# Jay Rodriguez

> ADCC −88 kg silver medalist (2024), former B-Team star, and blue-belt ADCC Trials champion whose wrestling base and buggy choke put him on the elite no-gi map.

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- **Last updated:** 2026-07-16

## Identity

- **Name:** Jay Rodriguez
- **Full name:** Jacob Rodriguez
- **Nickname:** Jrod
- **Belt:** brown belt
- **Team:** Independent / Simple Man Martial Arts (Austin); formerly B-Team
- **Nationality:** United States
- **Born:** 2002-02-16
- **Birthplace:** Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (raised Clayton, New Jersey), United States
- **Weight class:** Middleweight (−88 kg / ~194 lb ADCC)

## Biography

Jacob Rodriguez, known throughout submission grappling as Jay Rodriguez, Jay Rod, or Jrod, is an American no-gi competitor and the younger brother of ADCC veteran Nick “Nicky Rod” Rodriguez. Born on February 16, 2002, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Clayton, New Jersey, he built a high-level folkstyle wrestling foundation before entering Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Football was an early organized sport, but wrestling became his primary competitive path from roughly ages six or seven; he later joined a club program in middle school and finished high school at Clayton with a reported 136–19 record, including NJSIAA district and regional titles in the late 2010s.

Inspired by his brother’s rise in pro grappling, Rodriguez started Brazilian jiu-jitsu in September 2020 under coach Jay Regalbuto at Studio 84 in New Jersey, shortly after finishing high school. He competed in his first no-gi local event within about two months. Training twice a day, he earned a blue belt in roughly seven months—an unusually fast promotion that reflected both athleticism and prior wrestling volume. By mid-2021 he relocated to Austin, Texas, to train full-time at the newly formed B-Team Jiu-Jitsu alongside Nick Rodriguez, Craig Jones, Nicky Ryan, and other high-level partners, immersing himself in a modern, aggressive no-gi room.

Rodriguez first broke nationally at the ADCC circuit while still a low belt. After early Trials experience in 2021, he won the 2022 ADCC West Coast Trials at −88 kg as a blue belt—matching a rare path his brother had taken years earlier—reportedly finishing seven matches by submission en route to the title and a berth at the 2022 ADCC World Championships. At ADCC 2022 he fell in the opening round to Pedro Marinho on points (3–2). Parallel visibility came from FloGrappling’s Who’s Next: Submission Fighter Challenge and the Who’s Next Finale/WNO pathway, where he mixed with established black belts. By the 2022 Who’s Next cycle he was listed as a purple belt representing B-Team out of Austin.

On the pro circuit he became known for pace, wrestling-driven top pressure, scramble comfort, and an affinity for the unorthodox buggy choke, along with rear naked chokes and leg attacks. Notable appearances included SUBVERSIV 7 (heel-hook win over Miha Perhavec; decision loss to Giancarlo Bodoni), UFC Fight Pass Invitational 2, and a widely praised WNO 20 bout against Mica Galvão that FloGrappling later called part of 2023’s Match of the Year conversation. He returned to the Trials path with a silver at the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials (loss to William Tackett in the final by toe hold) and earned an ADCC Worlds invitation at −88 kg.

At the 2024 ADCC World Championships in Las Vegas, Rodriguez produced his career-best run: wins over Ryan Aitken (points), Chris Wojcik (decision), and Achilles Rocha (rear naked choke) before a high-pace final against defending champion Giancarlo Bodoni, which he lost on points (9–0) while taking silver. The final was widely celebrated as one of the event’s standout matches. In October 2024, after only about four years of BJJ, Nick Rodriguez promoted him to brown belt—still exclusively oriented toward no-gi competition at the elite level. Instructional work with BJJ Fanatics (including buggy-choke and “tap higher belts” material) extended his profile beyond the mats.

