David Terrell is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie (the 1st awarded by Cesar), who was widely regarded as one of the top grappling competitors of his generation, having medalled at the ADCC tournament and with wins over renowned competitors such as Fernando "Margarida" or Dean Lister and known for never having had a point scored against him in a grappling match. Being a "no gi jiu jitsu" specialist, Terrell transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA) early in his career reaching UFC title contention, though he would later be cut from the organization due to a series of unfortunate injuries that kept Terrell on the sidelines. After his competitive stint David Terrell focused on his coaching career, becoming one of the top grappling and MMA instructors in Northern California, through his own endeavor, the NorCal Fighting Alliance.