Eddie bravo
To the audience, Bravo was just another pretender–a brown belt, at that–who wasn't particularly good at the traditional method of jiu jitsu, with its stylized moves emphasizing grips on a gi (the sport's uniform) to gain leverage over opponents. Certainly not to an undersized Mexican kid from Santa Ana. No member of the clan had ever lost to an American, certainly not in a competition broadcast on national television.
EDDIE BRAVO PROFESSIONAL
Bravo had turned 33 two days earlier, and this was his present: his first international professional tournament his first matches on foreign soil and a hostile crowd rooting for the guy across the mat from him, three-time defending champion Royler Gracie, scion of the family who essentially created Brazilian jiu jitsu. Fans had gathered to cheer on masters of jiu jitsu, judo, wrestling and other grappling arts in a rare interdisciplinary tournament, a real-life Bloodsport.
It was May 17, 2003, the quarterfinal match in the 66-kilogram division of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Wrestling World Championship, one of the biggest challenges of its kind. A shirtless Eddie Bravo stood on one end of the jiu jitsu mat inside the Ginásio do Ibirapuera sports arena in São Paulo, Brazil, stared straight ahead, then walked toward his destiny.