Neiman Gracie: ‘I’m Going Back to My Origins’

Neiman Gracie strayed from his roots and paid the price. He has no intention of making the same mistake again.

The accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Top 10-ranked Bellator MMA welterweight will attempt to rebound from an Aug. 12 knockout loss to Goiti Yamauchi when he meets Dante Schiro in the featured Bellator 290 prelim on Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, California. After starting his career with nine consecutive victories, Gracie has compiled a disappointing 2-4 record across his past six outings.

“In all my losses, I used the wrong strategy,” he told Sherdog.com. “I left my element, which is grappling. Going forward, I’m going back to where I’m really good. If I put my plan into action, I’m one of the best in the world at what I do. I just have to have a good strategy and stay focused on my plan.”

The encounter with Yamauchi, which resulted in Gracie being finished for the first time in his career, served as something of a revelatory wake-up call.

“It was a bad night for me,” he said. “I wasn’t at my best. When that happens and you face a good opponent, that can happen. As I said, I’m going back to my origins. I’m coming back strong with my grappling.”

Schiro steps in as a short-notice replacement for Michael Lombardo. The One Championship and Legacy Fighting Alliance alum has lost twice in three appearances under the Bellator banner. Schiro, 29, last competed at Bellator 285, where he was choked unconscious by an arm-triangle from Luca Poclit in the second round of their Sept. 23 pairing.

“I feel he’s very tough,” Gracie said. “He’s complete. He’s good on the ground, as well as on the feet, but at the same time, I don’t feel he’s excellent in any area. I believe my path to victory is to pursue grappling, take him down and finish him on the ground.”

Gracie now operates out of Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, California, where he sharpens his skills under Rafael Cordeiro, Markus Mollica and Philipe Della Monica. Among the world-class stablemates who have helped him prepare: current Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender Beneil Dariush.

“For this fight, we put a lot of focus on grappling and takedowns,” Gracie said. “I gave much emphasis to wrestling and jiu-jitsu. We’re giving everything we can in search of another victory.”