# Jacob Couch

> Black Belt | United States

## Overview

**Name:** Jacob Couch

**Belt Rank:** Black Belt

**Nationality:** United States

**Gender:** Male

**Weight:** 88 kg


## Bio

Jacob Couch was born on February 3rd, 1999, in Hazard, Kentucky, United States of America.

Competitive sports entered Couch’s life in 6th grade when he joined the A.B. Combs Elementary School’s football team. Although he loved the sport, he was forced to quit the team due to lack of transportation, but the love for the challenge remained very much alive in his heart.

Jacob joined his school’s wrestling team as a freshman. A short-lived experience that lasted 3 months, prior to him finding out about submission-grappling.

When Couch was 15 years old he became a target of bullying. Seeing his struggles, two friends of Jacob – brothers Ken and Stone Beverly – suggested that he should join a local MMA gym, which he enjoyed from the get-go. Despite his lack of financial resources, Jacob was allowed to pay half-fee so he could train.

At the mixed martial arts gym, Jacob started learning jiu-jitsu under the guidance of Donald Neace, who saw Couch through to the blue belt level, and later with Adam Gomez.

In 2019, while at the IBJJF No-Gi Pan American Championship, Jacob Couch befriended a few students of Heath Pedigo. These newfound friends invited the Kentucky native to come and train with them at their (now famous) training room in Mount Vernon, Illinois, even offering to drive Couch there, as the young athlete did not own a vehicle.

Couch visited the Daisy Fresh facility – Pedigo Submission Fighting – in 2019 where his relationship with the workgroup grew even stronger, leading to his decision to stay and move to Illinois. Jacob was a purple belt at the time.

While training at Pedigo Submission Fighting, with some of the top athletes in the nation, Couch’s grappling skills shined through even further than they had in the past. After multiple successes in the colored belt divisions, coach  Heath Pedigo  promoted his student, Jacob Couch, to the rank of black belt. A celebration that took place while The Hillbilly Hammer stood on the podium of the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, on December 15, 2022.
## Specialties

- closed guard
## Achievements

- 1st Place ADCC East Coast Trials (2023)
- 1st Place ADCC Las Vegas Open (2023)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI (2023)
- 3rd Place ADCC East Coast Trials (2021)
- 3rd Place WNO Tournament (2021)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2018 blue, 2021/2022 brown)
- 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI (2020** purple, 2022**)
- 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, MIA (2020 purple)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2019* purple)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI (2019 purple, 2021 brown)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2020 purple)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2018 blue*, 2019 purple, 2021* brown)
## Lineage

- Heath Pedigo (Black Belt)

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**Last Updated:** September 08, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/jacob-couch)