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Edward Norton Revealed UFC 1 Winner Royce Gracie’s Influence That Led to Iconic Hulk Movie Scene at Joe Rogan Podcast in 2019

Published 01/06/2023, 1:23 AM EST

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Hollywood superstar Edward Norton once mentioned how UFC ultimately influenced one of his movies. When it comes to a diverse past, not a lot of celebrities can beat Norton. As Norton explained, he was interested in martial arts from a very young age. The actor had learned Karate as a kid, and while in college, he learned Aikido. As a result, martial arts have been an integral part of his life. Consequently, it also affected his role in the movie ‘The Incredible Hulk’. He once sat down on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast and talked about his scene with Rickson Gracie.

Edward Norton told the UFC commentator Joe Rogan how Royce Gracie, winning UFC 1, led to the iconic scene in his Hulk movie. Royce Gracie, the half-brother to Rickson Gracie, was an essential change in Norton’s personal life as well.

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The Gracie family discussed on Joe Rogan’s podcast

In the featured episode, Edward Norton also told Joe Rogan how his fascination for the Gracie family grew after the first UFC event. It all began when the commentator asked Norton, “How did that scene come to play when you were with Rickson Gracie?

The Hollywood star replied by mentioning that he studied Aikido in college. Aikido is a martial art focused on using your opponent’s momentum against themselves.

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The actor then recalled the time when he was in New York and UFC 1 happened in 1993. “It melted everybody’s mind,” added Norton about Royce Gracie winning UFC 1. It was at this moment that he felt interested in the Gracie family. Due to his background in martial arts, Norton did not find it difficult to get in touch with Royce Gracie.

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Eventually, in 2008, when the team for the movie ‘The Incredible Hulk’ saw a video of Rickson Gracie doing his breathing yoga technique, it immediately caught their eye. As a result, the Ju-Jitsu master was seen in the movie. UFC fans can spot Rickson Gracie helping Bruce Banner (Norton) control his anger via the famous breathing technique.

Norton and his fighting past

Not a lot of people know Edward Norton’s association with martial arts. The actor was put into karate classes at a young age. However, Norton never liked karate. According to him, you’ll always fear a bigger opponent if you know karate. On the contrary, Aikido taught him to let go of that fear.

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Watch this story:- Everything to Know About Royce Gracie, UFC 1

With his amount of experience, it would have been a delight to see Norton perform in the UFC.

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Written by:

Kaif Ali

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Kaif Ali is a UFC content writer at Essentially Sports. He is a full-time student at Delhi University, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in the English language, and a sports enthusiast with a deep passion for MMA. He is always your go-to person when you wish to debate about any UFC champion.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu