How much do you know the UFC? Sure, the modern fans would know Dana White as the face of the entire company. However, many might not know that the Gracie family was the promotion’s founding fathers. Rorion Gracie, along with Art Davie and Bob Meyrowitz, launched their first event in 1993. And, who was the star at their inaugural event? It was none other than Royce Gracie who fought Ken Shamrock at the Iconic McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado.
Time flies. Here we are in 2025, streaming UFC events on our devices, watching the modern sport unfold. But there was one thread within the UFC that genuinely tried to keep the Gracie legacy and its rich history alive. Unfortunately, even that couldn’t escape the unforgiving axe of the head honcho. This time, it found Kron Gracie.
Dana White cuts Kron Gracie from the UFC
“I like Kron a lot, and he’s a good kid. He came in very limited tonight. Very limited.” That’s what Dana White said at the UFC 288 press conference after Kron Gracie’s loss to Charles Jourdain. It may have sounded like mellow criticism, but to many, it felt like a warning—one more loss, and the grandson of legendary Helio Gracie’s run could be over. And eventually, that’s exactly what happened. After cutting Hakeem Dawodu and Connor Matthews, Kron’s name quietly joined the list.
Sadly, the 36-year-old suffered his third straight loss when he faced Bryce Mitchell at UFC 310, marking a tough fall from his impressive debut win over Alex Caceres back in 2019. So, when the UFC Roster Watch account posted the update, “Fighter removed: Kron Gracie,” it didn’t exactly shock fight fans. By then, most had already seen it coming.
Fighter removed: Kron Gracie
— UFC Roster Watch (@UFCRosterWatch) June 9, 2025
Kron Gracie made a solid name for himself in the grappling world and even had a respectable run in RIZIN Fighting Federation. With so much history and pride behind his name, many believed he’d be a force to be reckoned with in the UFC. But things didn’t go as expected—the Octagon proved to be too much for him. And this didn’t just come out of nowhere. In fact, a veteran of the fight game had already predicted that would happen.
John McCarthy predicted Kron getting cut from the UFC
John McCarthy is one of the true OGs of MMA, having shaped the sport’s landscape through his work in developing global rules. Over his career, he’s officiated countless fights as a referee. So, when Kron Gracie faced Bryce Mitchell at UFC 310 and lost via elbows, McCarthy didn’t hold back. The veteran ref offered sharp criticism and even predicted that Kron would soon be cut from the UFC.
On an episode of the Weighing in Podcast in 2024, right after UFC 310, McCarthy said, “I think they release him. The experiment is gone, it doesn’t matter what your name is when you’re going to fight the way he did it. You’ve got to say in the second round he came close, and he did. The arm bar was there for a second and it was good…. You can’t be a jiu-jitsu stylist who doesn’t have any stand-up or true wrestling and you’re going to pull guard and expect to win. It ain’t going to happen, or at least it’s very rare.”
There’s no denying that Kron Gracie has fallen short of MMA fans’ expectations. He relied heavily on his Jiu-Jitsu skills, which just didn’t cut it against the well-rounded fighters who used elbows and raw power to overwhelm him. With that in mind, what’s your take on the last active Gracie getting cut from the UFC?
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