On the MMA History Podcast, Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz sat down with host and MMA historian Mike Davis for a conversation that eventually turned toward one of the sport’s more controversial topics: the early ADCC tournaments, the Gracie family’s influence, and whether that influence may have kept Schultz out of the prestigious grappling event.
Davis introduced the subject by presenting what he admitted was his own theory about the early days of ADCC.
“I enjoy conspiracies even if it means I make them up myself, which this falls into that category,” Davis said. “My crazy tinfoil head headset tells me the Gracie family had an incredible line to Sheikh Tahnoon in the beginning [ADCC] tournaments.”
He then pointed to what he viewed as suspicious examples from those early events.
“So much so that when Hobin lost to Eddie Ruiz, Tank Abbott’s buddy, there’s a couple instances where some of the Gracies lost where the tape just doesn’t exist anymore,” Davis claimed. “Like it just disappeared. It’s been subtracted from the DVD.”
Davis then connected that alleged influence directly to Schultz. Referring to a previous grappling session involving Schultz, Rickson Gracie, and Allen Albright at a BYU wrestling room, Davis suggested the encounter may have effectively ended any chance Schultz had of receiving an ADCC invitation.
“My belief is that this experience between you and Rickson and Allen Albright excluded you from ever being invited to an ADCC tournament as a combatant,” Davis said.
Schultz did not push back on the theory.
“I can buy that,” Schultz replied. “I think that’s probably right. They kind of rigged it.”
While making the claim, Schultz also noted that he did not want to disrespect the Gracie family, given his own connection to their lineage.
“You know, I don’t want to be disrespectful to the Gracies because I have a Gracie black belt,” Schultz said. “But they kind of…”
He then shifted to how the family’s athletes were promoted during the early UFC years.
“I mean, if you look at the real accomplishments of the figh ters in the very first UFC, they’re not world champions like they’re being promoted,” Schultz said. “They’re not even close.”
Schultz also revisited his own journey through Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the unusual circumstances surrounding his black belt promotion. He recalled spending years training under Pedro Sauer while remaining a blue belt despite consistently beating other practitioners.
“When I was with Pedro, I was with him for like three years and he wouldn’t advance me beyond the blue belt and I was beating everybody,” Schultz said. “I mean, everybody.”
According to Schultz, things changed quickly when he began training with Walt Bayless.
“And Walt, after working out with Walt for two weeks, he gave me a black belt after two weeks,” Schultz said.
