Overview
The Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) is a pioneering professional submission grappling promotion founded in 2014 by Eddie Bravo, designed to showcase a faster, more exciting, and submission-focused alternative to traditional tournaments. Created as a response to stalling and point-based strategies in BJJ, EBI emphasized continuous action, aggressive positional play, and definitive finishes—helping reshape the landscape of modern no-gi competition.
EBI became world-renowned for introducing the now-iconic EBI Overtime format, a revolutionary rule set designed to eliminate judge’s decisions and encourage athletes to pursue submissions. If no submission occurs in regulation, competitors begin overtime rounds from either the back control or the armbar position, ensuring high drama and decisive endings. This system soon became one of the most influential innovations in submission grappling and has been adopted, modified, or echoed across numerous modern events such as the UFC Fight Pass Invitational.
The rise of the Danaher Death Squad (DDS) is closely intertwined with the early EBI era. Athletes such as Eddie Cummings, Gordon Ryan, and Garry Tonon became household names through dominant performances using highly refined leglock systems and submission-oriented strategies that thrived under EBI rules. Their success elevated both the prestige of the promotion and the technical level of no-gi grappling worldwide.
Over the years, EBI has served as a proving ground for many of the most successful modern grapplers. Its emphasis on submission-only action, entertainment value, and athlete visibility has made it one of the most influential promotions in the evolution of professional no-gi jiu-jitsu. Today, the “EBI format” remains a cornerstone of the sport’s competitive infrastructure and continues to shape how fans, athletes, and promotions approach submission grappling.