Jacob Rodriguez is officially returning to competition.
Karate Combat has announced that the former ADCC silver medalist will compete at Pit Submission Series on July 24, marking his first professional grappling match in more than 17 months.
While Karate Combat is best known for its striking events, the promotion has occasionally hosted grappling matches under its Pit Submission Series banner.
Rodriguez’s bout will be just the second PSS match of 2026, following Valter Walker’s submission victory over Zion Clark earlier this year.
Rodriguez’s return is significant not only because of his accomplishments on the mats, but also because of the circumstances surrounding his lengthy absence.
As the 2024 ADCC silver medalist has competed just once since that tournament after becoming the center of one of grappling’s biggest controversies in 2025.
Rodriguez was removed from B-Team Jiu-Jitsu after admitting to possessing what he described as “screenshots of a woman’s public Instagram page as well as explicit material”, calling his own behavior “invasive, inappropriate, and just unhealthy.”
His former girlfriend later alleged she found “multiple folders” on his phone that were “organized by the female’s names, to which p*rnography that resembled the female was placed into their named folder.”
Following the controversy, many questioned whether Rodriguez’s competitive career was effectively over.
However, recent training footage showed him back at the academy following B-Team’s rebrand to Simple Man Martial Arts, and this latest announcement confirms his return to professional competition.
Karate Combat has yet to reveal Rodriguez’s opponent.
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