Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Legend Relson Gracie Arrested for Drug Trafficking

When you think of famous names throughout the history of mixed martial arts, one has always been at the forefront: Gracie. The family helped originate what would become Brazilian jiu-jitsu starting in the 1920s, and Royce Gracie became the first-ever champion in the UFC at the promotion's first-ever event. All told, the Gracie name has been synonymous with honor, respect, and excellence in the martial arts community.

Unfortunately, that hasn't entirely been the case as of late. Ralph Gracie was indicted in an assault case in late 2019, and on Friday night, Relson Gracie was arrested in Rio de Janeiro on drug charges.

66-year-old Relson, the second-oldest son of jiu-jitsu originator Helio Gracie, was arrested after dogs searched his baggage at the end of a bus trip and discovered multiple bags of marijuana. While MMAFighting.com notes that there's evidence to suggrest that he purchased the cannabis legally while in California, weed is still illegal and criminalized in his native countries -- which led to Brazilian authorities charging him with nothing less than drug trafficking.

It's hard to imagine that Relson Gracie poses any kind of real threat to society, but to bring weed in to a country where it is still criminalized, and that happens to be run by a far-right authoritarian leader? Not the best decision when you have such a weighty family legacy on your shoulders.