James Harbison
James Harbison turned a brown-belt championship run into work teaching grappling to MMA fighters and at international camps.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Sherdog, James Jimmy Harbison fighter record.(opens in a new tab)
Sherdog identifies Harbison as an American fighter associated with Alliance MMA in Chula Vista.
Where in the source: Country and association fields.
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His recorded amateur MMA bouts in2014 were a submission win over Timothy Molinar and a decision loss to Dante Patrick.
Where in the source: Complete amateur table:3May2014 Epic24;23August2014 WFF15.
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He won his recorded professional MMA debut against Clay Baines by first-round rear-naked choke at California Cage Wars3 on7January2018.
Where in the source: Complete pro table, single row.
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BJJ Heroes, Jim Harbison.(opens in a new tab)
James Harbison is also known as Jimmy Harbison and Jah.
Where in the source: Introduction, Full Name and Nickname.
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James Harbison was born in1991.
Where in the source: Biography opening.
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Lloyd Irvin promoted Harbison to black belt inJune2011 after his brown-belt world title.
Where in the source: Biography final sentence.
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The reference profile identifies the triangle choke as his preferred technique.
Where in the source: Favorite Position/Technique.
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Julius Park, Follow Jimmy Harbison – Newest Team Lloyd Irvin Member,25January2010.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison began alongside JT Torres and Jay Hayes, trained with American Top Team after moving to Florida, and reunited with his former teammates at Team Lloyd Irvin.
Where in the source: Third paragraph.
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Julius Park wrote that he had watched Harbison compete at a local OTM tournament and regarded him as a promising competitor.
Where in the source: Second paragraph.
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Graciemag, GMA Lloyd Irvin introduces his avenger at the Worlds,12June2011.(opens in a new tab)
After joining Irvin’s training camp, Harbison removed distractions, including his Facebook account, to concentrate on improving his jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Final three paragraphs.
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He credited Irvin’s detailed technical explanations and challenging training rounds with helping his development.
Where in the source: Paragraphs on mentor and sparring with Irvin and JT Torres.
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At the2011 Worlds he submitted Dan Schon with a kimura and Nate Diaz with a bow-and-arrow choke, then won narrow matches over José Carlos Souza and Eliezer Skaf.
Where in the source: Four-match middleweight account.
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The world title let him reverse previous defeats to Schon, Souza and Skaf; he described taking the competition one match at a time without feeling pressure.
Where in the source: Match descriptions and final paragraph.
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IBJJF,2011 World Championships.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison won the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the2011 World Championships.
Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / MIDDLE: 1James Harbison/Lloyd Irvin M.A Academy;2Eliezer Skaf/Cia Paulista;3Luciano Cristovam/Gracie Elite;3Jose Carlos Souza da Silva/GF Team.
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IBJJF,2011 Pan Championships.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison won the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the2011 Pan Championships.
Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / MIDDLE: 1James Harbison/Lloyd Irvin M.A Academy;2Alec Baulding/Alliance;3James Guyton/Checkmat BJJ;3Benel Dariush/Ralph Gracie.
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He also took bronze in the adult male brown-belt open class at the2011 Pan Championships.
Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / OPEN CLASS, full four-row division in saved original.
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IBJJF,2011 European Championships.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison won the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the2011 European Championships.
Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / MIDDLE: 1James Harbison/Lloyd Irvin M.A Academy;2Patrick Decaro/Frota Team;3Wellington Araujo/Icon JJ team;3Aroldo Moretti/Check Mat Bjj.
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IBJJF,2011 Brazilian Nationals.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison won the adult male brown-belt middleweight division at the2011 Brazilian Nationals.
Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / MIDDLE: 1James Harbison/Lloyd Irvin M.A Academy;2Diego Borges Silva/Osvaldo Alves;3Josimar Cardoso/Gracie Florianopolis;3Gabriel Procopio da Fonseca/Brazilian Top Team.
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He also took bronze in the adult male brown-belt open class at the2011 Brazilian Nationals.
Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / OPEN CLASS, full four-row division in saved original.
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SevereMMA interview with Jimmy Harbison,14April2013.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison recalled starting jiu-jitsu halfway through his freshman year after his new high school offered no wrestling and his father suggested the sport.
Where in the source: 9:38–10:10.
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At fourteen, visiting Dublin as a new white belt, he trained with John Kavanagh and learned a hip-framing escape that remained important in his later teaching.
Where in the source: 9:38–12:01.
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He said sustained competition training left him unable to recover adequately and forced a break, during which he began helping Alliance fighters in Las Vegas.
Where in the source: 0:19–1:31.
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Training with Ross Pearson led to an invitation to coach jiu-jitsu for Team UK on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes.
Where in the source: 1:31–2:01 and3:38–5:03.
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His MMA coaching prioritised frames, protected posture and escaping safely so strikers could return to their feet, rather than building an entire sport-jiu-jitsu competition game.
Where in the source: 12:01–14:30.
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He described confidence, strengthened within a group sharing the same goals, as the missing element before his2011 competitive breakthrough.
Where in the source: 19:55–21:01.
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Andrew Potter, MMAWeekly, TUF The Smashes episode1 recap,19September2012.(opens in a new tab)
Harbison served as Team UK’s jiu-jitsu assistant coach under Ross Pearson on the2012 series The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes.
Where in the source: Assistant staff paragraph, lines72–76.
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Fighters Only, Nick Peet, Ross Pearson: Lost In Transition; archived article online22November2019.(opens in a new tab)
Ross Pearson named Harbison among the grapplers whose daily training helped him improve his wrestling and jiu-jitsu at Alliance MMA.
Where in the source: ALLIANCE section.
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Rollin’ in Costa Rica, Past Instructors.(opens in a new tab)
Rollin’ in Costa Rica lists Harbison among its past instructors for2020–2022.
Where in the source: James Harbison(2020–2022) heading.
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Rollin’ in Costa Rica,2026 Training Schedule.(opens in a new tab)
The2026 Rollin’ in Costa Rica schedule lists Harbison to teach both gi and no-gi sessions, including Thursday5February and Saturday7February classes.
Where in the source: Thursday and Saturday entries.
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Sheridan BJJ, Bumping from bottom to create space – Jimmy Harbison – Rollin in Costa Rica,13February2022.(opens in a new tab)
Sheridan BJJ described Harbison’s Costa Rica lesson as using the legs to create space from bottom while keeping the upper body protected, as a foundation for side-control escapes.
Where in the source: Publisher description.
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