It will be welcome news for grappling fans around the world as Eddie Bravo has decided to announce the return of EBI in 2022, the epic submission-only tournament format that he gave his name to all those years ago. He made the announcement during the live broadcast for the Combat Jiu Jitsu Middleweight world championships, the second of his inventions that have helped drive progression in BJJ and provide an outlet for elite competitors to perform on a regular basis. That event took place just shortly after the first edition of Medusa, the third promotion headed up by Eddie Bravo that brought female-only editions of both the EBI and CJJ rulesets at the same event.
After all the success that Bravo has had as a promoter over the years, it’s great to hear that he’s making a return to his roots in 2022 and bringing the EBI format back for fans. The initial run of seventeen events not only delivered some incredibly exciting moments and dozens of beautiful finishes, but it also served as a launch platform for the careers of many elite grapplers that are considered veterans now. This trend started all the way back at the very first EBI event in 2014 when two men who had only just earned their black belts came out on top, Geo Martinez and Garry Tonon.
At the time, Tonon was a relative unknown who had won in the opening round of ADCC 2013 before losing in the next and Martinez had just started to get some attention after winning the 2014 trials to book a place in ADCC 2015. EBI also helped propel other stars to the forefront of the sport after they registered impressive performances like Gordon Ryan, Eddie Cummings, Nathan Orchard, Erin Blanchfield, and Craig Jones. With that in mind, the return of EBI in 2022 is fantastic news as it will allow fans to discover the next generation of elite grapplers as they compete on the biggest stage available to them for a significant cash prize.
Bravo was relatively tight-lipped on details of the first EBI event in 2022 and didn’t inform the crowd of when it would take place, although he did confirm that the first tournament back would be contested at Welterweight. He was also able to announce the first the three competitors in the sixteen-man tournament as Tye Ruotolo, Nathan Orchard, and Nicky Ryan. Already the return of EBI seems like it will be a rousing success as all three of these men are known for their fast-paced and exciting grappling styles.
All Combat Jiu Jitsu, EBI, and Medusa event replays will be available to watch on UFC FightPass, click here to subscribe and watch.
