Putting together grappling tournaments seems to be a bit easier than matchmaking a MMA card.
That’s exactly what professional fighter and noted grappler Bobby “White Trash BJJ” Emmons has done, as his upcoming “White Trash BJJ No Gi Invitational” features a whole host of noted grapplers, and there is a bit of an MMA flare to the event. It’s meant to be fan-friendly, as the 16-man, one-night single elimination tournament is a submission-only format where all submissions are legal and there are no points and no judges.
The winning grappler from the 155-170 pound tournament will receive a $1500 prize, with the runner-up receiving $500.
The tournament features some of the best grapplers from around the Midwest, including the likes of UFC veteran Dustin Neace, as well as unbeaten rising MMA stars Dustin Parrish and Andrew Holbrook.
Sean Fallon, 23, is a pro MMA fighter who sports a record of 2-3. Not surprisingly, both of his wins are via submission, and he also recently took home the top spot in the expert division at an EGO grappling event.
Daniel Head, 28, sports an 11-10 MMA record and is known for his time competing on The Ultimate Fighter 9. The Indiana native is also a BJJ brown belt under Tiago Alves.
Holbrook, 29, is a Chris Lytle protege who sports a 9-0 professional MMA record with all nine wins coming by way of submission. The Indianapolis native trains at Indy Boxing and Grappling and he hopes to be 10-0 by the time the tournament goes down, as he is currently slated to face Tyler Combs in the main event at Colosseum Combat XXXII this weekend in Northwest Indiana.
John McGuin, 29, sports a 4-0 amateur MMA record and is a fighter who trains with the famed Team BlackHouse that has also produced the likes of Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. He is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt under Ryron Gracie.
Neace, 28, is a veteran of the UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator and holds an MMA record of 25-22-1. He also competed on The Ultimate Fighter 14. Some of his notable wins include Bobby Emmons, Josh Clopton, and Cory Mahon.
Parrish, 22, is a purple belt out of American Top Team Indianapolis and trains under Carlos Diaz. One of the brightest young stars in Indiana, he currently sports a 4-0 professional record after turning pro just over a year ago. Three of those four wins have come via submission, and he also produced five submissions during his 9-1 amateur career.
Max Scoby, 25, is a 2-1 pro MMA fighter who hasn’t competed inside of a cage since 2013. He is also a purple belt under Jon Stutzman and is known for his funky grappling style and finishing ability.
Tom Shoaff, 26, is a BJJ pruple belt training with Team Colon in Indiana. He is also a 7-1 pro MMA fighter with a pair of submission victories to his credit.
John Turner, 31, is a pruple belt under Rob Kahn and trains at Gracie Tampa in Florida as well as several schools in Indiana. He also holds a 4-2 pro MMA record with one win coming via armbar in just 53 seconds.
The 16 White Trash BJJ No Gi Invitational competitors (in alphabetical order):
Aaron Brooks
Chris Collins
Craig Edmondson
Chase Davis
Sean Fallon
Chad Hardy
Matt Harrison
Daniel Head
Andrew Holbrook
John McGuin
Dustin Neace
Dustin Parrish
Saleh Saleem
Tom Shoaff
Max Scoby
John Turner
Information on superfights and ticket availablity is expected to be announced soon. The White Trash BJJ No Gi Invitational takes place on May 30 at Performex, Inc. in Indianapolis.