Egghead Warrior's Blog

The Professional Grappling Federation returns to HQ – 10th Planet Decatur this Saturday, 13 May for the second PGF Season 5 qualifier. Fans will be delighted to see multiple fan favorites vie for the second roster spot, joining Handsome Kevin Sherrill in competing for the 185 pound championship. Those fan favorites include Joshua “Full Time” Gibbs, Maximus “Rock Troll” Jolly, Carson Thigpen, and Sawyer Griffin. But fans should also be looking for a late entrant…Nekiaya Jackson, last season’s ladies 135 champ, might just sneak into qualifier.

Starting with the gentlemen, we start with a true gentleman. Joshua “Full Time” Gibbs got his start with the PGF in Season 2. Season 2 was the 225 pound men’s division. Coming from Nomad Jiu Jitsu, Gibbs was undersized for the division but competed admirably. Throughout the entire season, he was all class. Gibbs exhibited an ever-positive spirit while never giving up against the competition. Gibbs came back for Season 3. Even though he performed exceptionally well at the pre-season combine (I believe he was the best at the assault bike event), the coaches waited until the last round to draft him. This selection meant Gibbs was relegated to being an “alternate” or “bench” player for his respective team – meaning he would only get a match if the coach had or chose to pull another competitor out of a match. Gibbs watched the first night of competition from the bullpen, garnering no matches. Still, he remained upbeat and even went on a two-mile run the next morning to get his physical training in (he was a Navy man after all). Shortly after his PT, Gibbs got the call, a teammate was injured on the first night and Gibbs was going from replacement to FULL TIME. Gibbs performed admirably in the regular Season 3 competition like he had in Season 2, but he REALLY shined during the first-ever Such N Such BATTLERAMA! The fans watching PGF Season 3 live stream began to raise money for a special single-elimination tournament for the replacement/bench players who were drafted in the last round. So, on the last night of the regular season, the alternates had their shot. After defeating PGF veteran Louis Collins, Full Time Gibbs had to face a Tasmanian Devil in the form of Matthew Boiles. Boiles came at Gibbs with a flurry of attacks, but Gibbs continually escaped and endured. After tiring Boiles out, Gibbs scored the submission, earning him a nice check for $2,000 as the winner of the Such N Such BATTLERAMA! (5:12:35). Gibbs now stands ready to enter Season 5 of the PGF. He’s a two-season veteran. In our talks with Gibbs, he assured us “I’m not going to be an alternate this season.” We’ll see how it shakes out for FULL TIME, but rest assured he has a lot of fans who have his back.

Maximus “Rock Troll” Jolly took the PGF by storm in Season 4! He came from 10th Planet Cookeville and proved to be a buzz saw, submitting all his opponents at the Chattanooga qualifier. During his second match, the First Lady of the PGF, 10th Planet Black Belt, and PGF Commentator, Lindsay Mccaghren mentioned Jolly looked like the main Rock Troll from the Disney film Frozen, with his constant half-smile. From that moment, Maximus formerly “Prime” Jolly became the Rock Troll. Jolly put his character on display with a very fun interview with the PGF Insiders before the season began. In the regular season of PGF Season 4, Jolly was a standout. He snagged limbs left and right, leg or arm. The Rock Troll put some real fear into his opponents. Eventually, Jolly made it to the Season 4 Finale, losing in the semifinals. Small in stature, the Rock Troll sports a banty rooster’s demeanor and a farm hand’s strength. And Jolly isn’t afraid to grip it and rip it whenever he secures an opponent’s limb. Asked about this upcoming qualifier, the Rock Troll said he’s choosing to show off some of his other skills. He simply said “Chokes will be on display.” And he assured us he’s going to choke everyone at the qualifier.

Carson Thigpen brought the heat at the Nashville Qualifier for Season 4. The former college baseball player went hard and fast for the submission every time, normally targeting his opponents’ legs. The grappler out of Renzo Gracie Nashville showed some real charisma when addressing the crowd and the camera. He further showed that charisma during an interview with the PGF Insiders before the season. Unfortunately, shortly before the season, Thigpen sustained an injury and could not compete. But Thigpen has healed and is roaring to get back into the PGF. In his own words, “I was super bummed out when I got hurt causing me to miss last season. I felt like I would make a huge statement in the 155 division, being a bigger guy. Now, I’m better fed leading up to the events, I’m less stressed worrying about my weight, and I’m so much stronger at 185. I think it’ll be shocker to see the upgrades I’ve made to my game as well as learn I’ve only been training full time again for a few months, since my surgery and recovery. I spent everyday on the wall, while injured, watching every class and every roll picking up little details to springboard me when I got healthy. My confidence is high going into this weekend, and I’m looking forward to bringing the action this Saturday!” So, we’ll see if Thigpen follows the likes of so many MMA fighters who actually perform better when they don’t cut weight. Either way, we all know Thigpen’s going to be pushing the pace and looking for submissions.

Even with these three fan favorites gracing the mats of 10th Planet Decatur this Saturday, fans of the PGF must be asking themselves if Nekiaya Jackson will be entering the 125 pound ladies’ division in the qualifier. Kiaya is a multi-time Medusa veteran, earning second place twice and recently won second place at their combat jiu jitsu tournament. Kiaya ran through her opponents during Season 4, securing the first ever ladies division title for the PGF. Now she could drop down to her natural weight class of 125 for this season. Kiaya could easily hop into the qualifier last minute because she trains and teaches at 10th Planet Decatur, but the fans will have to wait until Saturday to see if she shows up. Last season, she waited until the last qualifier (skipping both ones held in Decatur) before she chose to earn her spot in the competition.

For fans wanting to see these and other great submission grapplers, they’ll have to watch Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube channel this Saturday, 13 May at 11am EDT/10am CDT. Since it’s live on YouTube, fans can join on in the chat and interact with folks at the event, talking smack, giving superchats to competitors, or putting out bounties for certain submissions. The most exciting format in submission grappling is back for it’s 5th season and everyone should tune every chance they get.

