Team, I’ll admit to running out of time for today’s analysis article. I want to get this summary of prices and matchups out to you now. My advice is to find someone where you have at least one winnable and one high probability win match. Also, I think the successful managers are gaming the system by putting alternates on their roster, especially Caleb Mcallister who is only $10, saving money for other roster spots.
I promise I’ll get the fantasy analysis (with full analysis) out to you guys earlier tomorrow. So, we’ll see how yall do without Egghead’s analysis. Of course, the most important part of this process is just enjoying the show. See you in about one hour.
SUPER PREMIUMS (you’re going to offset the expense by dropping a roster spot)
Davis Asare (purple) – $33. He faces Kevin Sherrill, Daniel Sathler, and Max Hanson.
David “Quadzilla” Evers (black) – $30. He faces Matt Elkins, Jett Thompson, and Samson Phommabout.
Jett “the Kid” Thompson (brown) – $30. He faces Max Hanson, David Evers, and Kevin Sherrill.
PREMIUMS (worth more than your average bear, but won’t break the bank quite as much as the super premiums)
Nathan Haddad (black) – $29. He faces AJ Agazarm, Renato Canuto, and Michael John.
Andy Varela (black) – $29. He faces Ben Eddy, Samson Phommabout, and Renato Canuto.
Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton (brown) – $28. He faces John Combs, Cam Hurd, and PJ Barch.
Daniel Sathler (black) – $28. He faces Michael John, Davis Asare, and AJ Agazarm.
Renato Canuto (black) – $27. He faces Jamie Carnall, Nathan Haddad, and Andy Varela.
PJ Barch (black) – $26. He faces Kevin Beuhring, AJ Agazarm, and Elijah Carlton.
AVERAGE (solid competitors to add to your team)
Max Hanson (black) – $24. He faces Jett Thompson, John Combs, and Davis Asare.
Ben Eddy (black) – $23. He faces Andy Varela, Kevin Beuhring, and Jamie Carnall.
Kevin Beuhring (purple) – $22. He faces PJ Barch, Ben Eddy, and John Combs.
Cam Hurd (purple) – $22. He faces Samson Phommabout, Elijah Carlton, and Matt Elkins.
BELOW AVERAGE (lower priced but also less likely to get you points)
Samson Phommabout (black) – $19. He faces Cam Hurd, Andy Varela, and David Evers.
Matt Elkins (black) – $19. He faces David Evers, Michael John, and Cam Hurd.
AJ Agazarm (black) – $18. He faces Nathan Haddad, PJ Barch, and Daniel Sathler.
Mike John (black) – $18. He faces Daniel Sathler, Matt Elkins, and Nathan Haddad.
“Handsome” Kevin Sherrill (brown) – $18. He faces Davis Asare, Jamie Carnall, and Jett Thompson.
PENNY STOCKS (NOT LIKELY TO MAKE YOU MUCH, BUT IF YOU HAVE MONEY LEFT IN YOUR POCKET…) – a reminder to all competitors, don’t take my comments personally. If I was competing, I would be squarely at the bottom of this category.
Jamie Carnall (brown) – $17. He faces Renato Canuto, Kevin Sherrill, Ben Eddy.
John Combs (black) – $17. He faces Elijah Carlton, Max Hanson, and Kevin Beuhring.
We’re halfway through the PGF World 6 regular season! We’ve seen some great grappling and some crazy action near the edges, in the couches, and backstage. But the best jiu jitsu is to come as every competitor takes their shot at making the post-season finale tournament and the PGF World 6 Championship Title and the $20,000 that goes along with it. But every competitor, even those who may look unlikely to make the finale tournament will be selling out for submissions until the end, because they can still help their team win the regular season team title which earns their team $100,000. Let’s look at some of the standouts from Day 2.
THE TOP PERFORMERS
Jett “the Kid” Thompson – Don’t call it a comeback, he’s been here for 17 years! While Jett “the Kid” Thompson is too young to get the previous line’s LL Cool J reference, his parents will. The young man from Oklahoma wowed fans on the first day of PGF World 6 when he secured a leg lock against John Combs, then held his own against PJ Barch. On the second day of the PGF World 6 regular season, Jett decided it was time to put some serious points on the board. First, he scored an Elbow Genie worthy armbar against one of the most experienced PGF veterans in Matt Elkins. The submission earned Jett four points (three for the Break and one for the under one minute submission). Later, Jett forced a draw against another high performing young man, and competitor currently in first place, Davis Asare. Finally, Jett constantly attacked PGF veteran Samson Phommabout until Jett could secure a Ruotolotine (arm-in rear naked choke). No one expected Jett Thompson to be tied for first place at the PGF World 6 halfway point. Well, Jett did…and maybe his friends and family. Regardless of one’s expectations of Jett Thompson heading into PGF World 6, you have to believe in the young man now. PGF World has a number of fan favorites and it’s easy to see Jett Thompson has already joined their ranks after just two days of PGF World competition. As Egghead said on day one: “I thought we’d be saying ‘Welcome to the Show, kid,’ but we have to say ‘Welcome to the Kid, show!’”
Jett “the Kid” Thompson gets his hand raised on day 2 of PGF World 6. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Elijah “the Jabroni” Carlton – Regression to the mean – it’s the phenomenon that explains “the Madden curse. “ Essentially, to be put on the cover of a Madden football video game cover, a player has to have a breakout/world-beating season. Regression to the mean, says that after an especially outstanding or underwhelming performance, a player’s will normally adjust back towards their average. Even though Elijah Carlton won PGF World 5, he likewise started off slow – with only one break on the first day. Of course, he went on to score three submissions on the second day, eventually placing first in PGF World 5’s regular season and winning PGF World 5 overall. In PGF World 6, Elijah Carlton found himself, like many of the other highly touted competitors, still looking for his first submission after the first day. On day 2, Elijah made sure to put points on the board. He came out and sunk in two breaks, both within one minute – earning the Elbow Genie bonus points. Elijah even invoked the Elbow Genie’s name when everyone was unsure whether he hit the submission in less than one minute. After Elijah told everyone to ask Jonathon Roberts, the Elbow Genie, if his submission on Matt Elkins was within one minute, the Commissioner confirmed Elijah had hit the submission with one second to spare. Now that Elijah has returned to his scoring ways, can he also return to his normal spot atop the PGF World standing? Even with the slow start, Elijah is tied for fifth place and only eight points behind the frontrunner, Davis Asare, who is Elijah’s X-Martial teammate. Elijah doesn’t have an easy schedule ahead for the rest of the season, to be fair no one in PGF World 6 has an easy schedule, but Elijah still has opportunities and the skill to make the post-season, finale tournament.
Elijah sinks in the submission. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Nathan Haddad – If it wasn’t for Day 1 standouts Daniel Sathler, Jett “the Kid” Thompson, and Davis Asare, everyone would have been talking about Nathan Haddad’s performance. The Helio Soneca Jiu Jitsu black belt impressed everyone with his gritty, resilient style. Though Haddad didn’t put any points on the board the first day, but he threatened top-seeded PJ Barch with a scary triangle and gave John Combs and Jett “the Kid” Thompson everything they could handle. PGF World Commissioner, Brandon Mccaghren told everyone on Day 1 that Haddad’s style would pay dividends as the season progressed. Haddad proved the Commish correct on Day 2. In his first match, Haddad used his patented slide by to reach Jamie Carnall’s back quickly, sinking in the rear-naked choke in less than one minute, gaining the Elbow Genie bonus point. Haddad’s other two matches on Day 2 didn’t help him get any points, but his toughness shined when he took on Daniel Sathler and Andy Varela. Even though he only has one submission on the board, Haddad made it count. He’s currently ranked 8th, meaning he’s the last one in for the post-season finale tournament, as of now. Haddad has the faith of the Commish and now many fans that if he keeps playing his game, he will make the playoffs.
Nathan Haddad gets his hand raised on day 2 of PGF World 6. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Ben Eddy – Heading into the last block of PGF World Day 2, the best rubber-guard playing competitor in the world had not gotten any opponent into his closed guard. Eddy proved the efficacy of his guard against fellow 10th Planet member Sam Schwatzapfel. Schwartzapfel had to replace John Combs after Combs injured himself in an earlier match on Day 2. After being pushed around by Sam on the feet a few times, Eddy started pulling Sam into his guard. Sam escaped the first time, but Eddy found a way to his rubber guard. Once Eddy found his rubber guard, he locked in a wrong-side triangle from bottom and used his fist to finish the choke. With this Kill, the DQ from Sathler jumping guard on Day 1, and the four X-Martial team points, Ben Eddy found himself tied for 5th place with 12 points halfway through the regular season. Eddy still has six matches to get the four hindulotines (guillotine from rubber guard) that he promised the Commissioner before the season started. Looking at his upcoming schedule, he might just do it.
Big Names Finally on the Board
Elijah Carlton and Ben Eddy were not the only highly touted competitors to rack up their first submissions of the season on PGF World Day 2. Team Adama black belt, Max Hanson got his first submission with a heel hook in the second block of the day. First round picks PJ Barch and Renato Canuto both had to wait until the last block of Day 2 for their first submission of the season. Barch got a heel hook, but Canuto stole the show with the submission of the season with a flying armbar in the first minute. If the season ended today, both first round picks would not make the playoffs, but we’re only halfway through the season. Now that Barch and Canuto have put points on the board, one has to imagine they’ll continue to do so. As long as they can score enough points to make the playoffs, both can still definitely win PGF World 6.
TEAM STANDINGS: THE HUNT FOR $100,000
On day 1, the Black Rifle Coffee Company team put zero points on the board. On day 2, they got back in the hunt, hitting double digits with 10 points. This day, it was Team Epic Roll’s turn to put up a goose egg. Still, with their good start on day 1, Epic Roll was still in third place with 12 points. Team 1st Phorm almost doubled their day 1 totals, putting up 22 points on day 2. Before the final block, they only had added nine points. But three Team 1st Phorm members secured submissions in their last matches of the day, adding another 13 points to their team totals. Team 1st Phorm finished the first half of the season with 35 points. But the story of the season has been Team X-Martial. After putting up 22 points on day 1, they put up even more points on day 2 – scoring a league high 27 points. At the end of the first half of PGF World 6, Team X-Martial still has a commanding lead with 49 points. Still, Team X-Martial will need to continue putting points on the board because it would only take two matches, with Kills within the first minute, for Team 1st Phorm to catch up to Team X-Martial. As fans have seen continuously through the six seasons of PGF World, fortunes can change VERY quickly. With $100,000 on the line for each team, every competitor has to push for the finish in every match.
