A controversial incident at the ADCC US Open in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, has sparked debate across the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community. During a Men’s Absolute division match, blue belt Jakori Savage slammed 10th Planet Austin black belt Ben Eddy headfirst into the mat, rendering him unconscious and drawing an immediate disqualification.
The controversial moment quickly went viral, with fans and competitors arguing over rule enforcement and athlete responsibility.
Savage, a 27-year-old American blue belt with an MMA background, picked up Eddy and drove him headfirst into the mat with significant force during the absolute division contest. Eddy was rendered unconscious by the impact.
Despite being out cold, the match appeared to continue around him momentarily, prompting bewildered reactions from onlookers. Savage was disqualified for the illegal move, allowing Eddy to advance in the bracket, though Eddy ultimately had to withdraw from further competition.
Tournament results show Eddy had a strong showing in the -154 lbs (-70 kg) Advanced division, finishing in third place behind winner Riley Golden of High Altitude Martial Arts and runner-up Ramiro Lopez of Genesis Jiu Jitsu.
In the absolute division, his run ended with the Savage incident followed by two walkover losses.
Are Slams Legal?
The short answer is no. While ADCC’s main championship and trials ruleset historically permitted slams as a defensive counter to locked-in submission attempts, ADCC Open events operate under stricter guidelines.
Slams are banned entirely at the open level, across all divisions, with no exceptions.
“Some competitions allow slams only as a submission defense, but other competitions, including this one, don’t allow slams for any purpose,” one commenter explained on Reddit, where the video spread rapidly.
Another user clarified the distinction further: “It’s also always illegal at opens. It’s only allowed at trials and worlds.”
That context matters because it explains Eddy’s positioning on the mat. As an experienced black belt well-versed in competition rulesets, Eddy had no reason to expect a slam. He was operating within the framework of the rules, trusting that his opponent would do the same.
“It would seem that Eddy fully understood the rules, that in the absolute division it is illegal to slam even during submission attempts, so he was attacking his opponent with a standing guard pull,” one commenter noted. “He likely didn’t account for his opponent not fully understanding the rules and now he almost certainly has a concussion.”
Reaction on Reddit’s BJJ community was swift and largely critical of Savage, though a vocal minority attempted to place some blame on Eddy for his positioning.
A black belt competitor echoed that frustration from a coaching perspective: “I tell my students to always expect the slam because you never know what sort of school your opponent is coming from.”
Beyond the individual incident, the video has renewed calls for stricter officiating and clearer communication of rules at ADCC Open events. Several observers noted this is not an isolated occurrence.
“This is what I dislike about ADCC Open. It attracts the wrong kind of competitors. Just a breeding ground for unnecessary injuries,” one purple belt wrote.
For his part, Eddy confirmed via his Instagram that he was still dealing with the aftermath but was alive.
He wrote: “For those that saw or are seeing now, wanted to let you know I’m all good. We took it well. Head feels fine, very clear and here. Didn’t actually even knock me all the way out. Which is pretty damn surprising now that I look at the clip.”
Whether Savage faces any suspension or ban beyond the single-match disqualification remains unclear as of this writing.
