Eddie Bravo Invitational, EBI, is hosting another all women grappling card, this time with the bantamweight title on the line, at 135 pounds. This event will take place on June 24th at 8pm ET, 5PM PT at the San Diego Performing Arts Center. You will be able to watch this exciting, all female card, EBI 16 Bantamweights on UFC Fight Pass.

16 women will be competing for the Bantamweight Belt at 135 pounds in nogi with same day weigh ins. There will also be two Combat Jiu Jitsu fights including the welterweight title fight at 170 pounds between Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez and Bobby Emmons. In addition PJ Barch and Mikey Gonzalez will also be fighting at 170 pounds in combat jiu jitsu which allows open-handed strikes when the fight goes to the ground.

For those who are unfamiliar with the EBI rule set, matches are 10 minutes long, submission only, with all submissions legal. If there is no submission, there is up to three overtime rounds starting from the back or spiderweb, where if one opponent is submitted and the other is not, they are declared the winner. If there is no submission, up to three overtime rounds occur, after which the fastest escape time wins the match.

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EBI 16 LINE UP

Amanda Leve

Amanda Leve is a brown belt under Ricardo Almeida, and a well versed nogi competitor. She won nogi worlds last year at brown belt, only two months after receiving her brown belt. Leve also won double gold at nogi worlds at purple belt in 2016, and is also a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Veteran. She is also an amateur mixed martial artist, and so her weight cut for this event, having typically competing in the Super Heavy division for IBJJF, should not be an issue. Competing at a much lighter weight, and being one of the bigger competitors, she will not be easy competition for any in this division.

Amanda Ribas

Amanda Ribas is a UFC straw weight fighter, but has not made her UFC debut due to a PED positive test and is currently under a 2 year suspension. She holds a professional record of 6 wins and 1 loss with two wins by submission, a kneebar and rear-naked choke. This will be her EBI debut, but with a judo, jiujitsu, and mma background she will be a tough opponent.

Beatriz Mesquita

Beatriz “Bia” Mesquita, a black belt under jiu jitsu legend and 7x world champion, Leticia Ribeiro, and reprenting Gracie Humaita, is arguably the favorite to win the EBI 16 title. In the last year, Bia has won gold medals at IBJJF Worlds, Pans, Europeans, and ADCC, and has won every title there is to win in every ruleset, except EBI. She is tied for the most IBJJF world titles at 8 with Michelle Nicolini. Looking to add an EBI title to her resume, Bia will be a competitor to watch.

Bianca Basílio

With only a little over a year at black belt, Bianca Basilio has already been making waves in the tournament circuit, having won Abu Dhabi Pro in 2018 and Pans in 2017. Basilio received her black belt in December of 2016, after winning Worlds earlier that year at brown belt. She started training when she was 12, originally having a gymnastics background, and won her first world title at 15. Basillo won a place at ADCC last year by winning the South American trials, and placed second behind Bianca Mesquita. A rematch between the two in a different ruleset is bound to be exciting.

Brooke “The Bully” Mayo

Brooke Mayo is a Bellator Flyweight MMA fighter and a purple belt newly representing Nick Diaz Academy. She is coming off of two tough losses in her MMA career. Her amateur record however is 5-1 with one win by rear naked choke. She is also a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Veteran and an EBI 12 veteran in combat jiujitsu having lost in overtime by fastest sub. She is sure to be a fighter to watch.

Jess Feliciano

Jess Feliciano is a newly promoted purple belt under Mike Padilla who trains predominantly nogi. She is a Fight2Win Pro Veteran with a 2-0 record. Having started jiu jitsu in 2015, she should be exciting to watch in her EBI debut.

Kayla Patterson

Kayla Patterson is a brown belt training out of Tatumville, Tennessee representing Glory Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Kayla Patterson won Nogi Worlds as a Purple belt in both 2015 and 2016. She is an EBI 12 veteran, only losing in overtime in the first round by fastest submission to Gabi McComb. She is sure to come back with a vengeance and is definitely someone to watch.

Lila Smadja

Lila Smadja is a brown belt under Eddie Bravo and an EBI veteran, having defeated Talita Alencar at EBI 5 by fastest escape bringing their record to 1-1 against her. She also competed in EBI 12 winning in the first round with a very impressive and fast guillotine and the second round with a heel hook. She lost in the semi finals by armbar. Smadja’s skill set is a combination of both 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and catch wrestling, with an additionally impressive leglock game. Being comfortable in this rule set will definitely work in her favor.

Liz Tracy

Liz “Titan” Tracy earned her spot in EBI 16 by defeating 3 other women during the 10th Planet qualifiers. Tracy trains out of 10th Planet Portland under black belt, Nathan Orchard.

Luanna Alzuguir

Luanna Alzuguir is another competitor who’s name should be well recognized if you follow female Brazilian jiu jitsu athletes. Alzuguir is both an IBJJF and ADCC world champion, is well versed in both gi and nogi, and will be representing Alliance. She started training jiu jitsu at the age of 9, and received her black belt in 2007. Alzuguir has earned 5 world titles at black belt including an open class world title in 2010. Alzuguir is another favorite on this stacked card of women.

Miri Niedrauer

Miri Niedraer will be representing Impact Zone when making her EBI debut at EBI 16. She is a tough purple belt having won Nogi Worlds in 2017 and placed 2nd at Nogi Pans. Although a lower belt, Niedrauer usually competes in the medium heavyweight division, so will be one of the bigger competitors which makes her no easy opponent for anyone on this card.

Nikki Sullivan

Nikki Sullivan is a veteran brown belt out of Atos HQ. She is a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Vet and placed second at the ADCC Trials last year. She also is an EBI veteran fighting in EBI 12, where she submitted her first opponent by scissor choke, losing in the quarter finals by heel hook.  Recently she placed second at Pans and third at Worlds this year. Being accomplished in both gi and nogi, Sullivan will not be an easy opponent for any of these athletes.

Pamela Boveda

Pamela Boveda is a professional MMA fighter representing Team Nova Uniao in Paraguay, with a record of 5-3. Out of her 5 wins, 4 were from armbar submissions. This will be her EBI debut, and with her mixed martial arts background, she is sure to be a tough opponent.

Sophia Nordenö

One of Scandinavian’s well known Black Belts representing Barum Jiu Jitsu in San Diego, Sophia Nordeno will be making her EBI debut at EBI 16. Last year Nordeno placed second at nogi pans, and given the EBI ruleset, is expected to perform even better with the addition of heel hooks. Anyone competing against her will definitely need to respect her leg lock game.

Talia Marie Vaughan

Talia Marie Vaughan is a new black belt, having been promoted on the podium after winning Worlds at brown belt this year, and received bronze in 2017. Training out of Gracie Humaita Las Vegas, Talia left brown belt ranked 14th in all weight classes, and making her EBI debut, it will be fun watching her in a nogi format.

Tracey Goodell

Tracey Goodell was regarded as one of the most promising colored belts in 2010, having won pans as a blue both in lightweight and open, and after being promoted did the same at worlds at purple belt representing TLI. However Goodell took time away from competing to focus on parenthood, and has since been quiet on the competition scene. Now a black belt, Goodell will be returning to the competition scene and making her EBI debut representing Hawaii Elite.

With 16 of the world’s best batamweight women competing for the EBI Title, and 2 special Combat Jiu Jitsu matches, this is an event you will not want to miss. To learn more about the fighters, watch their interviews for the event here.

For those of us further unable to watch in person, be sure to tune in on Sunday, June 24th at 5pm PT, 8pm ET to show your support of some high level women’s jiu jitsu.

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