Tune in tonight as we start the second half of the PGF World 6 regular season. Fans can watch it FREE on YouTube, Caffeine, or a host of other platforms. With the conclusion of every match, the competitors’ sense of urgency will only rise. With this urgency, grapplers will open up their games, as they realize a draw gets them the same amount of points as a loss. And as competitors open up their games, searching for submissions, they open up themselves to get submitted. The first half of the season had LOTS of action, but more draws than normal in the PGF. As they approach the finish line, fans should expect many more submissions as competitors on the bubble seek to secure their chance at the finale tournament. Tensions will rise as competitors realize they might not make the playoffs; tensions will rise as Teams realize they have less and less chances to take over the top ranking to win the $100,000. Just as so many other sports, drama will naturally occur as the hunt for the team title and the overall PGF World 6 Championship draws to an end. But every fan should expect these things. After all, the Professional Grappling Federation is everything you love about sports, plus jiu jitsu.
Team, only nine submissions in day 1. It’s always a hard transition for competitors who are not used to six minute rounds and not used to submissions or nothing scoring rules. The Commissioner has said the refs will be pushing stalling calls to help force the action, but the parity of the roster has really shown so far. With only $160 to fill your roster, fantasy managers will have to look for the few mismatches on the schedule for tonight and try to find a way to afford those competitors. May the odds be ever in your favor.
SUPER PREMIUMS (you’re going to offset the expense by dropping a roster spot)
Andy Varela (black) – $34. He faces Kevin Beuhring, PJ Barch, and Nathan Haddad – 9 points. Varela is very skilled and he delivered on day 1. But he’s facing some very game opponents. He might even have three draws with this lineup, but odds are he finds a way to get a kill and a break in this lineup.
Davis Asare (purple) – $33. He faces Michael John, Jett Thompson, and AJ Agazarm – 6 points. Agazarm has shown he won’t tap. Competitors will have to put him to sleep and that’s a tall order. Thompson has shown he won’t back down and John is a craft bet. Odds have Asare getting 6 points today.
Daniel Sathler (black) – $32. He faces Kevin Sherrell, Nathan Haddad, and Max Hanson – 0 points. Sathler had a phenomenal first day with two highlight submissions. Today he regresses to the mean. He might squeeze out 6 points, but odds do not favor it.
Renato Canuto (black) – $30. He faces AJ Agazarm, Ben Eddy, and Michael John – 3 points. Canuto is so dynamic but hasn’t been able to finish a submission. He might find a flying armbar today, but there’s a very real possibility he doesn’t get a submission again.
PREMIUMS (worth more than your average bear, but won’t break the bank quite as much as the super premiums)
PJ Barch (black) – $29. He faces Ben Eddy, Andy Varela, and Cam Hurd – 6 points. PJ needs points badly and his best shot today is against Hurd, but Hurd is a very tough wrestler whose jiu jitsu skills have been improving rapidly. It could be another long day for Barch.
Cam Hurd (purple) – $29. He faces John Combs, David Evers, and PJ Barch – 0 points. No competitor would want to face this lineup today. Hurd will bring excitement to each match but unlikely a submission.
David “Quadzilla” Evers (black) – $28. He faces Max Hanson, Cam Hurd, and Kevin Sherrill – 6 points. Evers’ best bets are Breaks against Hurd and Sherrill (who he defeated in the PGF Season 3 finale).
John Combs (black) – $27. He faces Cam Hurd, Samson Phommabout, and Ben Eddy – 12 points. Combs has two Kill (choke) wins over over Hurd in ADCC Opens and Samson, though very tough, is susceptible to a submission. Combs knows he needs points today and he will likely get them.
Jett Thompson (brown) – $25. He faces Matt Elkins, Davis Asare, and Samson Phommabout – 6 points. Thompson versus Asare will give us more information about both competitors – with Asare likely ending up on top. Jett has to look at the Elkins and Samson matches as opportunities for points. With so few submissions so far this season, all competitors should jump on any chance at a Break.
Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton (brown) – $25. He faces Samson Phommabout, Kevin Beuhring, and Matt Elkins – 12 points. Elijah has been Elkins’ kryptonite through many seasons of the PGF. For all the praise Elijah has given Kevin Beurhing, Elijah is the black belt in the 10th Planet Atlanta room and will likely big brother Kevin. Finally, Elijah will definitely target Samson. Elijah might get 18 points today, but 12 is a good estimate.
AVERAGE (solid competitors to add to your team)
Nathan Haddad (black) – $24. He faces Jamie Carnall, Daniel Sathler, and Andy Varela. Haddad is very game, but his best shot at a submission is a very cagey Carnall. $24 is a lot for a possible 6, but more likely three draws.
Max Hanson (black) – $24. He faces David Evers, Matt Elkins, and Daniel Sathler. – 6 points. Max could definitely out perform this estimate. You know he wants to get it back against Sathler after the WNO loss. Hansons will be looking to take out the two PGF veterans, but they are very hard to put away.
Kevin Beuhring (purple) – $23. He faces Andy Varela, Elijah Carlton, and Jamie Carnall. – 3 points. Beuhring’s best shot is a break against Carnall.
Mike John (black) – $21. He faces Davis Asare, Kevin Sherrill, and Renato Canuto. This lineup isn’t favorable for John.
Ben Eddy (black) – $21. He faces PJ Barch, Renato Canuto, and John Combs. Eddy’s facing a murderers row. He might have caught Combs before in a hindulotine, but it’ll be hard to catch him unawares again.
BELOW AVERAGE (lower priced but also less likely to get you points)
AJ Agazarm (black) – $20. He faces Renato Canuto, Jamie Carnall, and Davis Asare. Agazarm will be targeting Carnall, but Carnall’s used to it.
Matt Elkins (black) – $20. He faces Jett Thompson, Max Hanson, and Elijah Carlton – 0 points. The PGF veteran has a chance against each of these individuals, but it’s a tough row to hoe.
Samson Phommabout (black) – $20. He faces Elijah Carlton, John Combs, and Jett Thompson – 0 points. Samson will be the hunted one today.
PENNY STOCKS (NOT LIKELY TO MAKE YOU MUCH, BUT IF YOU HAVE MONEY LEFT IN YOUR POCKET…) – a reminder to all competitors, don’t take my comments personally. If I was competing, I would be squarely at the bottom of this category.
“Handsome” Kevin Sherrill (brown) – $18. He faces Daniel Sathler, Michael John, and David Evers. Handsome Kevin might be able to take out John and Evers, but Evers has the win over Handsome Kevin. He might be worth a flyer, though.
Jamie Carnall (brown) – $17. He faces Nathan Haddad, AJ Agazarm, and Kevin Beuhring – 0 points. Carnall is going to surprise some competitors with a submission before the week is over, but it’s unlikely today.
PGF World fans have a chance to win $1,000 by playing fantasy jiu jitsu. Fans can enter and play Fantasy Jiu Jitsu for FREE by following THIS LINK. Fans will have chances to win prizes as nightly winners, but the biggest prizes will go to the overall PGF World 6 Fantasy Champion.
Fantasy managers will have a set budget each day for assembling their team ($160 for the first day). Competitors’ roster prices will change every day based upon their performance. Fantasy managers must set up a new lineup each day to stay in the hunt for the daily and overall prizes. Finally, fantasy managers must fill all seven roster spots – so no picking only super premium competitors and leaving roster spots open.
To help both new and old PGF World fans alike, the Editorial Board at EggheadWarrior.com has put together some analysis of tonight’s matchups and how they affect competitors’ expected value compared to their roster price.
SUPER PREMIUMS (you’re going to offset the expense by dropping a roster spot)
PJ Barch (black) – $34. He faces Nathan Haddad (Kill), Jett Thompson (Kill), John Combs (Break) – 15 points. PJ faces two young, talented competitors in Haddad and Thompson…but the Butter Panther will show them there’s levels to this game. PJ took out Combs via heel hook at the 2021 Emerald City Invitational – so if it isn’t broke, don’t stop heel hooking it? PJ will show why he was ranked #1.
Andy Varela (black) – $32. He faces Cam Hurd (KILL), Davis Asare (DRAW), and Jamie Carnall (KILL) – 12 points. Varela got Hurd with an anaconda in their last match – Hurd might be looking to hard to counter that move that Varela takes his back. Asare faces a very tough room at New Wave every day. Varela was seconds away from the RNC in their last matchup, but it’s likely Asare and his coach John Danaher dissected that match and have patched the holes that almost led to the submission.
Renato Canuto (black) – $33. He faces Kevin Sherrill (BREAK), Max Hanson (LOSS), and Elijah Carlton (BREAK) – 6 points. Canuto could drastically overperform this prediction or he could drastically underperform this prediction. Because of the rulesets he’s competed in traditionally, he doesn’t have a lot of film with him securing submissions. But the ruleset makes the match. We’ll know a lot more about how to predict Canuto’s matches after tonight. Until then, he’s a risk for so much money.
PREMIUMS (worth more than your average bear, but won’t break the bank quite as much as the super premiums)
Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton (black) – $28. He faces Max Hanson (Loss), Kevin Sherrill (Break), and Renato Canuto (Draw) – 3 points. Elijah faces two of the top contenders for the season today. While the old adage is never to bet against Elijah in PGF World, it’s hard to think he earns enough points today to be worth the $28 premium price.
Davis Asare (purple) – $27. He faces Jamie Carnall, Andy Varela, and Cam Hurd – 6 points. Asare will be lucky to force a draw against Varela. Still, Asare has a good shot at getting two breaks or securing at least one kill against Carnall and Hurd. He might be able to get more points, but the Editorial board is being conservative for now.
John Combs (black) – $27. He faces Jett Thompson, Nathan Haddad, and PJ Barch – 12 points. Combs likely falls to Barch or forces a draw. But Combs has very favorable matchups with the fifth member of two different teams in Thompson and Haddad. If he wants to make the playoffs, Combs needs to get Kills against these gentlemen.
Daniel Sathler (black) – $26. He faces Matt Elkins, Samson Phommabout, and Ben Eddy – 3 points. Sathler spends most of his competitive time in rulesets won by points, advantage, or ref decision. He comes from one of the best teams in the world, but until we see how he performs in the PGF be careful putting him on your roster.
