quote:

The score was 2-2 with one advantage each and time was ticking down. The crowd around the nearly empty mats was entirely focused on Beneil Dariush and De'Alonzio (DJ) Jackson, as they grappled for the brown belt middleweight championship. First, Beneil worked an omoplata sweep to get two points and an advantage, then DJ swept back from the half guard and struggled to pass. This match was destined to go down to the wire and perhaps to a referee's decision. DJ got points for a pass very late into the match and was up 4-2.

The crowd chanted the countdown as time was running out. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! When the 1 sounded in the air, Beneil stopped grappling. He stood up and began to compose himself.

What he didn't know is that the crowd chanting was a congregation of Team Lloyd Irvin grapplers and supporters there to coach his opponent, DJ Jackson. There was actually ten more seconds left on the clock. DJ had nothing to do with the false countdown, but readily took advantage of it with a takedown and a pass into side control. Bam! Two points for the takedown and three points for the pass into side control on an unresisting and confused Beneil.

That sneaky trick allowed DJ to seize his first gold medal in his first try at brown belt in a major tournament. In future editions of the Mundials, there may be rules or sanctions against teams for pulling underhanded tactics like this, but for now, that gold medal is Jackson's to keep.