Vagner Rocha has never been too afraid to speak out for himself. The former UFC fighter notably once kicked AJ Agazarm off the competition stage.

However what was to be a combat jiu jitsu title defense after earning the title with the first ever slap ko:

What would you do if Vagner Rocha mounted you? #slap #cjj #combatjiujitsu #combatjj #ebi #eddiebravo #10thplanet @vagnerrocha_vrma #orchard #10p #

A post shared by BJJ Hot Takes (@bjjhottakes) on Nov 12, 2017 at 11:35pm PST

Was quietly pulled from the card and never addressed.

Rocha responded to his absence on the card after BJJScout pointed it out:

 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.

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. #fightsports #vrma #jiujitsu #nogi #subonly #ebi #cjj #combatjiujitsu

A post shared by Vagner Rocha (@vagnerrocha_vrma) on Jun 25, 2018 at 12:39pm PDT

Eddie Bravo responded on the said picture writing:

@biamesquitajj made 15k last night and Boogey made 5k last night. EBI has never paid show money, that’s no secret, you get paid based on your performance. Cummings, Tonon, Geo, and Gordon never had a problem with that. Adcc doesn’t pay show money. Vagner, why didn’t you mention that I used one of my sponsors to give you 1k show money? Why did you leave that part out? If you would’ve went out there and beat Boogey in regulation you would’ve made 6k for a grappling match. You’re making it seem like I’m a cheap bastard. When in the history of Jiu Jitsu has a women been paid 15k in a Jiu Jitsu tournament?

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