JitsCast #49 features two-time EBI welterweight champion Alan Sanchez as he prepares to compete for his third consecutive title. Sanchez has been one of the top competitors to emerge from 10th Planet in recent years and he first burst on to the scene back in 2022, when he competed on the first EBI show after an extended break. He beat 4 elite grapplers in one night to win EBI 19, and that led to a series of bigger opportunities almost immediately afterward. One of the most notable of those opportunities came the following year, when he made it all the way to the final of the welterweight Combat Jiu-Jitsu World Championship 2023.
He was an obvious choice to return when EBI came around to the welterweight division again and he won his second title at EBI 22 just last year. Now the promotion is mixing things up a little bit, just as they have done before, by having EBI 26 contested under Combat Jiu-Jitsu rules instead. Sanchez is the first confirmed entrant and Jits Magazine spoke to him about how his approach to CJJ matches differs from regular Jiu-Jitsu. He also explained how it felt to become the EBI champion two times over, and how it felt to represent his team on the biggest stage in the sport at CJI 2.
Sanchez also revealed the moment that he decided to pursue a career as a professional Jiu-Jitsu competitor, and explained why he made the choice to enter EBI 26 instead of competing at ADCC Trials that same weekend. He then went on to talk about his past performances at ADCC Trials and the small changes he could make to win the event. Sanchez also revealed why he hasn’t been that active in competition in 2025, and explained his dilemma when UFC BJJ offered him a contract after he’d already agreed to do CJI. Although he decided to do CJI in the end, Sanchez explained why that door isn’t closed to him forever.
JitsCast #49 with Alan Sanchez is now available to watch on the official Jits Magazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