The editors at EggheadWarrior.com thank the PGF Insiders, Joshua Gibbs, Maximus Jolly, Carson Thigpen, and Sawyer Griffin 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.

The Professional Grappling Federation (PGF), powered by SUBVERSIV, starts its Season 5 Qualifiers TODAY (22 April 2023) at Coosa Jiu Jitsu and Wellness in Wetumpka, Alabama (suburb of Montgomery, AL). This qualifier kicks off Season 5 of the PGF where 185 pound men and 125 pound women will vie for their respective PGF championship titles.

The PGF is the only submission grappling league with a pre-season, regular season, and post-season. This weekend, the pre-season kicks off at Coosa Jiu Jitsu and Wellness. The qualifiers serve as the preseason to the PGF. To earn a spot in the regular season, prospective competitors MUST participate in a qualifier. Most qualifiers operate as a submission-only jiu jitsu tournament, adding the “wrestle back” losers bracket seen in many wrestling tournaments (essentially a double-elimination tournament). The winner of pre-season qualifiers earn an automatic bid to the regular season. But to incentivize exciting submission grappling action, the Commissioner (10th Planet Black Belt and ADCC and CJJ commentator Brandon Mccaghren) will select an unknown number of the most exciting competitors for at-large invites to the regular season.

The regular season will begin October 29. The season will be broadcast LIVE on YouTube each day. Each competitor will have 15 guaranteed matches. At the end of the regular season, the top eight competitors will move onto the post-season tournament on Saturday, November 4.

The PGF brings the most exciting rule set to a submission grappling league. Each match is only six minutes long, forcing each competitor to push the action. Moreover, the ONLY way to score points is securing a submission. Kills, or chokes, garner a competitor six points. Breaks, joint locks, earn a competitor three points. If competitors score a submission in less than one minute, the Elbow Genie rule gives the competitor a bonus point. With a set amount of matches and therefore opportunities to score points, competitors must make the most of every opportunity. Essentially, A DRAW IS A LOSS! So every competitor should take risks to score submissions, which opens up the matches (i.e. stalling seen in other formats is dis-incentivized).

The post-season tournament on November 4 will likely be a single-elimination, submission-only tournament using Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) overtime rules. In the last four seasons, the tournament was preceded by a number of “super fights” between fan favorites from the season and other exciting competitors.

But, to make it to the post-season tournament and be crowned champion, every competitor MUST participate in a qualifier. If you’re reading this post and are interested in competing, it’s too late to head to Coosa Jiu Jitsu in Wetumpka for today’s qualifier, but the PGF has three additional qualifiers on the books. On May 13, 10th Planet Decatur (PGF HQ) will host a qualifier. On August 12th, 10th Planet Jacksonville will host a qualifier. On August 26th, One Nation Jiu Jitsu will host a qualifier. The Commissioner has said he is looking to add qualifiers in Los Angeles and Austin, but the details have not been finalized so make sure to subscribe to his YouTube Channel and follow him on Instagram (or check back here) to get the details on additional qualifiers when they become available.

Each season of the PGF has made big jumps in the quality of the broadcasts and event overall. From day one, the PGF was the most exciting competition format in submission grappling. Conscious Keelan, the Commisioner’s partner in the PGF and head of Subconscious Studios, was ahead of everyone in the grappling broadcast game, using a gimbal to bring the fans right into the action. Fans didn’t have to worry about competitors moving to dead space on the broadcast, Keelan constantly moved the camera to catch the action.

But the PGF is also the most interactive submission grappling promotion. Besides live fans at the events, the live broadcasts over Youtube allow fans from all across the world to hop into the chat and participate in the PGF community. Fans can ask the commentators questions or provide inside information on competitors. In recent seasons, we’ve also seen the chat put out bounties where they pay the competitors money if they hit certain submissions; or just send superchats to reward competitors for outstanding work. The Commissioner is such a believer in his fans that he’s allowed the chat to help make rulings on submissions (e.g. Kill or Break).

Whether your are a competitor or a submission grappling fan, you need to check out Season 5 of the PGF. You’ll see exciting competition with compelling storylines from competitors. Finally, you’ll join a community of competitors, production staff, and fans who truly put untold passion and their entire hearts into this promotion. It’s really something special.

CONGRATS TO THE TOP FANTASY MANAGERS, INCLUDING YOUR WINNER BIG DADDY!!!!

Don’t call it a comeback, he’s been here for years…or at least since his son, Kevin “Beurick” Beuhring. took the PGF by storm in Season 3. So, Big Daddy Beuhring came from behind with a massive Day 3 showing to overtake the frontrunner, Matt Lumsden.

I hope everyone had as much fun playing fantasy along with watching the PGF as I have in the past. Thanks for playing and we’ll definitely set it up again for Season 5.

I hope ya’ll tune in for the finale on pay per view at noon Central time. Check it out here!!!

First, congrats to your leading Fantasy managers!

Day 2 saw some continued dominance and distancing from the pack by the “Hokage” Nekiaya Jackson and the “Great” Dane Leak. Maximus “Rock Troll” Jolly also kept his appendage-stealing ways going, while adding in a KILL for good measure. We saw some awesome matches, but the biggest storyline has to be the “zero to hero” trajectories of Samson Phommabout and Alex Hall. Both were tied for last with zero points leading into Day 2. Now, they are ranked third and fourth, respectively. These gentlemen proved no one is out of contention for the title. All it takes is a string of submissions to get right back in the hunt.

Things should get even crazier as PGF Season 4’s regular season comes to a close tomorrow. Competitors must feel an increased sense of urgency as their opportunities to get on the mat and earn a spot in the finale dwindle. While many competitors are banged up from the first two days’ matches, I think we see them hit a new gear as they reach the finish of the regular season.

