EBI 25 delivered another big breakout night for a young submission grappler, as teenager Landon Elmore navigated a very deep bracket to claim the championship title. The 19-year-old purple belt from Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu shocked the field by running the gauntlet of the tournament bracket and finishing every single one of his opponents on his way to claiming the EBI lightweight championship.

The Eddie Bravo Invitational has long been a proving ground for some of the sport’s brightest stars, and Elmore’s performance may go down as one of the most remarkable in the promotion’s history. He is now one of only five men to ever submit his way through the event, joining Gordon Ryan, Eddie Cummings, and Garry Tonon - and the only non-black belt to accomplish the feat.

Over the course of the night, Elmore submitted all of his opponents - never needing to rely on EBI’s signature overtime rules. His arsenal of finishes showcased both composure and versatility: attacking from guard, jumping into submissions, and capitalizing on scrambles with razor-sharp finishes. He would submit world-ranked Keith Krikorian in the finals with an inside heel hook, and submit UFC veteran Bryce Mitchell in under a minute along the way. In a tournament designed to reward submission-hunters, he proved himself the embodiment of the EBI format.

Lightweight Tournament Qualifier Round

• Derek Rayfield def. Ethan Crelinsten by armbar in overtime
• Reese Lafever def. Mauricio Rios by fastest escapes in overtime
• Bryce Mitchell def. JJ Bowers by fastest escapes in overtime
• Landon Elmore def. Roman Corona by inside heel hook in regulation
• Keith Krikorian def. Jonathan Wilson by inside heel hook in regulation
• Raphael Ferreira def. Henrique Camargo by anaconda choke in regulation
• Gianni Grippo def. Grayson Henley by arm triangle in regulation
• Dylan Cameron def. Ben Eddy by fastest escapes in overtime

Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinals

• Reese Lafever def. Derek Rayfield by fastest escapes in overtime
• Landon Elmore def. Bryce Mitchell by by heel hook in regulation
• Keith Krikorian def. Raphael Ferreira by by heel hook in regulation
• Gianni Grippo def. Dylan Cameron by arm triangle in regulation

Lightweight Tournament Semifinals

• Landon Elmore def. Reese Lafever by heel hook in regulation
• Keith Krikorian def. Gianni Grippo by rear naked choke in overtime

EBI Lightweight Tournament Finals

• Landon Elmore def. Keith Krikorian by heel hook in regulation