Thomas David DeBlass
From Ricardo Almeida black belt to UFC veteran and Ocean County BJJ coach, Tom DeBlass built his career in New Jersey.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BJJ Heroes, 'Tom DeBlass', athlete biography and record.(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes identifies the athlete as Thomas David DeBlass and says he is commonly known as Tom DeBlass.
Where in the source: Profile introduction and Full Name field.
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BJJ Heroes reports that DeBlass was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on 14 May 1982.
Where in the source: Biography opening: birth details.
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BJJ Heroes says DeBlass first trained in taekwondo, later competed in track and field as a long jumper, and turned to jiu-jitsu after an injury ended that path when he was about 18.
Where in the source: Early biography: injury and transition.
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BJJ Heroes reports that DeBlass began under Eric Colon, moved to Ricardo Almeida's academy as a white belt, and progressed through the belt system under Almeida.
Where in the source: Training biography: Colon and Almeida.
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UFC, 'Diabate Gets a New Opponent for Next Weekend', 4 April 2012.(opens in a new tab)
UFC described Tom DeBlass as an accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who trained and taught alongside Ricardo Almeida and Renzo Gracie in New Jersey when it announced his UFC debut in 2012.
Where in the source: Fight-card update: DeBlass replacement paragraph under the 4 April update.
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Thomas Gerbasi, UFC, 'A Full Camp and 20 Pounds Later, Tom DeBlass Returns', 23 October 2012.(opens in a new tab)
In a 2012 UFC interview, DeBlass said he accepted his UFC debut against Cyrille Diabate on short notice; UFC's account described the bout as his first defeat in eight professional fights.
Where in the source: Opening section — short-notice debut, fifteen-minute bout and first professional loss.
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Bear Frazer, ONE Championship, 'BJJ Legend Tom DeBlass Signs With ONE Championship', 18 May 2020.(opens in a new tab)
ONE Championship reported in 2020 that DeBlass had compiled a 9-2 professional MMA record, held Ring of Combat heavyweight and light-heavyweight titles, and had retired from MMA competition after his November 2013 win over Jason Lambert to refocus on jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Signing announcement dated 18 May 2020 — career summary before the comeback discussion.
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ONE Championship identifies DeBlass as an American grappler and New Jersey resident.
Where in the source: Signing announcement opening — nationality and New Jersey residence.
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ONE Championship, 'The Man Who Transformed Garry Tonon's Martial Arts Game', 2 November 2018.(opens in a new tab)
ONE Championship describes Tom DeBlass as Garry Tonon's early Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach and says Tonon trained under him in New Jersey before later working with John Danaher in New York.
Where in the source: Feature opening — Tonon's New Jersey training under DeBlass and later New York sessions.
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TomDeBlass.com, 'Professional Resume', retrieved 8 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)
DeBlass's current professional-resume page presents him as the owner of Ocean County BJJ, head of the TDBJJ affiliation, author of How You Bear It, and founder of Buddies Over Bullies.
Where in the source: Professional Resume — current role list beneath the introductory paragraph.
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