Causing an upset in a bout is often a good thing.  There is nothing quite like seeing an end to the status quo, or a surprise twist to an otherwise expected outcome.  Having the upset come before the bout begins… not so much.

Such may be the case with the newest and largest Gracie to enter the octagon.  At UFC 109, scheduled mere days from now, Rolles Gracie is scheduled to take on Al Turk in what could be an electrifying introduction for the young Gracie.  Gracie, packing the name and undoubtable skill of the Gracie clan is walking into the ring with the whole world looking at him.  Being that Gracie is aware all eyes are on him, he will undoubtedly fight like a tiger.  Al Turk, an awesome fighter in his own right, is entering the octagon hanging by the 0 & 2 noose.  With two losses under his belt Al Turk is aware that he needs to deliver.

Now for the surprise upset!  Al Turk is having issues with his visa and it would appear may not be able to fight as scheduled.  As one source put it,

“Rolles Gracie is still set to make his UFC debut on Feb. 6, but it may be against a new opponent. Mostapha Al-Turk has run into visa issues that could prevent the British fighter from making the trip to Las Vegas for the upcoming fight.  Al-Turk was set to make his third appearance in the Octagon, and was shooting for a better result than his first two times in the UFC. Suffering back-to-back losses to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Cheick Kongo put Al-Turk in a must win situation when he was scheduled to face Gracie at UFC 109(MMA Weekly).”

As of yet no timetable has been given as to how long Al Turk has to fix the issues with his visa, nor has there been any word offered as to who would step into the ring against the young Gracie.  The mind boggles in an attempt to think of who could step in on such a short notice, to stand against someone as formidable as one of the Gracies.  With only a few days to go, would we want the fight to still take place?  Do we want to see an out of shape fighter pulled from his down season, with no training camp, suddenly standing toe to toe with a Gracie?  Surely the Gracie name and family deserve better, and surely those purchasing the fight deserve better.

With Renzo looking to fight Matt Hughes at UFC 112, and Rolles scheduled for 109, these are the months that Gracie fans everywhere have been longing for.  One can only hope that Al Turk can get his visa issues in order, and that the reintroduction of the Gracies to the UFC will happen in a professional manner.

Heres looking forward to a long run for the Gracies in the premier MMA event.

As always, what say you?

~Pastor Bob

Follow Pastor Bob on Twitter at @pastorbobmma