Eddie Bravo Invitational, EBI, is making waves in the jiu jitsu community with their all female card happening in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 30th at 9pm ET, 6PM PT at the Orpheum Theatre. You will be able to watch this exciting, all female card, EB 12 Flyweights on UFC Fight Pass.
This unprecedented event will be the first all female card in jiu jitsu history; 16 women will be competing for the Flyweight Belt at 125 pounds in nogi with same day weigh ins. There will also be a 4 woman Combat Jiu Jitsu tournament on the card in the flyweight division, 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.
EBI 12 LINE UP
Talita Alencar
Talita is coming off of a major winning streak having won gold at IBJJF Pans, Worlds, and Nogi Worlds, Abu Dhabi Pro, and more recently a win on the big stage at a Five Grappling Superfight against Aarae Alexander. After receiving her black belt from Julio Cesar Pereira on the podium of the 2016 Worlds Championship after winning gold in her division, she has taken the black belt division by storm, and is arguably the favorite for this card. Originally part of the GF Team, Talita moved to California in August of 2016 to train at the Alliance Headquarters under Cobrinha and will be representing Alliance at EBI 12.
Kristina Barlaan
Kristina Barlaan is undoubtedly another known quantity for EBI 12, being a contender in all the big tournaments at black belt since she was promoted by Caio Terra in June of 2015. She will be representing Caio Terra Association, training out of CTA Headquarters. Barlaan is well versed in both gi and nogi, and has most notably won the Europeans in 2016. More recently, she has won bronze at worlds, silver at pans, and silver at Europeans all in 2017, all in the light feather weight division.
Erin Blanchfield
Erin “Coldblooded” Blanchfield is one of the youngest competitors for EBI 12 at 19 years of age, representing Silver Fox BJJ. This young purple belt has a bright future ahead of her, having won double gold at nogi pans as a blue belt last year. Although only a purple belt, she has also also competed in Muay Thai and Combat Jiu Jitsu and will definitely bring an interesting skill set to any match up.
Rachael Cummins
Rachael Cummins is a bantamweight (135lbs) MMA fighter representing Gracie Fighter Newport holding a professional record of 3-2, with two of her wins coming from armbar submissions. Gracie Fighter also trains notable athletes such as Alexis Davis, Jake Shields, and the Diaz Brothers. This purple belt will bring a different style to the submission only invitational holding a total of 11 MMA fights under her belt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMhZcQwN0OQ
Ffion Davies
Ffion Davies is a brown belt training out of CF24 Jiu Jitsu and East Coast Jiu Jitsu. An avid competitoir, she took silver at Worlds at purple belt in 2016 and 2017 and won the European ADCC Trials in May. In 2016 she also won Nogi Worlds and Europeans in purple, and in 2015 she won Nogi Worlds at blue belt. Her impressive run at purple belt led to her brown belt promotion in June. In addition to being well rounded in jiu jitsu, Davies also has a Judo and MMA background, 4-0 batamweight, which will make for some very exciting matches.
Crystal Vanessa Demopoulos
Crystal Vanessa “Lil Monster” Demopoulos is a strawweight amateur MMA fighter holding a record of 6-1, with two wins by arm bar. She is a purple belt training out of Vitor Olivera GFTeam in Columbus, Ohio. She is also a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Vet, beating Gabriella Mcalliuffe by decision July 21st. She also took silver at Pans this year, and bronze at Abu Dhabi World Pro 55kg division. Demopoulos is an active competitor both in jiu jitsu and MMA so being on the big stage will be nothing new to her.
Pati Fontes
Another fan favorite, Pati Fontes has won Nogi Worlds the last two years in the light feather division. The former dancer trains out of La Habra, California, and represents Checkmat under Lucas Leite. She received her blackbelt from Leite on the podium after winning her brown belt division at Worlds in 2015. Fontes has met up with several times in the past with Kristina Barlaan, especially in the lower belts. Should they meet again, the rematch will definitely be exciting given the submission only rule set.
Livia Gluchowska
Hailing from Poland, Livia Gluchowska has an early background in gymnastics and grew up in competitive sports. Starting jiu jitsu in 2010 in Australia, this newly minted black belt, May 2017, won Worlds as a brown belt in 2016 and recieved bronze at Abu Dhabi World Pro in 2017. Well versed in nogi, she also won Nogi Worlds as a purple belt in 2013. Usually competing in the rooster division, Gluchowska will be one of the smallest competitors, but I see no reason why that would hold her back in the slightest.
Gabi McComb
Recently promoted in December of 2016 to brown belt, Gabi McComb cleaned up the purple belt division in 2016 winning gold at Pans, Worlds, weight and open, and American Nationals, weight and open. She then went on to take first at Pans as her first year as a brown belt. McCombs also won Worlds and Pans as a blue belt in 2015, along with many other notable tournaments. Representing Gracie Humaita South Bay, she will definitely be an athlete to watch at EBI 12 and beyond.
