In the buildup to the Eddie Bravo Invitational 6’s open weight tournament, Bloody Elbow’s grappling editor Roy Billington will be providing athlete profiles for each of the competitors. Here, we look at Amir Allam.
The illustrious Eddie Bravo Invitational returns on April 24th, but this time it is different. Instead of EBI 6 airing solely on pay-per-view, the promotion has also signed a streaming deal with UFC Fight Pass in and is set to feature one of the greatest open weight submission-only tournaments ever. In the weeks leading up to the event, Bloody Elbow will be giving you the low down on the strengths and background of each competitor. Let’s kick off our latest edition with former Oklahoma wrestler Amir Allam.
Amir Allam
Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Carlos Gracie Junior > Jean Jacques Machado > Eddie Bravo > Amir Allam
Team: 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu
Weight: 265lbs
Amir Allam is the quintessential 10th Planet black belt, but with a twist. While Allam is a master of the guard playing intricacies you would expect with a 10th Planet export, he also has a devastating top game that he can owe in part to an impressive high school and collegiate wrestling career. Allam is tough to submit – if you don’t believe me, just watch the video above of his match with Xande Ribeiro and you will be amazed. Allam may be one of the least recognizable names on the card, he is very dangerous and could prove to be an interesting outsider – if he can make it past his difficult first round match that is.
Amir Allam’s guard is pretty slick. From all the tape I have managed to get my hand on of Allam, one thing seems to be universal about his game: his reckless pursuit of the finish. Allam seems to hold the fundamental tenet of finishing fights dear and this could take him far in the tournament.
First round opponent: Rustam Chsiev
Rustam is a beastly wrestler, one that could well have had the ability to wrestle at a high level internationally had he not chosen to move to the USA. Chsiev’s wrestling is at a higher level than Allam’s, but in a submission-only rules set it is really a toss up. This match could honestly go either way.
The Eddie Bravo Invitational 6 goes down at the Orpheum Theatre, in Los Angeles, CA on April 24 and will be available on pay-per-view on Dish and InDemand, as well as being live on UFC Fight Pass.