As submission have been hard to come by this season, statistically, no one has been eliminated from title contention. Some folks would have to take out almost both opponent’s teams’ with all KILLS in the first minute of each match, but they are not eliminated. It might be one in a million for some competitors, but it’s possible.

Even though there’s a chance for everyone, the data tells us some competitors are more likely than others to make a run at the finale. As usual, Egghead is here to help you fantasy managers sort through all the data and select your winning fantasy rosters.

REMEMBER: You must lock in your team before the competition starts EACH DAY. You must select your team each day – it will not pull over your first day’s team to the second day.

Without further ado, here’s the fantasy analysis. Competitors can either prove me wrong on the mats or get payback during the nightly open mats.

SUPER PREMIUMS (you’re going to offset the expense by dropping a roster spot)

Dane Leak (black) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $25 Leak took a commanding lead on Day 2. He sunk in three kills, one eligible for the Elbow Genie bonus point. Leak’s true mastery of fundamental jiu jitsu can take him from being punished on bottom to locking in a bolt-cutter choke (wrong-side triangle) in seconds.  The Great Dane has to be a super-premium. The only reason his price didn’t increase was the chance he might take some matches off since he’s already secured a spot in the finale.

Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $25; faces Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [DRAW], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [KILL], Anna Cononge (brown) – [KILL]; Tara Larosa (purple) [DRAW] – 12 points. Nekiaya is your consistent performer. As I said in my last post, she’s money in the bank. She could rest on her laurels but I doubt she takes her foot off the gas pedal. If anything, I think she’s going to come out and show the other ladies’ strategy of stalling her out won’t work.

Maximus “Rock Troll” Jolly – (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $25; In my first fantasy analysis post, I warned everyone “The Rock Troll is coming for everyone’s legs this season”…I was right, but I should’ve included people’s arms and necks as well. The Rock Troll has become a real star of the PGF season. It’s a good bet he keeps the submission coming.

David Garcia (brown) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $20; Garcia’s methodical, heavy pressure game leading led to two kills the first day, but couldn’t put any points on the board the second day.  He’s too good to knock down too much on fantasy price or predictions.  Give Garcia a chance and he’s going to be back up in the top four.

Manning Leverett (brown belt) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $20; I wonder if Manning is fueled by disrespect. I gave him his proper respect, and a Duval shout-out from Walo in my last post. Then Manning went out and put zero points on the board on Day 2. To be fair, Manning faced a cagey black belt in Evan Dewitt, succumbing to a sick north-south choke (after some crazy transitions). Then, Billy Baxter showed some great flashes of jiu jitsu to stave off Manning’s attacks, forcing the draw. I’m dropping Manning down a little bit, but we all know what the Manaconda can do. Competitors can disrespect Manning at their peril.

Reese Lafever (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $20; Lafever showed he really has leveled up since traveling down to Austin to train with New Wave Jiu Jitsu. Reese didn’t have a good second day. First, he suffered a couple of pops (including one serious one) during an ankle lock submission loss. Then, he had to face the league-leading Dane Leak, where he forced a draw. Reese’s talent and potential is undeniable. He had a rough day, but I’m not dropping him for it.

Joanie Chamberland (black belt) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $20; faces Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [DRAW/LOSS], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [KILL]; Brianna Parocha (blue) – [FORFEIT WIN]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [KILL] – 14 points. Joanie is a straight gangster for fighting through her arm injury. She put up 12 points on Day 2 in an effort to catch up to Nekiaya, but Nekiaya matched Joanie’s points.  Now, Joanie is down eight points. You have to think Joanie needs to pull out a KILL on all her available opponents to have a chance to take home the season championship.

Evan Dewitt (black) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $20; We’ve talked about Evan’s PGF Season 3 injury leading to him having extra motivation to show what he can do this season. Well, he’s been consistent in showing he will make the most of it. He’s currently tied for fifth place. But we’ve seen how the rankings can change quickly. Evan knows he has to put more points on the board to lock down a spot at the finale. I see at least a kill in his future for Day 3. As a fan, I’m pumped to see Evan showcase the jiu jitsu we all knew he had in him.

PREMIUMS

Samson “The Hustler” Phommabout (brown belt) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $18; Samson had about the toughest lineup of opponents on Day 1 leading to no points. Samson showed exactly how dangerous he is during Day 2. He secured a KILL as well as three BREAKS and even earned himself a Elbow Genie bonus point. He went from zero (points) to hero in the course of one day. His Day 2 performance moved him from tied for last to third place in the rankings. Folks who have done their research on Samson know Day 1 was a fluke. Samson will be putting more points on the board during the final day of the regular season.

Alex Hall (purple) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $18; In my last post, I had Hall as a penny stock and said “Alex is a serious value pick here.” Well, I was right he was a value pick. If you bet on Alex, he paid of BIG in Day 2. Hall went from zero points to 14 points and fourth place. He did so by earning one KILL and two BREAKs with one Elbow Genie point. I said Alex was hungry and he proved it. With the added confidence he earned today, Alex will be a handful for any competitor he faces on the last day of the regular season.

Anthony Molina Valdes (brown) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $18; As Team Ironclad’s anchor, Anthony will get a lot of opportunities. He had Reese Lafever in some trouble a few times before succumbing to a break by Lafever.  Anthony has a serious competitive streak. He came out angry the next time he was on the mats. Anthony only secured one break on the first day, but expect him to come out motivated and ready to hop on any submission available. I’m willing to bet he shows his full potential in the next two days.

Stephen Dana (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $18; Dana is a very game competitor but has shown inconsistencies in the past at qualifiers. He secured a break and got the team point on day 1. I have to think Coach Applegate will put Dana in good spots to get points in the next couple of blocks.

