Watching Jeff Glover(view profile) compete is unlike watching any other athlete in sport jiu-jitsu. A true individual with style all his own. He can attack from any position and is perhaps most dangerous when in congenitally defensive situations. You want side control? The back? A leg? Take it, it's all the same to Jeff Glover. He'll turn your trepidation into his offense in a flash and it is mesmerizing to watch.

The charismatic showman always brings the ruckus when he steps out onto the mats. In fact, he arguably can claim the most exciting no-gi matches of the the past three years.

2015: His epic battle with 10th Planet standout Geo Martinez at ADCC had the entire Brazilian arena on their feet.


2016: He attacked his way through a decision win over Justin Rader that lit up the Oklahoma crowd.


And finally 2017: Although the year has only just begun it's clear his back and forth contest with Chad Mendes at Submission Underground 3 is going to stand the test of time.


The night of SUG3 was filled with must see moments but perhaps the most exciting moment came between No-Gi World champion Jeff Glover and UFC featherweight contender Chad Mendes. This matchup largely flew under the radar in the lead up primarily because of the back and forth between Agazarm and Danis. However die hard fans across the world knew this match had fireworks written all over it.

Both Glover and Mendes are two elite grapplers who have been at the pinnacle of their respective sports for 10+ years. Mendes started his career as a wrestler becoming a Division 1 All American, not once but twice. Glover is an OG American grappler who became a black belt World Champion back in 2007.

The best thing about watching 'the pipe-layer' grapple is that he brings his bold personality into the cage, or onto the mat, with him. To watch Glover grapple is to get to know him somewhat on a personal level. From amateur enthusiasts to high level black belts, he has a way of making his jiu-jitsu accessible to everyone.

He strutted into the cage on a Sunday night in Portland Oregon, donning shades and a gold chain while Pete 'the greek' blasted beats from the Wu Tang Clan. Glover already had the crowd in attendance on their feet. From there the Paragon black belt attacked from bell to bell with unorthodox leg entries and even his signature donkey guard, which revved the crowd up even more.

In the post fight interview even Chad Mendes seemed baffled by some of the things Glover was doing.

"You(Jeff Glover) seriously are a monkey in here. You threw things at me today that I had never seen before."

This is coming from a veteran of the UFC octagon who has fought the best of the best over and over again.

The crowd would not be as invested or as vocal for the rest of the night. When Jeff climbed atop the cage the Roseland Theater erupted in cheers! And it did again when they wrapped the belt around Chad Mendes' waist. It's quite easy to feel invested watching a Jeff Glover match.

If jiu-jitsu is headed to main stream Jeff Glover could very well be the one to take it there.

Six days later Glover fought 3x World Champion and current UFC bantamweight Augusto Mendes. Even though 'Tanquinho' calls Arizona home it was Glover who got the night's biggest welcome.