NEW YORK — Neiman Gracie didn’t bother shaking hands with Rory MacDonald after their ceremonial weigh-in and faceoff in the Madison Square Garden lobby on Thursday.
Instead, the Brazilian locked eyes on the welterweight title draped over the “Red King’s” shoulder and shot a cold gaze at the gold strap.
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Gracie, who has spent the last 12 years living in New York city, walks by “The Mecca” each day en route to training at the famed Renzo Gracie Academy just a few blocks away.
Now, in the first world title shot of his mixed martial arts career, the 30-year-old has a chance to be crowned champ at MSG, where he faces MacDonald in the semifinal of the Welterweight Grand Prix in the main event of Bellator 222 on Friday live and exclusively on DAZN.
“The title is the most important thing for me,” Gracie told Sporting News.
When you’re a member of the most important family in MMA, there’s a duty to help continue its legacy — and Gracie certainly wants to do his part. However, he also wants to clinch his first title as a proving point to himself.
“I don’t think the Gracie family has anything else to prove to anyone, so it’s more up to me now, doing my part and being a world champion,” Gracie said. “I’m doing it more for myself, but of course, whatever I do and wherever I go, I represent my family and it’s pretty awesome.
“This,” he said, referring to the welterweight world title, “is just the cherry on top.”
MORE: Rory MacDonald explains clarity he got to continue fighting career
Gracie is well aware of MacDonald’s honest comments following his majority draw with Jon Fitch at Bellator 220 in April, when the “Red King” said, "I don't have that killer (instinct) inside. It takes a certain spirit to come in here and put a man through pain. I don't know if I have that same drive to hurt people anymore."
Gracie (9-0) has claimed eight of nine wins via submission, leading him to predict a submission from MacDonald as well. That said, he doesn’t necessarily believe his opponent’s comments make him easy pickings.
“I respect that,” said Gracie, a fellow new father. “I always tell people that fighting in the cage is no joke, so if he doesn’t feel like doing it anymore, I respect it, but I think he still does.”
To that, MacDonald told SN separately that he received the clarity needed in these past seven weeks to continue fighting.
"I just got clarity that I have a huge platform to reach a lot of people to speak about the Lord to give me comfort in knowing that what I'm doing is for a good purpose," MacDonald said. "My life has changed a lot in the last few years. Just everything changing in my life so much, just trying to get clarity on everything because life moves so fast. So, I took some time to think about it and get clarity on the situation."
After claiming to have gotten that clarity, MacDonald (20-5-1) is confident he can avoid becoming Gracie’s latest victim by submission.
"I don't think that's going to happen," MacDonald said of tapping out to relinquish the title. "I feel very confident with my jiu-jitsu and will try to keep the fight out of his strengths."
The winner of Bellator 222’s main event will advance to face Douglas Lima in the Welterweight Grand Prix final for $1 million being put up for grabs by rap mogul 50 Cent.
“He’s a really good fighter,” Gracie said of Lima. “I think he’s as big of a challenge as Rory, so it will be a really tough fight, too.”
Of course, Gracie would like nothing more than to meet Lima as the newly crowned welterweight champ, making the Grand Prix final his first title defense. A win over MacDonald would grant him just that.
“For me, it’s really big and special because I walk by MSG every day to go to the gym and now I’m here headlining,” Gracie said with a grin. “It’s something special for me, for sure.”
Now, just imagine how special it would be to become world champ at the "World's Most Famous Arena."