Kaida Davis (brown belt) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $18; faces Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [DRAW], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [BREAK], Anna Cononge (brown) – [BREAK]; Tara Larosa (purple) [DRAW] – 6 points. Kaida came out with a purpose on Day 2. She secured a peruvian neckie for KILL and a bicep slicer for a break, earning 10 points (she received the team point as well). With the added confidence from her Day 2 performance, I think Kaida has real potential to finally get that win over Anna. Cyanide has been able to frustrate most opponents, forcing a draw, but Kaida was able to get that bicep slicer against her in Day 2. While Cyanide will be wary, Kaida has a great potential to catch Cyanide with one of her very exciting, unorthodox submissions.

Mario Gaor (brown) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister – $18; Mario secured a RNC to get on the board during Day 2, but he also had first-round pick Stephen Dana in a crucifix for nearly half a round. While the latter match was a draw, it was masterful work. Mario is showing great jiu jitsu. I’m not sure how many points he’ll get you, but he has the potential for multiple wins with his technical jiu jitsu.

Juan Martinez V (brown) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $18; the lead instructor at Childress BJJ in Pueblo, Colorado, Juan has the only competitor to earn the Elbow Genie bonus point for sinking in a submission in the first minute of Day 1. He showed great heart and jiu jitsu on Day 2. Juan scored a Kill to make him tied for 8^th place going into the final day of the regular season. I have to believe the motivation of being on the bubble to make the season finale will have him dialed up to 11.

Anna Cononge (brown) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister)– $18; faces Brianna Parocha (blue) – [FORFEIT WIN]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [BREAK], Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [DRAW], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [DRAW]– 5 points. Anna has beautiful jiu jitsu, but her style might not be ideal for racking up points in the PGF. She secured a kill on day 2 and received two points for Brianna’s forfeit. These points kept her out of being mathematically eliminated from winning the season. Anna will get the same forfeit points from Brianna and I believe she’ll get at least a break against Claire. But, I don’t think Anna will be able to steal any points from Nekiaya or Kaida.

Matthew Boiles – (blue) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $16; Boiles still excudes his excitement and energy for which he’s known. Every time he steps on the mat, everyone knows excitement will ensue. We saw a very different Matthew Boiles matchup against Dane Leak on day 2 (with Leak getting the kill via smother). I have a feeling Boiles has plenty of exciting matches and submission left in him for Season 4.

AVERAGE

Jacob Arp – (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $15; Arp hasn’t scored since the first day. He’s been in exciting matches which always have the fans happy to see him on the mats. As we’ve said, he’s coming after everyone, putting on a pace. He can come straight after you or sit back for that straight ankle lock. As a fan, I always look forward to seeing Arp on the mat. But as a fantasy manager, I’m not sure how bankable he is for fantasy points.

Nathan “Irish Taco” Chambers (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $15; THE IRISH TACO!!! He was involved in one of the most exciting matches in PGF history against Matthew Boiles and secured the submission. While he’s very exciting, it seems he may have injured his leg on the first day.  Chambers tapped very quickly to one leg lock today, then tapped again to a leg attack later in the day.  It seems the field has found the Irish Taco’s kryptonite.  Chambers is still very exciting to watch and has earned a fan here.  But with a bum leg slowing him down, Chamber’s opponents will have a good shot at neutralizing him with leg attacks.

Nick Sahf (blue) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $15; Sahf scored the upset of the season locking in an ankle lock against Reese Lafever. Then, Sahf came out and took out a very game Matthew Boiles with another break in the final seconds of their match. Sahf won’t let anyone sleep on him anymore. Sahf might regress to the mean, getting no points on the final day…or he might just have found his stride. We’ll have to wait and see which Sahf comes out on the final day of the season.

Tara Larosa – (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $15; faces Brianna Parocha (blue) – [FOREIT]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [KILL], Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [DRAW], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [DRAW] – 8 points. Tara didn’t have the killer day I predicted on the second day. She got a kill and had some great matches, but she wasn’t able to put a lot of points on the board. She’s currently 17 points behind Nekiaya. Tara knows she needs kills. Tara gets two points for the likely forfeit by Brianna. So, she needs at least two kills and a break to force a tie with Nekiaya (assuming Nekiaya doesn’t put points on the board which is a bad assumption). So, basically, Tara needs to go for a QUICK KILL in every match. Will this sense of urgency unleash her full potential or open her up to getting submitted herself?

Sam Acord (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $13; Sam is a young competitor and plays with a lot of athleticism. Sam used his leglocking skill to take out a very dangerous Nathan “Irish Taco” Chambers. Sam showed us all “Pretty Boy Jiu Jitsu” is a real thing. We’ll just see if he can keep it up and threaten to take the Handsome title next season.

BELOW AVERAGE

Wesley Carter (brown) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $10; Carter’s a gritty guy who can wrestle and go for legs. He’s really well-rounded. Carter has been a great teammate and tired out or taken to a draw his opponents. Still, he hasn’t scored a submission yet. He’s at the $10 mark because you have a good feeling he’ll at least get you the team point.

TJ Steinebach – (brown) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $10; TJ has a very solid base. Competitors he faced said how hard he is to off balance and that he’s just solid. Apparently, he’s also a cult leader. So he’s got that going for him, which is nice. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found a way to lock in a submission this season. He has a very “my grips or no grips” mentality. We saw some great action from Steinebach in the Decatur qualifier; I hope he brings back that same game for the final day of the regular season. He’s at the $10 mark because you have a good feeling he’ll at least get you the team point.

Jacob Mashburn – (blue) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $10; Mashburn continues to have flashes of great jiu jitsu but still hasn’t been able to put points on the board. He’s playing for his real-life coach so you have to think Caleb will put Mashburn in good spots to get some subs. On day 2, Caleb masterfully used Mashburn to stall out the Rock Troll who was on a tear (literally tearing off people’s limbs) – so Mashburn took one for the team to eliminate a big threat. Caleb has said Mashburn is a sponge of jiu jitsu knowledge and I wouldn’t be surprise if he leveled up even more from Day 2 to the final day.

Noah Randolph – (purple) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $10; At some point in time, Noah will break through his shell and come out firing both with his jiu jitsu and on the microphone. Noah has it in him, we all know it. But will he be able go Super Saiyan this season?

Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $10; faces Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [DRAW], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [DRAW]; Brianna Parocha (blue) – [FORFEIT WIN]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [BREAK] – 5 points. Cyanide just got back from Spain representing the US in grappling. She’s very gritty and has apparently received some private lessons from Evan Stapler (gritty, grindy jiu jitsu). She’s fun to watch and she’ll be hard to put away for anyone. But she hasn’t shown the ability to put anyone away, either.  Cyanide will get two points if Brianna is unable to compete (which is likely) and for internal consistency purposes, I have to pick her to get a submission against Claire Mitchell. Cyanide will give you guaranteed points for a bargain price on your team and she retains upside potential.

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.

Eric Longar (black) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $9; It’s a crime he slid to the last round again this season.  He’s a gym-owning black belt. Even in bigger seasons, Longar has shown us great passing and sweeps. Still, he can’t seem to get the submission.  He hasn’t had a lot of reps this season, which might have kept him from getting in his groove. I’m reducing his to penny stock price – but penny stocks are highly volatile. We just saw Alex Hall go from zero points and penny stock to fourth place in the regular season standings. Given the right scenario, I have no doubt Longar could do the same thing.

Claire Mitchell – (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $9; faces Anna Cononge (brown) – [LOSS]; Tara Larosa (purple) [LOSS], Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [DRAW], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [KILL]– 0 points. Claire scored an inside heel hook against a very dangerous Kaida Davis near the beginning of Day 2.  She took her opportunity to show some shade on folks who picked her to lose her matches. So much so, LMAC dubbed Claire the “Salt Bae” of the PGF. Well, the media always gets the last word…so, I’m picking her to lose all her matches and I’m keeping her as a penny stock. So there, Claire – neener, neener. I guess we got beef now. But seriously, Claire has shown some real resiliency and great defense. It would be good to see her go for more attacks.

Billy Baxter (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $9; Billy has a different style than most competitors in this field.  Even for the 155 lb season, it looks like Baxter is a little undersized, allowing his competition to stall Baxter’s movement.  Billy still showed some insane counters and attacks today. I know he’s made a lot of new fans with his gameplay and I think we’re all excited to see his superfight in the undercard of the finale.

Charles Muxo (blue) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $9; Chaz Muxo has some underrated leg attacks. He’s very undersized for this season. He showed some very beautiful escapes and some great counters in day 2, but not enough to get on the board. He knew he was undersized for this season, but he keeps stepping up and giving it his everything. As they say, it’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up. Chaz is going to keep getting up and stepping up to any opponent they place in front of him.

Brianna Parocha – (blue) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $9; INJURED. We all hope Brianna gets better soon. She suffered an injury during day 2 and is unlikely to return. Despite being one of the smallest and least experienced ladies, she brought a real ferociousness to her matches. Her indomitable spirit will help her as she recovers.

First, I must congratulate our top 10 Fantasy Team Managers from PGF Season 4, Day 1:

As folks can see it’s close up at the top. More importantly, it’s a low-scoring affair. I didn’t think it would be possible, but there’s a way that new team managers could put together teams and conceivably take home the title this year. (Btw, thanks to Big Daddy for pointing out Matthew Boiles didn’t have his fantasy points for his win).

No, seriously it’s possible…and I don’t think that word means what you think it does.

We had some great action yesterday. I think we all had fun. In honor of what a great day it was, your magnanimous Lord of Fantasy will be upping your budget to $80. I’ve adjusted the prices of competitors to reflect their day 1 performances.

Don’t forget to tune in live today at noon central time and hop in the chat. I want to see some super chats supporting your favorite competitors and some bounties. No one has cashed in on my $60 for a wristlock yet, but I have hope.

REMEMBER: You must lock in your team before the competition starts EACH DAY. You must select your team each day – it will not pull over your first day’s team to the second day.

Without further ado, here’s the fantasy analysis. Competitors can either prove me wrong on the mats or get payback during the nightly open mats.

SUPER PREMIUMS (you’re going to offset the expense by dropping a roster spot)

Dane Leak (black) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $25  Leak assumed the anchor position for Team Supernatural Survival Gear and made the most of it. He secured two kills and a break.  You never want to count Dane Leak out. His true mastery of fundamental jiu jitsu can take him from being punished on bottom to locking in a bolt-cutter choke (wrong-side triangle) in seconds.  As the current leader for PGF Season 4 and on a team where has clearly shown a penchant for research and scouting opponents, the Great Dane has to be a super-premium.

Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $25; faces; Brianna Parocha (blue) – [KILL]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [KILL], Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [KILL], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [KILL] – 24 points. Nekiaya is money in the bank.  I had a feeling Tara Larosa’s toughness could withstand Nekiaya’s attack for six minutes, but let’s face it, Tara is all-world tough. Even with a solid lock on the top spot for the ladies, I know Nekiaya’s competitive nature will have her shooting for all kills.  Before yesterday, I would’ve put the Nekiaya v Joannie matchup as a push/draw, but Joannie got a serious pop from Tara and she’s likely compromised.  With Joannie’s injury, Nekiaya will likely get the kill.

David Garcia (brown) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $25;  Garcia did NOT disappoint! He has a methodical, heavy pressure game leading to kills and he secured two of them on the first day. In my last post, I noted his style would get kills but would not last too long in the quintet style and the prognosticator of prognosticators was proven right when Coach Elkins had to pull Garcia out after his second opponent.

Manning Leverett (brown belt) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $25; At some point, we’re all going to give the Manaconda the respect he deserves (yes, me included). I think it’s partly because Manning is such a nice, soft-spoken gentlemen. But, if he wanted to be arrogant and brash, well, he has the skills to back it up. Manning secured two kills and received a team point to be tied for second place. As Manning is one of the larger gentlemen in the league, he’s probably going to gain even more size advantage as the week continues. DUUUUUUVVVAAAALLL!!! (that was for Walo)

Reese Lafever (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $20; Coach Applegate decided to lead off his lineup with Lafever and for good reason. Lafever showed he really has leveled up since traveling down to Austin to train with New Wave Jiu Jitsu. He has shown us the ability to expertly threaten with leg locks then back takes and back to leg locks. Lafever racked up a kill and a break, then rounded out his 10 points earning that bonus team point. He’s tied for fourth, but I have to think he’s going to be climbing up the standings.

