They can make you do community service, but they can't make you stop being Renzo Gracie

Remember back in 2015 when Renzo Gracie was sentenced to community service for his role in a New York City nightclub brawl in the streets of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District the year prior? Yeah, well, looks like he served that sentence at some point. Also looks like he managed to be totally Renzo about it all, which shouldn’t surprise us.

Judging by the video Gracie posted to Instagram on Thursday, it appears as though trash collection was part of his community service duties following his plea to misdemeanor assault charges. And, as he is known to do, even here it seems like Gracie made fast friends.

Now this is how I collect the garbage on my beloved city doing community service on court’s order by the way, we just broke the record collecting 330bags in one morning shift from 7am to 10am After and ACL replacement I’m a Jiujitsu man before anything if I had to do it I will do it with all my heart and will and of course with a broad smile in my face and poetry in my heart. But the best part was after ten days doing this job, this amazing soul who is next to me in the vídeo came with a form saying that he could get me a job with them because they were needing people that work hard like me, he said it was 10 bucks an hour only but the benefits were great I couldn’t help but give my Trash man brother a big hug Every time I have a chance I drive by there to see them I always bring some ice cream with me I try to live Life as it has to be lived. Until today they don’t know who I am, nor what I do for a living they just accepted me as one of them. What I am really is Just one of them ???????? Assim que eu coleto o lixo na minha cidade amada fazendo serviço comunitário por ordem da corte. Acabamos de quebrar o recorde coletando 330bags em um único turno da manhã das 7h às 10h apesar de ser logo após uma substituição do ligamento cruzado ACL. Eu sou um homem do Jiujitsu antes de qualquer coisa e se eu tiver que fazer algo, Vou fazê-lo com todo o meu coração e minha vontade e claro, com um sorriso estampado no meu rosto, e uma poesia em meu coração. Mas a melhor parte foi depois de dez dias fazendo esse trabalho duro, essa alma incrível que está ao meu lado no vídeo veio com um formulário dizendo que ele poderia me arrumar um trabalho com eles na compania de lixo, porque eles precisavam de pessoas que trabalhavam duro como eu. O salário seria de 10 dólares por hora, mas os benefícios seriam ótimos Não pude deixar de dar um abraço grande ao meu irmãozão lixeiro. Toda vez que eu tenho a chance passo por lá para vê-los e sempre trago uns sorvetes comigo Busco viver a vida como ela tem que ser vivida. Até hoje eles não sabem quem sou, ou o que eu faço. Eles simplesmente me aceitaram como um deles. Na verdade o que eu realmente sou, um deles

A post shared by Renzo (@renzograciebjj) on Oct 19, 2017 at 12:54pm PDT

Yep, that seems to be Gracie and a garbageman with whom he worked, singing along to “Eye of the Tiger” and just generally having an awesome time. Because they can make you do community service, but they can’t make you stop being yourself.

You may recall that Gracie got himself into trouble when, along with several other pals, he went down to the nightclub 1 Oak in New York City to confront the security staff over some perceived slight. Despite being in his mid-40s at the time, Gracie and six others engaged in a brawl outside the club that ended with their arrest and eventual pleas that helped them avoid jail time.

Fast-forward a couple years, and here’s Gracie, serving the community with the same charismatic energy he’s showed in every other endeavor.

What, you thought he was supposed to be punished by being forced to pick up trash? According to Gracie, by the end of his time as a community-serving garbageman he was basically offered a job.

So now the MMA legend who makes friends everywhere he goes apparently has some new ones in New York City’s sanitation department. What else did we expect?

The Blue Corner is MMAjunkie‘s official blog and is edited by Mike Bohn.