Tom DeBlass has been a prominent and familiar face in the ADCC circuit for years now, and he announced yesterday that he would be taking on a new role in the organization as a referee. The move requires DeBlass to give up his rights to compete in ADCC events, though he has stated this doesn’t mean he’ll be giving up competing entirely.
DeBlass issued the following statement about his decision:
The next chapter in my life is starting. I have officially relinquished my rights to compete in ADCC and I have taken…
Posted by Tom DeBlass on Friday, November 2, 2018
“The next chapter in my life is starting. I have officially relinquished my rights to compete in ADCC and I have taken over as a referee position for the United States. I also plan on bringing more ADCC events to the USA. ADCC has always been an important part of my life. I have had great experiences fighting for them. Winning the North American Trials in 2009, 2014, and 2016. Winning the absolute division in the ADCC Nationals 2015, winning the ADCC NY superfight in 2014, never giving a point away in those competitions. Also I have competed in ADCC 2009 in Barcelona, ADCC 2015 in Brazil, and ADCC 2017 in Finland. ADCC is very important to me and will stay close to my heart forever. I am not retiring from competing totally, but I feel it’s time for me to give back even more. When competing I must be selfish, focusing on myself. I truly want to become mainstream and help Jiu-Jitsu go to the next level in every aspect of the world. Thank you to ADCC for believing in me, especially Marko Leistén and Peter. I’m so excited for the next chapter.”
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