Yesterday Vagner Rocha put Eddie Bravo on blast after he was expected to be in a combat jiu jitsu match without compensation.
Rocha said:
This past Saturday I won a hard fought super match at Grappling Industries Miami against a game opponent in Dante Leon. Seeing me compete led many people to reach out and question my absence from EBI the following day, so I’ve decided to share my thoughts. First off I want to congratulate @boogeyman_tfs for his amazing performance and victory. For those who don’t know, I was the original opponent scheduled to compete against Boogeyman for the combat jiu jitsu welterweight title at EBI 16. This was an opportunity I had been very excited for since capturing the CJJ light weight title.
However, I made the decision to withdraw back in May for reasons I’m strongly passionate about. Those of you who’ve known me or followed my career over the years know I’ve been an outspoken advocate for the compensation of jiu jitsu athletes. I’ve been highly critical of the IBJJF for this exact reason; I’m in favor of competitors at the highest level being paid their worth and recognized as professional athletes. Many of you understand the sacrifices it takes to make a living through jiu jitsu.
For EBI 16, I was offered to compete in a match where my participation would be uncompensated, and where I could potentially win (in OT) and not be paid. The only opportunity for reward was submit in regulation. I’ve enjoyed the EBI tournament format and it’s emphasis on pursuing submissions; however, I don’t agree with this pay structure for a combat jiu jitsu special match.
I shared my concerns with the promotion and tried to negotiate on several occasions with no success. I believe I was far from unreasonable, I was just looking to not lose money considering expenses for a match in which I’m putting my body on the line much like an MMA fight. I understand being outspoken may have a negative impact on me in the short-term with EBI, but I stand by my convictions that compensating athletes is the only way to bring jiu jitsu to the next level. I’m sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing me compete at EBI, and I look forward to my next opportunity to put on a show for all my friends, family, and supporters.
And while Bravo objected to insinuations many professionals in the community supported Rocha’s decision.
Now Grappling Industries is stepping up to make the matchup happen albeit nogi and not combat jiu jitsu:
@grapplingindustries once again comes through showing the world of JiuJitsu that they are here to stay. Supporting the professional scene while building JiuJitsu all over the world. Show support for the ones who care to build the things you love. Let’s go @boogeyman_tfs 🔥#jiujitsu #nogi #grapplingindustries #fightsports #vrma
10th planet’s own Boogeyman shared the news albeit in more tame fashion:
The people asked for it so here it goes on December 15 in Miami FL at @grapplingindustries Me vs Vagner.. let’s do this 🤙🤙🤙
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