounter remains a subject of debate among martial arts fans.
While Gracie went on to become renowned in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA circles, Tripp had a distinguished career in judo and sambo, winning multiple world medals. Their paths crossed only that one time in 1993, but it left a mark on Gracie’s claimed undefeated record.