Joanie Chamberland (black belt) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $20; faces Anna Cononge (brown) – [BREAK]; Tara Larosa (purple) [BREAK], Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [DRAW/LOSS], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [KILL] – 12 points. This analysis reminds me of trying to analyze Kevin Primeau from season 3 – how bad is her elbow injured? Joanie was one of if not THE frontrunner for this season, but she suffered a bad pop from a bent armbar from the scarf hold against Tara Larosa.  In her last match of day 2, it looked like a flow roll with her real-life teammate Anna Cononge. I’m a huge fan of Joanie; I hope some ice, ibuprofen and maybe some Mr. Miyahi stuff from Coach Applegate gets her back to her prime form.

Evan Dewitt (black) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $20; As I mentioned previously, Evan’s PGF Season 3 was cut very short due to a first night injury so he has a lot of motivation to show what he can do this season. He showed that motivation on day 1 securing the first KILL! Evan knows more than most he has to make the most of every opportunity on the mat and I think he’s going to keep that sense of urgency going forward. Expect more points from Evan Dewitt.

Maximus “Rock Troll” Jolly – (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $18; In my last post, I warned everyone “The Rock Troll is coming for everyone’s legs this season”…and I was right! He’s the only competitor to secure three submission in a row. The Rock Troll wants all the smoke from everyone. He’s flat out telling everyone he’s coming for their legs and he doesn’t care if they know. If I was a betting man, I’d say the Rock Troll’s lair will be littered with the legs of his competition after this season.

PREMIUMS

Anthony Molina Valdes (brown) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $18; As Team Ironclad’s anchor, Anthony will get a lot of opportunities. He had Reese Lafever in some trouble a few times before succumbing to a break by Lafever.  Anthony has a serious competitive streak. He came out angry the next time he was on the mats. Anthony only secured one break on the first day, but expect him to come out motivated and ready to hop on any submission available. I’m willing to bet he shows his full potential in the next two days.

Stephen Dana (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $18; Dana is a very game competitor but has shown inconsistencies in the past at qualifiers. He secured a break and got the team point on day 1. I have to think Coach Applegate will put Dana in good spots to get points in the next couple of blocks.

Kaida Davis (brown belt) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $18; faces Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [DRAW], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [BREAK]; Brianna Parocha (blue) – [BREAK]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [DRAW] – 6 points. Kaida is a submission hunter and can be very dangerous. Kaida made a real statement securing the barratoplata against Tara Larosa. Kaida is a threat from every position and has a real chance to rack up some points on day 2.

Mario Gaor (brown) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister – $18; This is Mario’s third season in the PGF. Last season he made it to the playoffs, winning a playoff match.  Mario is one of the competitors this season was made for…an undersized, technical grappler. He got stalled out by TJ Steinebach in his one appearance on Day 1, but he got very close to sinking in his DOA ankle lock in the final seconds of the match. Mario’s been here before, I have to think he’ll bounce back today.

Samson Phommabout (brown belt) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $18;  Samson has a lot of competition experience in mma and jiu jitsu.  He faced two of the toughest competitors on the first day with Reese Lafever and Dane Leak. Samson showed he was super tough. A lot of folks thought he was going to get the submission on Dane, but Leak swept and secured a submission in the last 30 seconds. Samson is no joke and he’s bound to start racking up points as he faces the rest of the field.

Anna Cononge (brown) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister)– $18; faces Brianna Parocha (blue) – [BREAK]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [BREAK], Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [DRAW], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [DRAW]– 6 points. Anna has a chance to rack up points against the ladies on her real-life coach’s team – but they’ve shown the ability to stall out their opponents. Will she have the killer instinct to take out her real-life teammate that’s injured? I don’t think so. Anna has beautiful jiu jitsu, but her style might not be ideal for racking up points in the PGF.

Nathan “Irish Taco” Chambers (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $16; THE IRISH TACO!!! He was involved in one of the most exciting matches in PGF history against Matthew Boiles and secured the submission. The Irish Taco does jiu jitsu and mma in Ireland and has the motor, stamina, and fire to make a real impression this season.

Matthew Boiles – (blue) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $16; Everyone’s eyes were opened in day 1. Boiles is for real. He secured a break against an admittedly tired Great Dane Leak. He then had one of the best matches ever against the Irish Taco. Boiles still excudes his excitement and energy for which he’s known. Every time he steps on the mat, everyone knows excitement will ensue.

Jacob Arp – (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $16; Arp kept himself in the running securing a break on day one. As we’ve said, he’s coming after everyone, putting on a pace. He can come straight after you or sit back for that straight ankle lock. He’ll get more points.

Juan Martinez V (brown) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $16; the lead instructor at Childress BJJ in Pueblo, Colorado, Juan has the only competitor to earn the Elbow Genie bonus point for sinking in a submission in the first minute. He has a great style and I’m really looking to see what he does today.

AVERAGE

Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $15; faces Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [DRAW], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [DRAW]; Anna Cononge (brown) – [DRAW]; Tara Larosa (purple) [LOSS]. Cyanide just got back from Spain representing the US in grappling. She’s very gritty and has apparently received some private lessons from Evan Stapler (gritty, grindy jiu jitsu). She’s fun to watch and she’ll be hard to put away for anyone. But she hasn’t shown the ability to put anyone away, either.  She’s still new to the PGF so we’ll see if she makes adjustments and can get some submissions.

