Kron Gracie is entering a new chapter of his career, and this time, he says he’s abandoning the trademark tactic that once defined him. After the UFC chose not to re-sign him following his loss to Bryce Mitchell, Gracie spoke openly with MMAFighting.com about where things went wrong, what he learned, and how he plans to rebuild his future in mixed martial arts. The conversation was raw, direct, and full of the self-reflection that fans rarely see from fighters at a crossroads.

During the interview, Gracie made a statement that immediately caught attention: he’s done pulling guard. The technique, deeply rooted in his jiu-jitsu heritage, has been a core part of his approach since debuting in MMA. But after being slammed, pounded out, and finished by Mitchell in a fight where he once again tried to initiate grappling exchanges from his back, Gracie admitted his style became too predictable and too risky in modern MMA.

As he put it plainly to MMAFighting.com, the game has evolved — and he has to evolve with it.

“I was confident in my guard, confident in the way I’ve always fought,” Gracie said. “But that last fight showed me something. I made a mistake, and I paid for it. If pulling guard is going to cost me like that again… then f*** it, I won’t pull guard ever again.”

Gracie’s frustration is understandable. His submission-first identity carried him for years, both in competition and reputation, but the UFC lightweight division is full of athletes who mix striking, scrambling, pressure, and power in ways that punish anyone relying too heavily on classic jiu-jitsu transitions. Against Mitchell, that vulnerability appeared front and center — and the knockout that followed felt like a passing of the torch. For the UFC, it signaled it was time to move on. For Gracie, it signaled a wake-up call.

Now 37, Gracie is preparing for a return to competition outside the UFC. On December 12, he will fight for the VFL featherweight championship in New York against Tom Picciano. It’s a significant matchup — one that will test whether Gracie can truly adopt a new approach. Gone, he says, are the days of automatically sitting to his back or baiting opponents into his guard. Instead, he wants to show he can win with pressure, wrestling, top control, and a more complete set of tools.

To accompany the interview, MMAFighting.com published a video of Gracie speaking candidly about his exit and his future, and the footage captures the intensity of his self-assessment. We are including the video below with full credit to them and their coverage:

Gracie made it clear that he isn’t closing the door on a UFC return, but he understands that the only way back is to prove he can thrive under the demands of today’s fight landscape. That means showing he can win from more positions, fight longer exchanges on the feet, and avoid the autopilot habits that opponents have learned to anticipate. If he can do that, he believes his name still carries enough weight — and enough skill — to earn another opportunity.

Of course, this reinvention won’t be easy. Gracie’s identity, both personally and as a competitor, is tied deeply to jiu-jitsu. Changing decades-old instincts requires discipline most fighters never develop. But publicly declaring a complete shift may be the accountability he needs — and the motivation that reignites his competitive fire.

His upcoming fight against Picciano will serve as both a test and a message. If Gracie dominates without relying on his guard, he proves he’s serious. If he falls back into old tendencies, doubts will only intensify, and his future could become increasingly uncertain.

For now, though, Gracie seems more clear-eyed than ever. He knows why he lost, knows what cost him his UFC contract, and knows exactly what has to change. Whether the reinvention succeeds or not, he’s choosing to confront his flaws head-on — something many fighters talk about but few ever do.

“I’m not done,” Gracie said in the interview. “I’m just done being that version of me.”