Max Hanson (black) – $26. He faces Elijah Carlton, Renato Canuto, and Kevin Sherrill – 12 points. Today, Max Hanson shows how he bounces back from losses. He lost the bronze medal match at the West Coast Trials, but that only makes him more resolute to show he is a contender for the PGF World 6 Title. If he can get two kills today, he can make a real statement. And the Editorial Board at EggheadWarrior.com believes he can.
AVERAGE (solid competitors to add to your team)
Kevin Beuhring (purple) – $23. He faces AJ Agazarm, Michael John, and David Evers.
Ben Eddy (black) – $22. He faces Samson Phommabout, Matt Elkins, and Daniel Sathler – 12 points. Not going to say which two are getting choked, but Eddy’s guard will come out to play today.
Nathan Haddad (black) – $22. He faces PJ Barch, John Combs, and Jett Thompson. The Jett Thompson match could go either way, but the coin flip says its going to Jett. Haddad has a lot of skills, a lot of tools. But today might not be the best day to put him on your roster.
David “Quadzilla” Evers (black) – $21. He faces Michael John, AJ Agazarm, and Kevin Beuhring – 6 points. We won’t give you exact expectations here, but Evers has a favorable lineup. More importantly, they probably all looked over him (except Beuhring who lost to him in the finale tournament of Season 3). Evers can have a great start to his season today.
Mike John (black) – $21. He faces David Evers, Kevin Beuhring, and AJ Agazarm. John fought his way into the PGF, being the only qualifier winner. That said, even though his matches will be exciting, it’s tough to rely on points from him on the first day.
BELOW AVERAGE (lower priced but also less likely to get you points)
AJ Agazarm (black) – $20. He faces Kevin Beuhring, David Evers, Michael John. Until proven otherwise, AJ has spent too much time in rulesets which favored positional point scoring over submissions. AJ can get submissions, but can he shake off those rulesets on the first day, especially when he wasn’t present for the rules meeting?
Matt Elkins (black) – $20. He faces Daniel Sathler (KILL), Ben Eddy (DRAW), and Samson Phommabout (KILL) – 12 points. Upset special of the night, the veteran collegiate wrestler and PGF veteran will find a way to submit Sathler. As we know, 26 of Elkins’ 28 submissions in the PGF are Kills, so a kill it is. Of note, the Editorial Board of EggheadWarrior.com might be biased in favor of a great PGF veteran.
Samson Phommabout (black) – $20. He faces Ben Eddy, Daniel Sathler, and Matt Elkins. Samson is a game, veteran MMA fighter, but he’s undersized for this weight class, especially with this level of competition. Don’t count on points tonight from Samson.
Cam Hurd (purple) – $20. He faces Andy Varela (Loss), Jamie Carnall (Kill), and Davis Asare (Loss) – 6 points. Varela has had Cam’s number before and likely will again. Asare comes from too good a camp not to at least cause a draw. The Carnall and Cam match will say a lot about what the week holds for them. Currently, the odds are going in favor of Cam’s front headlock game.
“Handsome” Kevin Sherrill (brown) – $20. He faces Renato Canuto, Elijah Carlton, and Max Hanson. Spa day might have come early for Handsome Kevin. He’s been wanting to get that match back against Elijah, but it’s likely to end in a draw. You shouldn’t count on points from the Handsome one today.
Jett Thompson (brown) – $20. He faces John Combs (Loss), PJ Barch (Loss), and Nathan Haddad (Break) – 3 points. Jett is a tough competitor for sure, but he’s going up against two of the toughest, most experienced competitors in Barch and Combs. Jett likely sits guard against Haddad and will snap on his favorite submission – an armbar.
PENNY STOCKS (NOT LIKELY TO MAKE YOU MUCH, BUT IF YOU HAVE MONEY LEFT IN YOUR POCKET…) – a reminder to all competitors, don’t take my comments personally. If I was competing, I would be squarely at the bottom of this category.
Jamie Carnall (brown) – $18. Number 20 in the power rankings and number 20 in your hearts. The Starving Raccoon faces Davis Asare (loss), Cam Hurd (break – low percentage), and Andy Varela (loss). Carnall will be a fan favorite this season. He’s too much fun on the microphone. He’s also got a sneaky ability to take his opponent’s backs and sink in RNCs. But this lineup is TOUGH. He faces a dark horse to win it all, a favorite to win it all, and a very game D1 wrestler who just had a great run at the West Coast trials. We’re not expecting any points out of him today.
There you go. That’s the best PGF Fantasy analysis published. Good luck.
P.S. Evan Dewitt can write his own analysis if he wants it to get published earlier. He should have plenty of time since he’s an alternate.
Professionals trust the process, regardless of temporary outcome. Professionals give their job 100%. Professionals find a way to win. Max Hanson is a professional and one might think he was tailor made for Professional Grappling Federation World. This Sunday, April 21st, Max Hanson will start his quest for the PGF World 6 Championship.
Hanson is a black belt out of Pedigo/Adamas Gym where he’s been training with Dante Leon for years. He used to drive 1.5 hours each way, twice a day to get his training at Adamas while he still lived in Canada. Hanson bet on himself and moved to the United States to be able to train more after COVID hit. Many critics and fans expect Hanson to make a real move to the top of the jiu jitsu competitive scene very soon. He’s had a lot of success and he’s not afraid of a challenge. Just last Summer, Hanson successfully defended both the 155-pound and 170-pound Finishers titles on the same night.
But more importantly, Hanson has the mentality to handle any ups and downs that happen during the gauntlet that is PGF World. As Hanson has described it he’s lost in the most embarrassing ways and he’s had huge victories as well. Either way, he gets to compete professionally in jiu jitsu. This mentality allows Hanson to come back stronger after any stumbles. For example, even though Hanson had a tough loss to Daniel Sathler via a flying triangle which turned into an armbar, he turned around as a substitute competitor in an Enigma competition well over his normal weight class and won the event. After losing the bronze medal match at the ADCC West Coast Trials, Hanson is primed for another big comeback victory. Hanson can’t be kept down.
PGF World Season 5 veteran, Nic “the Minnesota Maniac” Craton might have the best take on his Adamas teammate: “See the thing you gotta know about Max Hanson is that he levels up his skills faster than anybody else. …his technique and capacity for improvement is second to none. What you see if max today is nothing compared to what he is tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. You just never want to bet against him because you never know how vastly he has improved since the last time you saw him, it’s really incredible.”
Given his ability to level up, given his professionalism, given his drive, Max Hanson has a real chance to make a big statement this week at PGF World 6. He has at least 12 chances to put his jiu jitsu on display during the regular season. And many fans are picking him to make the post-season tournament, if not win it all. Regardless of the results, Hanson will be giving it 100% every match and will be exciting to watch.
To catch Hanson and the rest of PGF World 6, check out the LIVE action as it starts this Sunday on YouTube. The regular season runs from Monday, 22 April, through Thursday, 25 April. The post-season finale tournament will be aired on UFC Fight Pass on Friday, 26 April.
It’s almost HERE!!! PGF World 6 kicks off in Las Vegas on April 21st with the AUCTION DRAFT! The four legendary coaches of PGF World 6 will have to assemble their five-competitor teams by outbidding their opponents. The Team who wins the regular season will earn $100,000 to be split amongst them. Sure, every competitor will have 12 matches over four days where they will have to submit their opponents to earn points for the team, but it all starts with the auction draft.
Now, the order of the draft will be determined by the PGF World 6 power rankings. PGF World provided their initial rankings on their Instagram page. Shortly afterwards, Tim Freeman and his Inside BJJ Podcast team put out their preseason rankings. Finally, the Voice of the PGF (Matt Skaff) provided his own preseason rankings on his Grappling Discourse Podcast. Since PGF Season 3, the Editorial Board at Eggheadwarrior.com has always provided our own pre-draft rankings, and we’re doing it again. These rankings will be a little more involved that the others as we try to show our work with each pick. Now, to be fair, these rankings might not affect the official ones. Still, the Editorial Board at Eggheadwarrior.com has a strong track record for picking winners, so you might want to pay attention.
Disclaimer: The Editorial Board of Eggheadwarrior.com are fans of every PGF World 6 competitor. They are all a part of the PGF family. But every ranking has to have folks picked last. Also, submission grappling has no central resource for match footage or information. The board researches every competitor looking at bjjheroes.com, flograppling, UFC fight pass, enigma TV, smoothcomp. YouTube, and the always trusty “Google.” These rankings are only as good as the open source intelligence available on the internet. If readers have inside information, please share it with us and we may update our rankings.
Okay, enough prelude, onto the rankings!
#1 Andy Varela – A 10th Planet Black Belt under Casey Halstead at 10th Planet Las Vegas, Varela has the standard 10th Planet skills, but he drew inspiration from many other sources, leading to a truly unique grappling style. Many folks had picked Varela to win the ADCC West Coast Trials. While he didn’t win, he put on an amazing run. As you can see in his highlight video HERE, Varela showed he has the vibe and a game made for the PGF. Varela is exciting and always looking to push the action. He goes for subs, not points. Heck, he only had two points scored on him in the trials and no one even tried to submit him. Varela had to settle for third place in the trials, but he took out fellow PGF World 6 competitors John Combs and Max Hanson on his way to the bronze. He forced Combs into a DQ and he finished Hanson via RNC in less than two minutes. Varela was also a silver medalist in the 2022 ADCC West Coast Trials, where he won a match against our #2 ranked P.J. Barch (by Ref decision to be fair). He has wins multiple other competitors on this lineup including Davis Asare, Cam Hurd, etc. Varela has shown us over his career a desire to get the submission, a desire to mix it up with an exciting style. In this last ADCC West Coast Trials, Varela showed us his skills, but he’s definitely still hungry after having to settle for bronze. Varela is primed to put on a show during PGF World 6.
#2 P.J. Barch – Head coach and founder of 10th Planet South Bay, P.J. Barch is the first black belt under Richie “Boogie” Martinez. He’s a long-established competitor, facing only the toughest of competition. P. J. recently won the Polaris 170lb Grand Prix earning himself a tidy $20,000. Known for his outstanding wrestling, he compliments his standing game with devastating RNCs and sneaky leg attacks. The Butter Panther is a sure thing for the playoffs and for earning a team lots of points. Coaches should be looking at spending at least 30% if not more of their salary cap to get P.J. on their team.