Tara Larosa – (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $15; faces Brianna Parocha (blue) – [KILL]; Claire Mitchell (purple) – [KILL], Joanie Chamberland (black belt) [DRAW], Emily “Cyanide” Hauser (blue belt) [KILL]– 18 points. Day 2 is where Tara begins to really shine. On day 1, Tara made a statement getting a break against the #1 overall pick of the draft. Joanie is smart and likely won’t be caught the same way again, but she’s injured from that break. I think Tara knows she needs to put points on the board to be in contention for the title and she won’t hesitate today.

Wesley Carter (brown) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $15; Carter’s a gritty guy who can wrestle, go for legs, really is well-rounded. His only point on day 1 was from a team point, but he is always a threat to snap on a submission.

BELOW AVERAGE

Sam Acord (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $13; Sam got his chance for some payback against David Garcia on day 1. Sam was able to force the draw in their match at the Atlanta qualifier.  This time Garcia wasn’t going to let it go the distance, securing a break. Still, Sam is a young competitor who could bounce back and put some points on the board.

TJ Steinebach – (brown) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $13; TJ has a very solid base. Competitors he faced said how hard he is to off balance and that he’s just solid. While TJ was able to not get submitted in day 1, he also didn’t get any submissions. Only doing one qualifier, he is still new to the PGF ruleset and could let loose more as he gets used to the six-minute matches.

Jacob Mashburn – (blue) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $12; Mashburn has some flashes of great jiu jitsu yesterday but wasn’t able to put points on the board. Still, he’s playing for his real-life coach so you have to think Caleb will put Mashburn in good spots to get some subs today.

Noah Randolph – (purple) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $12; At some point in time, Noah will break through his shell and come out firing both with his jiu jitsu and on the microphone. Noah has it in him, we all know it. But will he be able go Super Saiyan this season?

Nick Sahf (blue) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $11; Sahf showed he’s right to be in the competition but didn’t come home with any points in day 1. He gave some people a very rough time and with the right matchups could put points on the board.

Eric Longar (black) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $10; It’s a crime he slid to the last round again this season.  But it’s Longar’s time to put everyone in their place by showing them what a gym-owning black belt can do.  He could definitely make some noise this season. He didn’t get any submissions in day one but I wouldn’t be surprised if he changes that situation.

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.

Claire Mitchell – (purple) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $9; faces Anna Cononge (brown) – [LOSS]; Tara Larosa (purple) [LOSS], Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [LOSS], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [LOSS] – 0 points. Claire really showed great defense, stalling out some of the top competition. This defensive showing may give her the confidence to open up and go sub hunting herself, but at the same time that may open her up to submissions.

Brianna Parocha – (blue) – Team Such N Such (Sean Applegate) – $9; faces Anna Cononge (brown) – [LOSS]; Tara Larosa (purple) [LOSS], Nekiaya Jackson (brown belt) [LOSS], Kaida Davis (brown belt) [LOSS] – 0 points. Brianna has shown she’s very hard to open up and submit when she’s mounted. She’s shown great defense period. But today, there’s folks that will have her name circled, knowing they have to bring their best game against her and get some points if they want to be in contention.

Alex Hall (purple) – Team Ironclad (Matt Elkins) – $9; This young man is hungry. Even the Rock Troll had to admit Alex Hall leveled up a lot since their last match at the Chattanooga Qualifier.  Alex is a serious value pick here.

Billy Baxter (purple) – Team Supernatural Survival Gear (Caleb McAllister) – $9; Billy has a different style than most competitors in this field.  Even for the 155 lb season, it looks like Baxter is a little undersized, allowing his competition to stall Baxter’s movement.  We’ll see if Baxter is able to adjust.

Charles Muxo (blue) – Team Cantrell (Kemoy Anderson) – $9; Chaz Muxo has some underrated leg attacks. He’s very undersized for this season, but he’s going to surprise some folks. He was the recipient of multiple kills on day one and he can expect people to target him. How will he handle the target on his back? I hope he responds by counterattacking and taking home some legs.

Kaizen – it’s a Japanese word generally recognized as meaning “continuous improvement.” When Brandon Mccaghren and Conscious Keelan first envisioned the Professional Grappling Federation(PGF), they looked for ways to make the action exciting for fans. In true Kaizen fashion, the PGF leads have continuously improved the experience culminating this year in a Quintet-styled format, with some tweaks that we’ll discuss in this post.

For any neophytes, the first innovations Brandon and Keelan made with the inaugural season of the PGF were the camera angles and the scoring system. Keelan was a pioneer in the use of a gimbal for jiu jitsu coverage. With his skills and knowledge as a jiu jitsu practitioner and a videographer, Keelan was able to give the audience at home the best views in the house. Gone were the days of the single stable cam where you would lose the action for more than half the time – no, in the PGF, Keelan brought the fans directly into the action. Fans were able to absorb the techniques and tactics of competitors, seeing the real action.

The second and just as important innovation was the revamping of the scoring system. The fans want action; the fans want dunks. Before we get into the scoring system, it’s worth a quick aside that the PGF has always chosen their competitors with a bias towards the finish – meaning sometimes exciting white or blue belts would be admitted if they would push the action. Many times it’s been said someone is right for the PGF because he’s either scoring a submission or getting submitted – just like the Spartans said: “come home with your shield or on it.” Besides picking the right competitors, the PGF scoring system gave them all the right incentives for exciting matches. In the regular season of the PGF, a competitor seeks to make the post-season tournament by amassing the most points. Points are only awarded to those competitors who score a submission against their opponent. Each match in the PGF is six minutes (as compared to many competitions with 10 minute matches), squeezing down the time to get a submission. Competitors who score a break (any joint break/lock) earn 3 points; competitors earning a kill earn 6 points (it was originally 7 but later reduced to 6). To be clear, if a match ends in a draw, both competitors have lost because they failed to gain any points. Six minutes to secure a submission means competitors have to be constantly working which provides more action for the fans to watch.