Kayla Patterson
A brown belt training out of Memphis, Tennessee, Kayla Patterson won Nogi Worlds as a Purple belt in both 2015 and 2016. At Memphis Judo & Jiu Jitsu, Paterson coaches the kids program along with the fundamentals class. She recieved her brown belt on New Years Day this year, and it will be exciting to watch this Nogi World Champion in a submission only format.
Gabby Romero
Gabby “The Kraken” Romero is a professional MMA fighter in the flyweight division holding a record of 2-2 training out of Clube De Jiu Jitsu and Legacy BJJ with her wins being by submission and losses by decisions. In her amateur run, she went 2-0, with two more submissions. In addition to her MMA background she is also a Fight2Win Pro Grappling vet losing to Vanessa Wexler by decision earlier this year. She is a black belt under Mark Bradford recieving her black belt in June of 2017 and her ability to secure submissions in MMA will pose a threat to anyone she faces.
Katherine Shen
Katherine fought her way into an invite to EBI 12 by winning the 10th Planet’s Downtown Los Angeles qualifiers defeating Dyana Lee-Daniel with a rear naked choke in order to win the privilege of representing 10th planet at the invitational. Katherine defeated Daniela Arceo by Peruvian Necktie in the first round and Gabby Bella by inside heel hook in the second round. 18 year old Katherine is a purple belt training out of 10th Planet San Diego.
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. 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.
Nikki Sullivan
Nikki Sullivan is a new brown belt out of Nice Guy Submission Fighting in Owesboro Kentucky, receiving her brown belt in April this year. She is a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Vet defeating Jessica Eye by decision in April and placed second at the ADCC Trials. In 2016 she won gold at Nogi Pans and bronze at Nogi Worlds at purple belt. Being accomplished in nogi, Sullivan will not be an easy opponent for any of these athletes.
Fiona Watson
Fiona “The Black Widow” Watson is a black black under Marcio Bittencourtout of Fight Club BJJ/Notorious MMA, a gym she owns and coaches the children’s program at. She is a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Vet losing to Samanta Faulhaber by armbar. In 2016 she won silver at Nogi Worlds losing to Pati Fontes and this year at Pans she lost to Kristina Barlaan. She will be coming out with a lot to prove and it will be exciting to watch her matches.
Olympia Watts
Olympia Watts is a brown belt under Vinicius (Draculino) Magalhaes at Gracia Barra Texas near Houston. She recently placed third at Pans in 2017 as a new brown belt, recieving her brown belt last December. In 2016 at purple belt she won gold at Pans and Bronze at Master Worlds. Typically fighting at rooster weight or light feather, she will be one of the smaller competitors, but don’t let her size fool you.
Combat Jiu Jitsu Athletes
Celine Haga
Celine Haga is a professional strawweight MMA fighter from Norway holding a record of 10-14 with 70% of her wins being from submissions. She is also a purple belt representing Jackson Wink MMA and Gracia Barra. Haga has a history with fellow competitor Amy Montenegro losing by decision in January. She chocked Montenegro out with a rear naked choke, but the referee did not know and did not stop the fight before the buzzer and she ended up losing by decision. A possible rematch between the two will be very exciting.
Ilima-Lei MacFarlane
Ilima-Lei “The ilimanator” MacFarlane is an undefeated Bellator flyweight MMA fighter with 6 professional and 5 amateur fights under her belt. The Hawaiian native has won half of her professional fights by submission and is a purple belt out of 10th planet San Diego. Being an undefeated Bellator fighter, MacFarlane will definitely be a tough opponent for any of these women.
Brooke Mayo
Brooke Mayo is a Bellator Flyweight MMA fighter and a purple belt representing Team Alpha Male. She recently lost her professional debut due to a doctor stoppage because of a swollen eye Her amateur record is 5-1 with one win by rear naked choke. She is also a Fight2Win Pro Grappling Veteran where she defeated Gig Good by decision.
Amy Montenegro
Amy “Resurrection” Montegnegro is a Invicta Professional Strawweight MMA Fighter and has a purple belt out of Gracie Barra Seattle. She was on TUF 23 where she lost via armbar in the first episode. Montenegro currently has a professional record of 8-2 with three submissions. She is a Fight2Win Pro Grappling veteran beating Christine Vogel by decision. She recently placed second at Pans as her first purple belt competition and second at Nogi Worlds last year at blue belt. A rematch with Haga is definitely on my wish list.
With 16 of the world’s best flyweight women competing this weekend for the EBI Flyweight Title, and 4 tough MMA fighters competing for the Combat Jiu Jitsu Flyweight Title, this is an event you will not want to miss. With tickets starting at $35, if you’re near the Los Angeles area there’s not reason not to go. For those of us further away, be sure to tune in on Sunday, July 30th at 6pm PT, 9pm ET to show your support of some high level women’s jiu jitsu.
Note: Erin Herle, Tassia Pimenta, Jena Bishop, Tammi Musumeci, and Vanessa English have pulled out for various reasons. Competitors bios will be updated as the card changes.
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