#3 Elijah Carlton – Elijah is the face of the PGF; the Royce Gracie of the PGF. He has that quality that PGF Insider Miggy values most of all: EXPERIENCE. No one has as much experience in the PGF ruleset at Elijah. He is 51-1-5 (only one loss and five draws) in the PGF Regular Season and 8-1 in the PGF post season. Elijah has a 49% Kill rate and a 42% Break rate – he will rack up points. As a possible statistical anomaly, Elijah has more sub-one minute submission bonus points than the Elbow Genie Jonathan Roberts, the rule’s namesake. True, John Combs subbed Elijah with a triangle two years ago. He has split matches with Davis Asare (winning via heel hook at ADCC Denver Open and losing He’s the Sapateiro Challengers Open Weight Division Champion. A former Brown Belt High Rollerz champion (never beaten, just promoted to black belt). Since moving to the suburbs of Atlanta and training full time with his coach Sean Applegate, Elijah has taken on a more professional outlook and attitude toward grappling. With his crazy skills, insane PGF experience, and solid professional ethos and coaching, Elijah will be looking to prove he will remain the face of PGF World.
#4 Davis Asare – Asare is a purple belt training under John Danaher at New Wave Jiu Jitsu. Asare has been a super active competitor in the last two years. He got three submissions on his way to winning the silver medal for the ADCC European Trials. Asare secured two submissions to get the gold at ADCC Dead Sea Open 2024. He secured three submissions on his way to get gold at the ADCC Austin Open. He’s split matches at ADCC Opens with Combs, winning his first match by straight ankle lock and losing the second by triangle. He’s split matches with Elijah Carlton, losing by heel hook then winning by toe hold. Asare has an arm bar win over Kevin Beuhring. He has a decision win over PGF Season 5 runner-up Kemoy Anderson. One of the best things about Asare is he’s a submission hunter. He is the kind of grappler made for the PGF. PGF fans have seen what a New Wave student can do. In PGF Season 4, fellow New Wave product Reese LaFever earned the crown. Now, another young New Wave product is set to make his presence felt at PGF World 6. Given the well-known ability of New Wave to mold their students, one has to think Asare will be ready for everyone on this list come September 21st.
#5 John Combs – Combs is a black belt from Easton Training Center in Colorado. He’s a former ADCC West Coast Trials champion, a 2022 Sapoteiro Open Weight Champion, and a2023 ADCC Chicago Open champion. He was an all american wrestler in college, then started training jiu jitsu when he attended CU in Boulder. For the PGF, fans and coaches need to know Combs is a killing machine – well, in the PGF parlance. Combs is a choke (Kill in the PGF) specialist. His chokes are his weapons of choice, especially his guillotine. Watching his footage, PGF fans can anticipate a season similar to the ones Matt Elkins had in previous seasons, a choke/kill-heavy set of wins. Even if Combs does not get the most submissions, he’s likely to be able to match or exceed other competitors’ points since Kills are worth six points in the PGF and footlocks or any Breaks are only worth 3 points. Combs has nearly 200 jiu jitsu competition matches under his belt and VERY high percentage of his wins are via submission. And of those submissions, a very high percentage of them have been chokes. Combs is a rock-solid bet to score serious points for his team and to make the playoffs.
#6 Kevin Beuhring – Kevin Beuhring is a purple belt under Sean Applegate, at 10th Planet Atlanta. Kevin first entered the PGF scene during the Season 3 qualifiers. After about one year of training, still a white belt, Kevin traveled to the Jacksonville Qualifier. Kevin showed how dangerous a white belt can be as he submitted all of his opponents on his way to earning a roster spot in PGF Season 3. During the regular season he had black belts running away from him. Beuhring easily made the Season 3 finale tournament. Since PGF Season 3, Dangerous Kevin has been in continuous competition mode…and he’s been winning. To list off just a bit of Kevin’s resume he is the Sapateiro 170lb Champion (beating PGF World 6 competitor Max Hanson to get the belt), the Midwest Finishers 170lb Champion, a Summit Grappling 3x Absolute Champion and Grappler of the Year. Kevin holds the fastest submission record for five grappling promotions. Beuhring is an ADCC Open Silver Medalist and a Main Character Jiu Jitsu 170lb champion – winning via heel hook in 26 seconds. Most recently, PGF fans will remember Kevin taking out an entire opposing team in a five-on-five quintet battle during the PGF Season 5 Finale. He has some losses to others on this roster, but the field should not sleep on Kevin Beuhring. He’s constantly improving and has an almost preternatural connection to his coach when competing. Coach Applegate gives an instruction from the corner and Beuhring executes almost instantaneously. Kevin’s experience in the PGF, his great team at 10th Planet Atlanta, and his dedication to being a professional grappler make him a dangerous opponent for anyone during PGF World 6. Eggheadwarrior.com has written a full article recently on Kevin and it can be read HERE and Kevin’s interview with the PGF Insiders can be watched HERE.
#7 Max Hanson – Hanson is a black belt out of Pedigo/Adamas Gym where he’s been training with Dante Leon for years. He used to drive 1.5 hours each way, twice a day to get his training at Adamas while he still lived in Canada. Hanson bet on himself and moved to the United States to be able to train more after COVID hit. Many critics and fans expect Hanson to make a real move to the top of the jiu jitsu competitive scene very soon. He’s ad a lot of success. He has a submission win over fellow competitor Kieran Kichuk and a RNC on John Combs at the same tournament. Even though Hanson had a tough loss to Daniel Sathler via a flying triangle which turned into an armbar, he turned around as a substitute competitor in an Enigma competition well over his normal weight class and won the event. Hanson can’t be kept down. Heck, he’s decided to defend his 155lb and 170lb Finishers titles on the same night (and did defend them). To top it all off, Hanson has a super fight scheduled with ADCC East Coast Trials winner Elijah Dorsey for the day after the PGF! That’s the kind of intrepid confidence Max Hanson exhibits. Max’s plan is to give 100% to jiu jitsu, knowing he’ll succeed in the end if he just keeps giving it everything. Max is very dangerous and coaches and fans can be sure he’ll put up points against the competition this season. Max had a great interview with the PGF Insiders which can be seen HERE.
8. Kieran Kichuk – Kieran is a black belt, currently a member of the B Team in Austin, Texas. He had previously trained with Lloyd Irvin and his Medal Chasers. Starting at his first ADCC trials, Kieran had been on a track record of consistently finishing higher than he had previously, and hitting a number of submissions. He also notably won the 2022 Emerald City Invitational 155lb title. During the most recent ADCC West Coast Trials, Kieran started off well, but ran into a counter leg attack which injured him. As of now, Kichuk is still on the PGF Roster, but we are still waiting to make sure he’s 100% cleared. Kichuk has the mindset of a champion, using meditation, mindset, and his wiping of his feet when he enters the mat to trigger “The Bastard,” his competition alter ego that allows the very nice Kichuk to rip off his opponent’s appendages with glee. If Kichuk remains good to go for PGF World 6, he has a real chance to make the playoffs. Fans can look forward to interviews with a great, thoughtful competitor on the sidelines, and some ferocious attacks by The Bastard on the mats. Either way, the PGF World 6 audience should look forward to watching Kichuk’s work. Kieran had a great interview with the PGF Insiders which can be seen HERE.
#9. Renato Canuto – The black belt and head instructor at Hybrid Jiu Jitsu in Las Vegas is very exciting to watch. He does cartwheel/backflip passes; he has super quick shots and flying attacks. But, we’re worried he’s a point fighter. The Editorial board watched more than 4 hours of Renato Canuto no-gi matches…and saw only two submissions (a flying armbar against Joseph McKay in the 2021 No-Gi Worlds, and a flying armbar against Jake Shields at 3rd Coast Grappling two years go). Looking at the vast majority of matches online, the results were determined almost exclusively by points or referee’s decision. Now, Renato has regularly faced the upper echelons of competitors. He may be able to make quick work and submit the lower tiers of PGF World 6 competitors…maybe. For the lack of recent submission victories, the Editorial Board of Eggheadwarrior.com will be bucking the trend and will not have Renato Canuto making the playoffs.
#10 Mike John – The black belt out of 10th Planet Orange is a submission machine. The Editorial Board has watched film of him at Midwest Finishers (three RNCs (one in overtime) and one Elbow-Genie quick armbar); F2W(guillotine); Arte Suave Elite 24 (heelhook). But most importantly, one should note Mike John did not receive an invitation to PGF World 6 – he earned his spot by competing in the only qualifier. At the qualifier, he racked up four submissions. Mike John scored submissions over PGF Season 4 runner-up Dane Leak (RNC), a sub-minute leg lock on another competitor, and a leg lock on another fellow PGF World 6 competitor Jamie Carnall. Again, going to the qualifier, operating under PGF rules (including the new stalling rules), and claiming his spot – gives Mike John a huge leg up in these rankings. No one gave Mike John a spot, he had to fight for it – and one has to believe he’s going to make sure he makes an impact now that he’s on the roster.
#11 AJ Agazarm – Agazarm has a lot of accolades to his name: ADCC silver medalist, IBJJF No-Gi Champion, IBJJF Pans No-Gi Champion, West Coast Trials silver medalist, IBJJF European No-Gi Champion. He came up as a wrestler, ending his career at The Ohio State University, where he earned a degree in finance (so he’s smart as well). The reasons someone so accomplished and talented is ranked in the bottom half are (1) most these accolades were seven or more years ago, and (2) more importantly, the vast majority of Agazarm’s wins come from points, referee decisions, or advantages. He’s faced Renato Canuto twice, ending with a draw once and losing by advantage the other time. He’s faced John Combs twice, winning by ref decision and losing the other one by points. Wrestling and controlling someone are just the beginning of the formula for scoring points in the PGF – submissions are king. As with other competitors on this list, the question is whether Agazarm can de-program the points mentality after having competed with so much success in IBJJF and ADCC competitions where winning a match by points is a valid strategy.
#12 David Evers – You PGF Season 3, 170lb CHAMPION, David “Quadzilla” Evers! Evers is a newly minted black belt. You won’t find much of his competition footage, because as he put it, “I’m the only hobbyist on the roster.” But seriously, the man is special. He has a super unique body type which Kevin Beuhring, above, says “requires you to adjust every technique” to try to make it work on him. Evers won PGF Season 3 while also working his day job…as a NASA rocket scientist (okay, engineer but scientist rolls off the tongue better). To learn more about Evers, check out THIS ARTICLE or watch PGF Season 3 HERE. A number of competitors are going to overlook Evers (not a short joke, David – please don’t hurt the Editorial Board, sir)…and Evers will take their feet home with him. Evers also had a great interview with the PGF Insiders which can be seen HERE.
