Blackbelt Magazine: Jacob Rodriguez vs Vagner Rocha: Elite Grappling Showdown!

Jacob Rodriguez vs Vagner Rocha | Pit Submission Series | Karate Combat 62 Jacob Rodriguez and Vagner Rocha meet in the Pit for a submission grappling match at Karate Combat 62. Both men took ADCC silver in 2024, Rodriguez at 88kg and Rocha at 77kg. Rodriguez, who most people know as Jay Rod, won the ADCC West Coast Trials in 2022 and built his reputation on the buggy choke. Rocha has spent years near the top of Brazilian jiu jitsu and wears opponents down with pressure and grip strength instead of speed. The two families have already crossed paths twice. Rocha faced Jacob's older brother Nicky Rodriguez in 2023, and Jacob submitted Rocha's son Achilles with a rear naked choke in the opening round of ADCC 2024. This is the closest of the three on size and experience. Pit Submission Series runs inside the same sloped Pit the Karate Combat strikers fight in, so the walls take away a lot of the space a grappler normally has to escape. Karate Combat 62 took place on 24 July 2026 at Bonk Studios in Miami, Florida. Welcome to Black Belt Magazine, your destination for everything martial arts. Watch the best in: Martial arts movies, from timeless classics to modern hits Live events featuring top fighters from around the world Original docu-series on legendary masters and untold stories Training videos to sharpen your skills The latest martial arts news and highlights Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a fight. #karatecombat #grappling #submissiongrappling #bjj #adcc #jiujitsu #blackbeltmagazine