In May 2025, B-Team leadership removed and banned Rodriguez from the academy after reports of inappropriate interactions involving women at the gym. Rodriguez publicly acknowledged invasive and unhealthy conduct, linked part of his behavior to struggles with pornography addiction, denied certain circulating rumors (including AI-generated content or hidden cameras), and said he was seeking therapy and reconnecting with faith. Subsequent reporting and his own August 2025 podcast appearance described a period of little or no training and difficulty accessing Austin rooms. B-Team later rebranded under new management as Simple Man Martial Arts (SMMA); public statements from SMMA coaching in late 2025 framed him as not a formal member of public classes, while 2026 training footage and FloGrappling rounds placed him back on mats in that Austin environment. In June 2026, Karate Combat announced his return to pro competition at the Pit Submission Series after a long hiatus—marking a second act still being written.

## Lineage

Early belts under Jay Regalbuto (Studio 84, New Jersey); development and higher ranks via B-Team / Nick Rodriguez circle in Austin (brown belt awarded by Nick Rodriguez, 2024)

## Instructors

- Jay Regalbuto
- Nick Rodriguez
- Craig Jones
- Nicky Ryan

## Signature techniques / game

- Buggy choke
- Wrestling / takedowns and top pressure
- Rear naked choke / back attacks
- Heel hooks and leg entanglements
- Scramble and athletic passing
- Submission escapes and pace

## Major achievements

- 2nd Place ADCC World Championship — −88 kg (2024)
- 1st Place ADCC West Coast Trials — −88 kg (2022; blue belt)
- 2nd Place ADCC West Coast Trials — −88 kg (2024)
- ADCC World Championship competitor — −88 kg (2022; opening-round points loss to Pedro Marinho)
- FloGrappling Who’s Next: Submission Fighter Challenge contestant (2022)
- WNO / Who’s Number One competitor (incl. WNO 20 vs. Mica Galvão, 2023 — widely cited among Match of the Year discussions)
- Pro-circuit wins including SUBVERSIV 7 (heel hook vs. Miha Perhavec) and UFC Fight Pass Invitational 2 (RNC vs. Song Yadong)
- BJJ Fanatics instructor (buggy choke and no-gi skill instructionals)

## Colored belt highlights

- ADCC West Coast Trials champion at blue belt (2022) — rare Trials title while a blue belt, parallel to brother Nick Rodriguez’s early path
- ADCC −88 kg silver as a purple belt (2024) prior to brown-belt promotion
- Promoted to brown belt by Nick Rodriguez (October 2024) after approximately four years of BJJ
- Competed successfully against elite black belts on the pro no-gi circuit from blue/purple belt onward

## Official / social links

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayrod2.0/
- BJJ Fanatics: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/all/fighter_Jay-Rodriguez

## Sources

- [BJJ Heroes — Jay Rodriguez](https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/jay-rodriguez)
- [FloGrappling — Athlete page](https://www.flograppling.com/people/7245416-jay-rodriguez)
- [FloGrappling — ADCC silver medalist promoted to brown belt (2024)](https://www.flograppling.com/articles/12890668-adcc-silver-medalist-jay-rodriguez-receives-his-brown-belt)
- [FloGrappling — Official ADCC −88 kg invite (2024)](https://www.flograppling.com/articles/12505161-jay-rodriguez-officially-invited-to-adcc-at-88kg)
- [Digitsu — Jacob Rodriguez](https://digitsu.com/people/jacob-rodriguez)
- [BJJEE — Brown belt promotion after ADCC 2024](https://www.bjjee.com/bjj-news/jacob-rodriguez-promoted-to-bjj-brown-belt-by-his-brother-nicky-rodriguez/)
- [BJJEE — Return to competition after hiatus (2026)](https://www.bjjee.com/bjj-news/jacob-rodriguez-returns-to-competition-after-a-17-month-hiatus/)
- [BJJ Fanatics — Athlete / instructional profile](https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/fighters/jay-rodriguez)

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