#13 Jett Thompson – The BOY WONDER!!! But seriously, this 17-year-old brown belt (yeah, he’s a minor so be careful what you say/do around the young man) will become a fan favorite this season. He has two wins over Ben Eddy. He had a loss at the recent ADCC West Coast Trials to PGF Veteran Nick Craton (who had a great run), but Thompson had Craton in trouble from the start. Don’t let Thompson’s Oklahoman manners fool you, he’s a killer. Thompson has been training since he was very young. He home schools so he can focus on jiu jitsu. He splits time training at The Forge BJJ in Oklahoma and spending at least one week a month traveling to Arlington, Texas to train exclusively with the Watkins Wrecking Crew. The word through the grapevine is multiple competitors had plenty of comments about Thompson when they found out he was on the roster…things like “damn, he’s tough,” “I’ve faced him and he’s no joke,” etc. Thompson represents all those kids who started jiu jitsu at a young age around the US about a decade ago as jiu jitsu was becoming more well-known and widespread. He’s going to be part of ushering in this new wave of killer jiu jitsu competitors that grew up eating, breathing, and living jiu jitsu. He’s got a chance to upset a lot of folks on this list. Jett had a great interview with the PGF Insiders that can be watched HERE.
#14 Ben Eddy – The 10th Planet Black Belt currently training out of 10th Planet Austin is extremely unique. He’s one of the best rubber guard players in the world. He’s the creator of the Hindulotine and he’s guaranteed he’ll hit at least four of them in the PGF. To be fair, he has hit the Hindulotine on John Combs in competition. Still, Eddy has dropped two matches to Jett Thompson above and lost to PGF Veteran Dane Leak in the recent ADCC West Coast Trials. He also has a number of losses recently in ADCC Opens. Eddy can be dangerous, but if his opponents can stay away from his rubber guard (and you have to imagine they are working those strategies), Eddy could score less points than many fans are estimating. HOWEVER, even if one argued Eddy only had one real weapon, being his rubber guard game – it’s a dang bazooka. Upon further review of the film, Ben Eddy enters into his rubber guard game very quickly, moving right for his Hindulotine or triangle variation. In past seasons of the PGF, competitors trying to play the rubber guard game have had issues progressing through their game within the six minute PGF rounds. Ben Eddy doesn’t have that problem. If he gets an overhook, he’s probably going to be able to move into his rubber guard game. Granted, every competitor on the PGF should know to watch out for Ben Eddy’s game, but can they stop it? Moreover, looking back at Eddy’s wins, they are almost exclusively submission victories. So, 14 it is. Admittedly, Eddy could very well overperform this number if he can hit a number of Hindulotines, but at the same time, there’s a lot of great wrestlers in the overall roster. If they can stay out of Eddy’s guard, he could also underperform. Either way, Eddy provides a unique and exciting element to PGF World 6.
#15 Samson Phommabout – Nicknamed “the Hustler” in PGF Season 4 because this man has so many irons in the fire – seriously, besides owning a barbershop, doing videography/photography including helping produce Subversiv, and his combat sports, he also has his own beverage company in phaze International. Samson is a mixed martial artist and jiu jitsu practitioner who has been on Combat Jiu Jitsu Worlds and was number two in the regular season of PGF Season 4, earning a spot in the finale tournament. Just to earn his spot in PGF Season 4, he had to submit multi-season PGF veteran Mario Gaor and PGF Season 5 competitor Carson Thigpen. At the PGF World 6 Qualifier, he scored a quick an outside heel hook win before falling to eventual qualifier runner-up Jamie Carnall (and a subsequent ref decision to another competitor). In the ADCC Long Beach Open, Samson won his bracket, defeating ADCC Hall of Famer Baret Yoshida and scoring two quick submissions in subsequent round, including an Elbow-Genie (sub-one-minute) submission in the championship round. Samson has some great experience in the PGF format. He has the grit of a mma fighter and the smarts of a hustler. Samson will be dangerous this season.
#16 Daniel Sathler – A black belt under ADCC and IBJJF Hall of Famer Andre Galvao, Sathler is an up and coming jiu jitsu athlete. He got a highlight submission on Who’s Number One 22 against Max Hanson – hitting a flying triangle that he transitioned into an arm bar; he had also previously beat Max Hanson via points at the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds. Sathler has a on of experience, but it’s mostly in the gi and when no-gi it’s in the IBJJF. He’s super athletic and faces a room full of killers at ATOS, but he might end up with a bunch of draws. Overall in the matches tracked online, he shows a high submission rate, but trying to track down the film on these subs, and separating out the no-gi subs from the gi subs has proven very difficult. Sathler is definitely dangerous and every opponent shouldn’t underestimate his abilities, but the film just isn’t there to support a higher ranking.
#17 Cam Hurd – a purple belt out of Silver Back/Ascend Nova, Hurd is a PGF Season 5 veteran. Hurd started grappling through wrestling at the age of 5 and continued up through his time at NCAA Division 1 with Virginia Tech. After a few years in the workforce, he found jiu jitsu and his grappling DNA reawakened. While he had some issues with securing submissions during PGF Season 5, he’s shown the maturity and reflection that he needs to adjust his game for the PGF. He recently had a great run in the ADCC West Coast Trials. Now that the trials are over, he’s going to focus on the PGF and with his experience in the PGF, his decades grappling, and sheer physicality – he’s going to be fun to watch. PGF World fans can watch his interview with the PGF Insiders is HERE – his personality and genuine character will win the fans over this season, for sure.
#18 Nathan Haddad – He’s a brown belt representing Helio Soneca BJJ and Combat Core Sports in Louisville, Ky. Haddad had an awesome run in the -88kg division of the most recent East Coast Trials (even putting CJJ Worlds Champion Ryan Aitken is some serious peril). Haddad has a nice wrestling style, highlighted by throw-bys which sets him up to take the back and sink in those RNCs. Even the matches where he doesn’t get the submission, he’s normally on his opponent’s backs looking for the RNC. Given a little refinement on his RNC, Haddad should be racking up kills left and right. He’s an up-and-coming submission grappler. As a bonus, he’s a black belt and instructor in the Voice of the PGF, Matt Skaff’s favorite martial art: Krav Maga (old school PGF fans will get this reference).
#19 Kywan Gracie – Kywan is a black belt, training under PGF Coach and THE GOAT Roger Gracie in London. Kywan’s lower ranking is a result of the low sample size of recent competition footage. He only has two no-gi matches in the last five years available online. He was a part of Polaris 20, facing two monsters in Richie “Boogie” Martinez and Mason Fowler. Gracie was able to withstand the Boogie match, showing some great defense. Kywan showed a very slick flying armbar against Fowler, but Fowler defended and got the submission himself. Kywan is definitely skilled and a warrior (the man has fought in Bellator), but it’s hard to bank much on his submission-only, no-gi skills without more data.
#19
#20 Jamie Carnall – Everyone talks about the great jiu jitsu in Southern California, but Carnall is here to represent NorCal. Carnall’s been training for five years, ever since he had a serious injury mountain biking. He started at Avilla BJJ in Grass Valley and started cross-training at Precision Jiu Jitsu at purple belt. He’s recently started teaching at Subluxt Jiu Jitsu in Yuba City, California. But seriously, he looked great at the PGF World 6 Combine. He got a lot of submissions, including on some folks ranked above Carnall. Apparently Carnall is offended if he doesn’t have the highest number, according to his interview with Tim Freeman on the Inside BJJ Podcast. So, you get what you desire, Carnall. Carnall took this ranking in good stride, saying, “imagine being submitted by the 20th ranked guy.” Carnall is coming to Las Vegas to spoil some competitors’ weeks. He’s a wild man and should be a lot of fun for the fans to watch.
Well, there you have it – Egghead’s Power Rankings. Regardless of where the competitors end up on anyone’s list – they’ve all made it. They made the PGF World 6 roster with a chance at winning up to $40,000 individually ($20k for being part of the winning regular season team and $20k for winning the post-season finale tournament). Everyone on this list will be a part of the PGF World family and a part of changing the submission grappling game, so competitors can truly be professional athletes. As with every season, the Editorial Board at Eggheadwarrior.com will provide fantasy analysis before each day of the PGF Season, along with recaps after each day. The Fantasy league is free and fans can win real prizes by playing. Be sure to check out the beginning of the PGF World 6 season on April 21st LIVE AND FREE on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube page. Remember the Professional Grappling Federation is everything you love about sports, plus jiu jitsu!
News about PGF Season 6 will be continually revealed throughout the few weeks before the PGF premieres. To keep up with the latest news, check out the PGF Insiders Podcast on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube Channel. Of course be sure to check out the official PGF website: PGF World and follow @pgfworld on Instagram.
The PGF Insiders will always work to provide the latest and greatest information regarding the PGF and you can see their weekly podcasts on the McDojo Life YouTube Channel or Brandon Mccaghren’s channel. Special thanks to Walo Jay for all the great photos. Those interested in Walo’s work can check out his YouTube page and Walo’s website.
Take a second and think about where you were after your first year of training jiu jitsu. Kevin Beuhring was winning a Professional Grappling Federation Qualifier and submitting his way into the post-season of PGF Season 3. Now, Kevin Beuhring has delivered on the promise he showed as a white belt. He’s a SOLID competitor and ready for a breakout performance at PGF World 6 in Las Vegas, starting on April 21st, LIVE on Brandon Mccaghren‘s Youtube page.
Kevin Beuhring sinks in a heel hook to win the PGF Season 3 Jacksonville Qualifier. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Kevin has that almost trite Karate Kid/Never Back Down story. He got in a fight in high school. Kevin thought it was going to be a battle of pugilism – but he was wrong. His opponent double-legged him, mounted him, then beat the crap out of him. Young Kevin’s answer – get HUGE. So, Beuhring set about eating as much food as possible and lifting weights like crazy. He got up from 160lb to the 190s. Then another common story emerged – Kevin had a friend invite him to try jiu jitsu. Beuhring with his new muscles thought he’d show these guys “what’s what.” Well, we all know how that worked out. Beuhring ran into a buzzsaw named Stephen Dana (another PGF veteran). Stephen tapped Beurhing more than 20 times in five minutes. At that point, Beurhring knew he was in the right place. That place was 10th Planet Atlanta where Kevin trains under 10th Planet Black Belt and mastermind Sean Applegate. At 10th Planet Atlanta, Beuhring is not only led by a mastermind but also has a training room full of killers such as CJJ Worlds Champion Ryan Aitken, the face of the PGF Elijah Carlton, Chase Hannah, and many others.
