Edwin Najmi OUT of IBJJF Pans: Explains Reasons Why
Gold medal winner in the black belt lightweight division in 2016, Edwin Najmi was expected to come back to Irvine, California to defend his title.
Hailing from Glendale in Los Angeles, Pans has always been a successful tournament for the Gracie Barra athlete. In 2014 he won as a purple belt, in 2015 he won at brown, and then in 2016 he won as a black belt.
But this year, Najmi won’t be able to compete: “I got hurt at ACB,” says Najmi. “My knee was messed up.”
The Gracie Barra black belt won the -75kg bracket of the ACB tournament, but the prize came at the cost of injuring his knee.
“I got hurt in the Michael Langhi fight, I went to take his back and heard my knee click,” says Najmi. “I didn’t think it was that bad but then in the final it was really bad and the next day I couldn’t really walk and was limping.”
Najmi says that the injury has been diagnosed as an LCL sprain, which is not serious and will not require too long out of action.
“I’m slowly back on the grind. I won’t make it back to Pans but the goal is Abu Dhabi World Pro and IBJJF Worlds." 
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