Kevin Beuhring sinks in an arm bar at Summit Grappling Championships 7. Thanks to Jamie Houston and the Summit Grappling team for this picture.
“Dangerous Kevin” first entered the PGF scene during the Season 3 qualifiers. After about one year of training, still a white belt, Kevin traveled to the Jacksonville Qualifier. Kevin showed how dangerous a white belt can be as he submitted all of his opponents on his way to earning a roster spot in PGF Season 3. By the time the regular season rolled around, Sean Applegate had awarded Kevin his blue belt. This blue belt who had been training a little more than one year finished in the top eight, making the playoffs. In the finale tournament, Kevin fell to eventual champion and fellow PGF World 6 competitor David Evers. But PGF Season 3 was only a jumping off point for Beuhring.
Kevin Beuhring fends off his opponent in a super fight during the PGF Season 4 Finale. Beuhring won by submission. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Since PGF Season 3, Dangerous Kevin has been in continuous competition mode…and he’s been winning. To list off just a bit of Kevin’s resume he is the Sapateiro 170lb Champion (beating PGF World 6 competitor Max Hanson to get the belt), the Midwest Finishers 170lb Champion, a Summit Grappling 3x Absolute Champion and Grappler of the Year. Kevin holds the fastest submission record for five grappling promotions. Beuhring is an ADCC Open Silver Medalist and a Main Character Jiu Jitsu 170lb champion – winning via heel hook in 26 seconds.
PGF World 6 has a stacked roster of proven grapplers. While many competitors might feel a little anxious up against such a murderer’s row, Beuhring only sees opportunity. “I feel super good [about the level of competition]. My goal since I started jiu jitsu was to face the highest level of competition. To figure out what they bring to the table and how I can crack the puzzle. Not having to worry about points is really nice. You can play your entire game. Our team is a submission oriented team. Not having to worry about someone scoring two [points] and running away from me. It’s going to be actual jiu jitsu the entire time.” To be sure, Dangerous Kevin is ready for PGF World 6. “I’m very excited to test myself against such high level competition,” he said.
Kevin Beuhring works a knee cut pass against his opponent. Thanks to Jamie Houston and the Summit Grappling team for this picture.
Of course, besides the high level of competition, PGF World 6 offers competitors the chance to be on the team of one of four legendary coaches: Roger Gracie, Andre Galvao, Rigan Machado, and Eddie Bravo. Beuhring recognizes the chance to spend the week with any of the coaches is a great opporunity. He said “In a week’s span it’s going to be hard for them…you know Roger to teach me his mount game or Eddie teaching me his rubber guard game. I might be able to pick up a couple of things, but more so [I want to learn] the overarching philosophy of these guys – how they compete, how they get ready for matches, the longevity of these guys. I could learn a lot in the week span from them.”
PGF Announcer Stephen Eakin interviews Kevin Beuhring after a super fight during the PGF Season 4 Finale. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
But in the end, it’s the competing itself that means the most to Dangerous Kevin. While some competitors might be trying to play games within games with strategies, Kevin only has one thing on his mind. “We’re always going for the kill,” he said. Kevin continued “This for me is just experience. Trying to game the rule set instead of getting experience is really silly for a 22-year-old purple belt. I’m really going out there trying to find holes in my game; to see how people answer my game. Even though it is $20k/$40k and that is really nice, obviously. I expect to make much more than that in the future. It might sound a little cringy, but it’s true.” The face of the PGF, Elijah Carlton, has pressed the point that Kevin will be a real contender this season. “I don’t think you understand how good Kevin is. He’s the best grappler in the room right now. Kevin is hands down the best dude in the room right now. He’s scary to touch. Just touching him, connecting with him. I’m like [screwed]. I’m not safe in any situation,” he said. Carlton is 52-2-5 overall in the PGF. If the winner of seasons 1, 5, and the regular seasons of PGF 3 is concerned for his safety when connecting with Beuhring, then every competitor in PGF World 6 should take note.
PGF fans met Dangerous Kevin Beuhring as a very promising white belt. Now, we get to see him as much more dangerous purple belt. The greater jiu jitsu public may not know about Kevin Beuhring now, but rest assured they will know his name by the end of PGF World 6.
News about PGF Season 6 will be continually revealed throughout the few weeks before the PGF premieres. To keep up with the latest news, check out the PGF Insiders Podcast on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube Channel. Of course be sure to check out the official PGF website: PGF World and follow @pgfworld on Instagram.
The editors at EggheadWarrior.com thank the PGF Insiders, and Kevin and Alex Beuhring for providing the content of this article. Those wanting to hear the PGF Insiders interview Kevin Beurhing can check it out HERE. The PGF Insiders will always work to provide the latest and greatest information regarding the PGF and you can see their weekly podcasts on the McDojo Life YouTube Channel or Brandon Mccaghren’s channel. Special thanks to Walo Jay for all the great photos. Those interested in Walo’s work can check out his YouTube page and Walo’s website.
Starting April 21st, the Rocket Scientist, David “Quadzilla” Evers will defend his Professional Grappling Federation Belt as PGF World 6 kicks off. Every season, an unknown grappler, often a blue or purple belt, becomes the season standout. Evers served that role in PGF Season 3. A purple belt at the time, he took people’s legs home, earning a spot in the finale tournament. At the finale tournament, he shocked everyone, submitting all his opponents on his way to winning the PGF Season 3, 170lb title – and earning his brown belt as part of it. Now that Evers is returning to defend his title, let’s take a closer look at Quadzilla.
David Evers speaks to PGF Announcer Stephen Eakin after winning PGF World Season 3 and being awarded his brown belt. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
The first thing PGF fans noticed about Evers was his physique. At the Combine, he knocked out 98 pushups in one minute with no signs of slowing down. He caught the eye of PGF Commentator and now Pre-show Personality, Matt Skaff who predicted great things from Evers. While he is one of the shorter competitors, he makes up for his lack of stature with ridiculous muscles. Quickly Evers received the nickname Quadzilla due to the results of his training cardio on the assault bike. Evers presents a puzzle to his opponents with shorter levers, but increased strength compared to other opponents. But Quadzilla isn’t just a muscle head, the man has a 20lb brain (real recognizes real). While many competitors complained about the grind that is the PGF regular season, Evers continued to work his day job – at NASA (yes, that NASA). Evers would work on his rocket scientist projects by day and quickly change over after leaving work to break people’s ankles. Being an aerospace engineer, Evers brings an analytical, systems-based approach to all his training (conditioning and jiu jitsu). He optimizes his time at the gym and on the mats.
David Quadzilla Evers uses his monicker inspring assets to punish an opponent.
Despite just finishing the regular season in sixth place, Evers turned it on for the PGF Season Finale Tourament. He avenged his Decatur Qualifier second place finish by taking outJeovany Ortiz. Next, Evers finished a very promising Kevin Beuhring, who is also a PGF World 6 competitor. Finally, Evers faced off against multi-season PGF Veteran Handsome Kevin Sherrill and submitted him to earn the title of PGF Season 3 Champion. Almost immediately after winning the match, Evers’ coach awarded him his brown belt.
From top left clockwise: Kevin Beuhring works a body lock against David Evers in the PGF Finale. Evers exalts in joy after winning the PGF and earning his brown belt. Evers and Handsome Kevin Sherrill face off, preparing to begin the final match of the season. Photos Courtesy of Walo Jay.
But it’s been two years since PGF Season 3, where has David “Quadzilla” Evers been? Well, Evers tried relocating his extended family to Hunstville, but was rebuffed. So, he decided to move to the Dallas Fort Worth Area. No longer a rocket scientist for NASA, he’s moved on to Lockheed Martin where he works as part of their advanced research team – Skunkworks. Skunkworks is the team that made the SR-71 Blackbird, stealth bomber, stealth jet, etc. So don’t ask Evers about his work, because it’s probably classified. He’s continued training, working more on his wrestling and top-position game. He trains and coaches at Flux MMA in Fort Worth, Texas. Just recently, Evers was awarded his black belt from Mushin Jiu Jitsu Academy Head Instructor and Ricardo Almeida third-degree blackbelt Bobby Williams Jr, who had also awarded him his purple belt.
David Evers poses with Professor Bobby Williams Jr. after being awarded his black belt.
As the defending PGF 170lb champion, naturally it made sense to invite Evers to PGF World 6. And the PGF Insiders made it official during their interview with him back in January. At the time, the public – heck even the PGF Insiders really only knew PGF World 6 was going to be in Las Vegas and it was going be BIG. Even with the uncertainty, Evers didn’t hesitate to sign up. Since then, he’s been untiringly preparing for this season. He’s been refining his game, adding where there were gaps and sharpening his main weapons.
As the first announced PGF World 6 competitor, Evers has been working to prepare for the season for months. He had the opportunity to give an opponent a chiropractic adjustment in this match at a Friday Night Lights card.
Since Evers’ interview, Brandon Mccaghren (the Commissioner) has revealed much to the public. Even with the high caliber of opponents Evers knows he will be facing, he is unflinching. He says “I think all of the competitors that have been announced take it a bit more serious than I do; however, that may work to my advantage. The hours I *do* spend on the mats have to be more dialed in. As an engineer, I simply see this as a system in which it has to be as efficient and effective as possible. It’s created an incredibly strict regimen where I work 10+ hours a day, then go train for a couple hours. There’s the possibility that my methodology is flawed and I fail… But that’s always a possibility. Take SpaceX (SX) for example. They can run all the finite element analysis, which is a math model-based method to check if the primary and secondary structures on the rockets will survive the loads. Instead, SX commits to actually taking their rocket engines onto apparatuses and running them through various tests to see if their structures actually break. After ten years of training, I like to believe I have enough data to formulate a viable plan for each of the competitors…” This engineer is ready to execute some plans on his competitors.
As a jiu jitsu practitioner and fan, Evers is very excited to be on any of the PGF World 6 teams and their legendary coaches. Like every other competitor interviewed, Evers acknowledged Roger Gracie as the GOAT of jiu jitsu competitors. He said he was 100% certain Roger would be able to impact his game, even in the short timeframe of a week. Asked about Eddie Bravo, Evers geeked out a bit, saying it would be “INSANITY.” Evers credits a lot of his momentum as an up and coming jiu jitsu competitor to subscribing to Mastering the System and learning the 10th Planet flows. He said in his old school matches, you’d see him throwing up the rubber guard and playing lockdown. Evers had great things to say about all the coaches but acknowledged it’s not the competitor that picks the coaches, it’s the coaches that pick the competitor. And all the competitors can’t go wrong with any of these amazing coaches.
David Evers is always looking forward. Now, he’s looking forward to proving he’s the man who will be the PGF World 6 Champion.
Finally, Evers knows one of the reasons the PGF vets are in this season is for the storyline. But he wants to make sure everyone knows the PGF vets aren’t just coming to say they were there. In his interview with the PGF Insiders, he said “I’m not taking any offense to it, but you want to see us against the best. Our intention is to beat the best. We can beat these big name guys that are coming out to this competition. That’s our intent. It’s not just see, ‘oh he has a good storyline and we know it from PGF.’ The intent is to be real contenders, to become the champion. …The [new] PGF competitors that show up…we’re there to f*** them up. We’re there to show up and show out!” And the other competitors would be making a big mistake to underestimate PGF Season 3 Champion David “Quadzilla” Evers. As he said, he’s coming into PGF World 6 intending to win.
Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip? That’s the question every competitor at the PGF World 6 Qualifier must answer this Friday, March 1st at 10th Planet Las Vegas in Henderson, NV. There’s just one qualifier this season – one shot for prospective competitors to earn their way onto the roster. This Friday we’ll see who has the skills, the motor, and the determination to earn their way onto the PGF World 6 stage. There’s a lot of new faces and names, but there’s also two PGF veteran stars, in the mix.
PGF World is the first jiu jitsu league with a pre-season, regular season, post-season finale tournament, combine, auction draft…it’s everything you love about sports, plus jiu jitsu. This Friday, PGF World hopefuls have the chance to earn a spot on the PGF World 6 roster by winning the PGF World 6 qualifier. Fans can check out the action on the PGF World YouTube page or Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube page starting at 4pm PST. The winner of this qualifier is guaranteed a roster spot for PGF World 6 and the Commissioner, Brandon Mccaghren, has said he’s looking to fill multiple roster spots, and likely the four replacement/bench player spots. PGF World has four teams with five players on each team’s main roster for 20 total roster spots, but due to the grueling gauntlet nature of the PGF World season the teams also each have one replacement player/bench player who can take over for one of their teammates who is injured, needs a rest, etc. The team coaches can sub in their bench players as they see fit.
PGF World only has ONE qualifier this season. Some seasons have had up to eight qualifiers, but due to the quick turn from season 5 to season 6, there will only be one qualifier for this season. The qualifier is essentially run like a tournament, with each match lasting the PGF standard six minutes. To guarantee winning a match, a competitor must score a submission. If neither competitor in a match scores a submission, then the PGF World Qualifier highly scientific rule takes effect – which competitor did the Commissioner like more? The Commissioner will tell all the competitors he wants action. Getting into a dominant position and stalling until the round ends will get someone sent home. Brandon is looking for exciting grapplers, grapplers who belong in the PGF. The qualifier is also double elimination, so a competitor could lose their first match but fight back to get to the championship match. The qualifiers always prove to be exciting, fast-moving, and introduces the fans to new talent. But this qualifier also continues the story for two PGF veteran stars.
Manning Leverett works to pass Reese LeFever’s guard during the PGF Season 4 Finale Tournament. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Manning “the Manaconda” Leverett: The 10th Planet Jacksonville standout was the runner up in the regular season standings for Season 3, combining an impressive takedown game with devastating choking power. The Manaconda returned for Season 4 along with his now wife Brianna who was a competitor in the woman’s division. Once again, Manning’s masterful jiu jitsu earned him a spot in the top eight and an entry into the Season Finale Tournament. He lost in that tournament to eventual champion Reese LaFever. Always a man more interested in proving his worth through deeds instead of words, Manning eschewed any attempt at talking his way into PGF World 6. As he has done in two previous seasons, the Manaconda intends to let his jiu jitsu do the talking as he attempts to earn a roster spot for PGF World 6.
Samson Phommabout prepares to start his match against Max “Rock Troll” Jolly during the PGF Season 4 Finale Tournament. Photo Courtesy of Walo Jay.
Samson Phommabout: An experienced businessman, video/photographer, and legit mixed martial artist, Samson earned his spot in PGF Season 4 with a very impressive performance at that season’s Nashville Qualifier. Once in the PGF, Samson did not disappoint. Samson brought a tough, explosive, athletic brand of jiu jitsu to the competition, earning him a spot in the Season Finale Tournament. For PGF Season 5, Samson spent his time behind the camera, helping improve the production and bring great content to the fans. But the bug to compete has bitten Samson again. He recently won a gold medal in his division at the ADCC Long Beach Open this January. Now, he intends to return to the PGF fold and is intent on showing he belongs by winning the PGF World 6 Qualifier this Friday.
As of publication of this article, 20 competitors have signed up for the qualifier. As we’ve seen every season, inevitably a number of competitors will wait to sign up last second. Whether it’s gamesmanship in the form of not wanting the competition to know they’re attending so as not to provide extra time to prepare, or if it’s a matter of having to wait to ensure obligations (e.g. work, etc.) are covered, a number of tough competitors find their way onto the qualifier bracket just before start time. Regardless of how many additional competitors show up, fans should get ready for a fast-paced competition, both the speed of the competitive matches and the speed of qualifier moving onto the next match up are unmatched. This Friday, the story of likely multiple PGF World competitors’ season will begin. Fans should check out the qualifier so they can meet these competitors and enjoy watching their stories unfold throughout the PGF World Season. Who knows – you might just meet the eventual PGF World 6 Champion this Friday at the qualifier.
The editors at EggheadWarrior.com thank the PGF Insiders, and all the competitors for providing the content of this article. The PGF Insiders will always work to provide the latest and greatest information regarding the PGF and you can see their weekly podcasts on the McDojo Life YouTube Channel or Brandon Mccaghren’s channel (if a member). Special thanks to Walo Jay for all the great photos. Those interested in Walo’s work can check out his YouTube page (link is specifically to Walo’s Handsome Kevin short) and Walo’s website. Anyone wanting to promote the PGF can copy all or parts of this article and disseminate as desired, but please give some credit to EggheadWarrior.com.
The Professional Grappling Federation World Championship team will earn $100,000 this season. Never has it been more important to form the best team possible. With the aid of its newest members, the PGF leadership team has assembled a veritable Mount Rushmore of Jiu Jitsu to lead the four teams this season. Jiu Jitsu greats Roger Gracie, Eddie Bravo, Rigan Machado, and Andre Galvao have all stepped up to add to their legacies by attempting to lead their teams to the championship.
THE JOB:
But what’s involved in serving as the head coach for a PGF World team? Put simply, the most important job of the coach is assembling the right team. It all starts the morning of 21 April. First, the coaches will scout out their talent at the PGF Combine in the morning (Ok, let’s be serious – these gentlemen are in it to win it. Given the competitive nature of these coaches, they are likely already scouting the announced competitors and will continue until the season begins.). The PGF Combine will include a number of events to showcase competitors’ stamina, strength, skills, etc. – providing the coaches with some in-person opportunity to weigh their prospective picks. The evening of the 21st, the coaches will face off in the PGF Auction Draft! Each coach will have a certain amount of PGF tokens for the auction. The players will step up to the auction block one-by-one and the coaches will have to assemble their five-person teams by placing the top bids on their desired competitors.
Once the auction draft emcee and PGF World announcer Stephen Eakin has declared the draft complete, the coaches will need to lead their newly formed teams to victory. Over the course of the following four days, each of their competitors will face off three times a night for a total of 12 matches a piece. With limited time between the auction draft and the first night of competition (less than 24 hours), the coaches will have their work cut out for them. They will need to quickly understand their individual team members’ styles, strengths/weaknesses, and how they receive coaching. Then, for each day, the coaches will have to look over the 15 opponents their team will face and do their best to position their team for victory. To be sure, there’s not enough time for any of these legendary coaches to completely overhaul any of their team members’ games. The PGF World Championship Team will be determined by the quality of these coaches’ draft strategies and the desire and skill of their team members. But just maybe in a league as challenging as PGF World 6, those lessons learned from these legendary coaches’ experiences over their decades of jiu jitsu – the little adjustments whether they be grappling techniques, stylistic strategies, or even methods for self-control in high-stakes matches- they might make the difference between a team going home in second or winning the $100,000 team champion prize.
Now, let’s take a look at the stories behind these legendary coaches. Then, we’ll explore some possible strategies for winning PGF World 6!
THE GOAT:ROGER GRACIE
Even the current king of the ADCC, Gordon Ryan, admits the best competitor in jiu jitsu history is Roger Gracie. A fourth-degree black belt and the grandson of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie, Roger became a 10-time IBJJF world champion including his weight and absolutes (open weight). In the Olympics of Jiu Jitsu, the ADCC, Roger is the only person in history to win both his weight class and the absolute with a 100% submission rate. His performances earned him a spot in both the ADCC and IBJJF Halls of Fame. Following the path of many of his family members, Roger took his fighting skills from jiu jitsu to mixed martial arts. Across multiple promotions, Roger accumulated an 8-2 record, finishing as the One Championship Light Heavyweight Champion. The competitive stats keep going because Roger truly is the GOAT. While he did start his academy while he was still competing, now retired, Roger has transitioned from a world-beating competitor to a full-time professor and leader of more than 50 academies worldwide. Roger will be traveling from his academy in London, England to lead five competitors throughout the season. Obviously, as the GOAT of jiu jitsu competitors, Roger will have a target on his back. Worse yet, Roger has wins against both Rigan Machado and Andre Galvao – so you know both of those competing coaches would like to get a win over Roger, even just as coaches. But maybe another motivation beyond legacy for Roger would be to settle a long-standing score of his family. The next coach in the rundown, Eddie Bravo, made his name on upsetting Roger’s cousin at the ADCC. Whether it’s staying ahead of those he formerly beat in competition, avenging his cousin, or more realistically cementing his legacy as both the GOAT of jiu jitsu competitors and a champion PGF World Coach, Roger will be bringing his world class competitive nature, intellect, and skill to this season.
THE REVOLUTIONARY: EDDIE BRAVO
So many people in the current day come to mixed martial arts and jiu jitsu through Joe Rogan and his famous podcast. Many newcomers to jiu jitsu may have come to know Eddie Bravo from his many appearances on the podcast, or perhaps through his participation with UFC events in the past. Eddie first traveled to Los Angeles to spread his music. Along the way, his love of martial arts had him studying multiple disciplines until he found Gracie-style Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from the Machados. Eddie took his experience from high school wrestling and adapted it to jiu jitsu. He always preferred the few no gi sessions offered and always built his game around jiu jitsu applicable to mixed martial arts. Serendipity struck as Eddie learned jiu jitsu from Jean Jacques Machado whose hand deformity made him use underhooks and overhooks instead of the traditional gi grips in jiu jitsu. Under Jean Jacques’ tutelage, Eddie molded his jiu jitsu for mma which was normally done in only board shorts. As Eddie progressed, he tested his style in the fire of competition. Eddie rose to prominence when during the 2003 ADCC, he beat Royler Gracie via triangle choke. Royler Gracie was the heavy favorite, but Eddie as a brown belt was able to secure the victory. With this win and the resultant buzz spreading through the martial arts community, Eddie had the ability to start his own gym which was exclusively no gi. For a long time, Eddie and his 10th Planet members were derided as renegades, or worse yet, heretics. Even though Eddie gave respect to the founding family of jiu jitsu in his landmark book, critics still questioned the unorthodox “submission over position” style that 10th Planet represented. In his Mastering the System, Eddie would talk about positions such as mission control, chill dog, invisible collar, stoner control, etc. Eddie’s 10th Planet team members and students were those jiu jitsu practitioners your mother warned you about. But Eddie and his students persevered. They kept showing up to competitions. Slowly, the jiu jitsu public realized 10th Planet wasn’t about being heretical; it was about following Eddie’s guidance: to have an open mind. Eleven years after his historic win over Royler Gracie, they had a rematch at Metamoris III. While it was ruled a draw, Eddie showed the first match was no fluke, earning more respect for himself and his system. The 10th Planet Team kept growing and competing. So much so that ADCC counts the 10th Planet Team as their most active team now. Eddie’s 10th Planet Association currently spans more than 140 gyms across the world. The father of no-gi jiu jitsu, the leader of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, and grappling mad scientist, Eddie Bravo will turn his attention to assembling and coaching his team during PGF Season 6. With his open-mind, innovative/creative streak, and improvisational skills of a veteran musician, Eddie might just have the secret sauce for putting together a team from multiple backgrounds and making them gel as the championship team.
PROFESSOR OF THE STARS:RIGAN MACHADO
In the recent past, Rigan Machado has risen to fame as the jiu jitsu coach to the stars. He’s taught the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves, Charlie Hunnam, Mel Gibson, and many more Hollywood actors, writers, directors, etc. Rigan has more than 30 acting credits as well as serving as a fight coordinator and producer. Rigan is an 8th degree red and white belt. When Rigan was very young, he moved to live with his uncle, the founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Carlos Gracie. Rigan first started training under Carlos’s sons Carlson Gracie and Rolls Gracie. Rigan trained with and under a number of his cousins. Eventually, he received his black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr. (founder of Gracie Barra). When the Gracies came to the United States to teach jiu jitsu, Rigan ended up teaching group classes at Rorion Gracie’s place in Los Angeles. Rigan taught and befriended Chuck Norris. With the famous actor’s help, Rigan brought his family, including his four brothers, to the United States and they set up their first academy teaching Machado Jiu Jitsu. Now, the different Machados and their associations have accumulated hundreds of gyms throughout the world. But while Rigan gets headlines today because of his celebrity students, he earned his bona fides as one of the best competitors in jiu jitsu history. For eight years in competition, he was undefeated in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He accumulated 365 wins. Rigan is a multi-year Pan American Champion (weight and absolute) and an ADCC medalist. He started competing at 14 and from that age until he was 21, he won the Brazilian National Championship every year. In an interview for the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Rocks! podcast in 2015, Rigan said he wanted to push this sport to the next level, to make it professional. As one of the coaches of PGF World 6, Rigan has a chance to be a part of making jiu jitsu professional. Moreover, with his experience of training celebrities who undoubtedly have limited time, Rigan might have the best skill set for making the greatest impact on the competitors he coaches this season. This “Professor to the Stars” might just shine the spotlight on his team as they win the championship.
THE CHAMP, NOW COACH OF THE CHAMPS: ANDRE GALVAO
Another legend of jiu jitsu rounds out the surreal list of coaches for PGF World 6. Andre Galvao has a vaunted competitive career as a six-time ADCC champion (most in history), including the record for super fight wins (4), and six-time IBJJF World champion. Like Roger Gracie above, Galvao’s exploits earned him spots in both the ADCC and IBJJF Halls of Fame. Galvao is a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a black belt in judo. Beyond his own competitive accomplishments, Galvao also founded the Atos organization, one of the most competitive jiu jitsu academies in the world. The Atos team has won innumerable Gi, No-Gi, and Pan Team Championships. The Atos team spans 20 countries with 73 affiliate academies. Galvao has taught and led a team of killers, including Lucas “Hulk’” Barbosa, JT Torres, Tye & Kade Ruotolo, Josh Hinger, Keenan Cornelius, and Kaynan Duarte. Like many other top jiu jitsu competitors, Galvao challenged his martial prowess, taking on the challenge of mixed martial arts. Fighting in multiple promotions, including Strikeforce, Galvao showed he could win in mma as well. As both a BJJ Hall of Famer and mma veteran, Galvao has attracted many high-profile mma fighters as students. Many fighters including Anderson Silva, Israel Adesanya, Rodrigo Minotauro, Carlos Diego, Cat Zingano, and Cris Cyborg have all called Galvao their professor. Galvao has shown he can win and he’s shown he can shape and mold world champions. Now, Galvao will have a chance to see if he can draft and coach the PGF World 6 championship team and overall champion.
Strategies:
Zoltan Bathory, founder of Five Finger Death Punch and co-owner of Epic Roll, served as one of the coaches of Team Epic Roll in PGF World 5. He fell in love with the PGF World experience that he became member of the PGF ownership team. Along with Epic Roll co-owner and founder Matt Wahlstrom and guest coach Jeff Glover, Zoltan guided team Epic Roll through a historic season where they earned the nickname “the Yankees of the PGF.” They earned this title not only because of their dominant victory as the clear team champions but also because of their dominant auction draft strategy. Zoltan recently gave his thoughts on the PGF World auction draft and his strategies on the BJJ Balance Podcast. Like fantasy auction drafts, Zoltan’s main strategy was to make his opponents overpay for the competitors they want, leaving them with less money for the competitors he ultimately wanted. As of this writing, AJ Agazarm is arguably the most accomplished competitor with multiple word titles and a silver medal at ADCC. Will one coach become enamored enough with having AJ on their team that they overpay? Another strategy Zoltan embraced was winning the auction on a competitor who trained with one of the other coaches outside the PGF. Kywan Gracie, another announced competitor, is a black belt under Roger Gracie, even serving as an instructor at Roger’s academy. If Eddie Bravo outbids everyone and lands Kywan Gracie, Eddie would essentially be forcing Roger to coach against his own, real-life student throughout the PGF World season. Would Roger point out Kywan’s weaknesses to his team or would Roger refuse to coach during any match against Kywan? It’s an interesting question.
Additionally, the coaches will want go through as much tape as possible. Even with the level of competitors who have been announced, how did they win the matches to gain their titles? Many competitors who relied on winning matches by points, advantages, or referee’s decisions have greatly underperformed under PGF World rules. There are no points, advantages, or referee’s decisions in PGF World; there are only submissions. It’s like choosing a gi player who built their game around spider guard and taking them to a no-gi tournament…results will vary. Coaches will want to consider the scoring rules for the PGF – Kills (chokes) get the player and the team six points, while Breaks (joint locks) only get three points. So someone with a choke-heavy game should be worth more than a normal leg-locker. Still, if that leg-locker hits lightning quick submissions, it’s a tougher call since a Break (leg lock) in less than one minute gets four points – three for the Break with an additional point for the submission in less than one minute (Elbow Genie Rule).
Finally, once they’ve assembled their teams, the coaches would do well to consider taking some advice on game play from the current face of PGF World. Elijah Carlton, overall PGF Champion in Season 1 and Season 5 as well as the regular season champ for Season 3, shared his thoughts on PGF strategy on the Inside BJJ Podcast recently. With their experience in jiu jitsu, the coaches can help their players weigh their opponents. Elijah would recommend if a Kill is a possibility, then the player should try for it for a few minutes, then settle for a Break. If a coach believes their player would have a hard time getting a Kill, but can get a Break, then a quick Break could possibly get four points and save the player’s energy for their other matches. Then there will be matches when a coach knows their player is outmatched. It would likely be wise to advise the player to play things tight and force a draw or make their opponent settle for a break.
With $100,000 on the line for the winning team, and an additional $20,000 on the line for the winner of the finale tournament, the tension will be high this season. Players will be cheering their teammates on in every round, hoping they get the most points possible for their team. At the same time, if players don’t perform, it could cause friction within teams. Some competitors who have found success in other formats will underperform their expectations and might have a hard time handling the letdown. At least one competitor who fans have never heard of will start hitting submissions and win over everyone. Often called the Shark Week of Jiu Jitsu, PGF World 6 goes LIVE on April 21 with the Combine and Auction Draft on the PGF World YouTube Channel. From April 22-25, each night PGF World will bring the fans more than four hours of exciting jiu jitsu as each competitor gets three matches a night. By the end of April 25th, we will crown the Championship Team, awarding them their $100,000, and we will know the brackets for the finale tournament. Finally, on April 26, the finale tournament will determine your PGF World 6 overall champion. There’s still a lot of unknowns about the season, including the rest of the competitor roster, but we do know IT WILL BE EXCITING. Because, the PGF is everything you love about sports, plus jiu jitsu!
News about PGF Season 6 will be continually revealed throughout the next 58 days before the PGF premieres. To keep up with the latest news, check out the PGF Insiders Podcast on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube Channel. Of course be sure to check out the official PGF website: PGF World and follow @pgfworld on Instagram.
The editors at EggheadWarrior.com thank the PGF Insiders, and Brandon Mccaghren and Keelan Lawyer for providing the content of this article. The editors also scoured the interwebs for previous interviews with the coaches (articles and podcasts). The PGF Insiders will always work to provide the latest and greatest information regarding the PGF and you can see their weekly podcasts on the McDojo Life YouTube Channel or Brandon Mccaghren’s channel. Special thanks to Walo Jay for all the great photos. Those interested in Walo’s work can check out his YouTube page (link is specifically to Walo’s Handsome Kevin short) and Walo’s website.
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