An honorable mention for innovations of PGF Season 1 was the chat. In Season 1, when we had live matches every Friday during the height of COVID, the PGF and the chat was a place where fans could congregate (virtually) and appreciate jiu jitsu. We had a mix of friends, teammates, family members, and random fans – all who contributed to the community of the chat. I’ve described it previously as the methadone for us poor schleps who were not able to train during the pandemic. Whether you were still training, never had trained, or anywhere in between, the chat built a community of fans. The fantasy jiu jitsu league warrants a quick mention as well. There, fans could build their own lineups and compete each week against others to see who was the prognosticator supreme (Egghead Warrior was the runner up for the first two seasons). Just like the chat, it gave fans a way to get involved personally.

Over the next two seasons, the PGF innovated by condensing the schedule down to one intense week. Competitors could now come from much further away (e.g. Texas, California, Oklahoma, Florida, etc.). The PGF also now included true coaches who drafted their teams. Team members could also earn team points for the team who “won” the round. The PGF eventually reverted back to a live broadcast (after one pre-production season) – ensuring fans were right there with the action and able to interact with the commentators and help drive the direction of the PGF. For example, in Season 3, there were four “replacement” or bench players for teams whose purpose was to step in for injured teammates. Well, the fans in the chat wanted to find a way to recognize those players, so they put up a bunch of money in the chat (via Super Chat) and inspired Jason from Such N Such (an awesome local Decatur eatery) to supplement the Super Chat and sponsor the first ever Such N Such BATTLERAMA! It was a single elimination tournament for the four replacement competitors, eventually earning Joshua “FULL TIME” Gibbs $2k.

For Season 4, Brandon Mccaghren and Conscious Keelan have once again upped their innovation game. First, they included a proof of concept season for the bantamweight ladies. Eight 135 pound and under ladies are now competing and will be divided two to a team. They will compete in a round robin format against the ladies of opposing teams, facing ladies on opposing teams twice each.

For the gentlemen, Brandon and Keelan have ratcheted up the importance of the coaches by making their teams compete in a Quintet format. The Quintet format (although there will be six on each side so maybe a hextet?) is essentially a king of the hill situation. Each team puts out their first competitor on the mat. If someone secures a submission, they remain on the mat and the team of the submitted competitor must put up their next competitor. If the match is a draw, both competitors must leave the mat (a loss for both) and both teams must put up new competitors. This play will continue until one team has no competitors left. Also to note, when a winning team faces their next opponents, the competitors who had not played must hit the mat before anyone who had previously competed.

This innovation of the quintet format has multiple second and third-order effects. For fantasy fans and the coaches drafting their teams, the ladies’ value on rosters skyrocketed. The ladies are guaranteed four matches a night whereas a gentlemen could conceivably not compete once in a night if their team dominates their opponents. Second this availability of matches could cause friction between competitors, their coaches, and their teammates. While coaches want to beat the other teams, competitors are still vying for the post-season. One can foresee a top competitor possibly put later on a team’s lineup as the “anchor.” What happens when the anchor gets fewer matches than other competitors and ends up low in the rankings and possibly missing the playoffs? Even though all members of the team who amasses the most points in a night gets an extra team point, competitors would likely prefer to be on the mats as much as possible. Losing on the mats doesn’t cost any points to a competitor, so being on the mat is at worst just a chance at earning more points. This interplay between individual competitor, teammates, and coaches could become very interesting.

So to recap, the regular season action will all be in one week (actually even shorter this season). The regular season will be from 26-28 October with the post-season Finale on 29 October. All the action will start at NOON Central time live on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube Channel or live and in-person at BComing Church, 607 14th St SE, Decatur, AL 35601. Each team will have face two other teams each day, meaning four quintet showdowns each day for fans to enjoy. The lineups will be dynamic, so we could see some “strategery” to quote a past president where a team’s bench may try to fake out the opposing team by warming up, etc. Besides the theatrics, these dynamic lineups will allow coaches to tailor their lineups based on who they think their opponents will send out to the mats.

With every one of these innovations, Brandon Mccaghren and Conscioius Keelan have had the fans in mind. As sports fans, they wanted to bring the best of other sports into submission grappling, e.g. a live draft, dunks, etc. In less than one week, fans will be able to watch and join in on the fun from wherever they are in the world. Buckle up folks, PGF Season 4 is about to start and it’s going to be EXCITING!

It all leads up to this moment. Some competitors traveled to multiple pre-season qualifiers, facing innumerable opponents with a hope of making the regular season and a glimmer of a hope of reaching the PGF Post-Season – The Finale!

The PGF Season 4 Finale will be on Saturday, 29 October. It will be available live and in-person for fans at the BComing Church, 607 14th St SE, Decatur, AL 35601. Tickets for the season finale (in person) will be $30 and available only at the door – let them know which competitor you are supporting and they get a piece of those ticket sale. Of note, PGF NFT holders will also have their own VIP spots at the PGF Season 4 Finale. For those fans who cannot make it in person, the event will be live streamed via pay per view.

As in every season, the Finale will feature a single-elimination tournament of the top eight finishers from the regular season. The eventual winner of the tournament will be crowned PGF Season 4 Champion! But, there’s more to the event. The PGF Season 4 Finale also features a very exciting undercard.

With five matches, the undercard should definitely get the fans excited. It has a mix of PGF veterans and those new to the show. Anyone who has watched previous seasons of the PGF, the PGF qualifiers, or paid attention to high-end Southeastern submission grappling should recognize many of these competitors.

Josh Gibbs, purple belt, Nomad Jiu Jitsu versus Evan Stapler, blue belt, 10th Planet Decatur. In their match in PGF Season 2(1:11:02), Stapler pulled out some dirty, grindy moves. Stapler eventually won the match via head and arm triangle. Josh Gibbs returned to the PGF for season 3, eventually being named Josh FULL TIME Gibbs and winning the Such N Such BATTLERAMA! (5:12:35). Gibbs is still likely giving up a lot of weight, but he’s definitely shown PGF fans he has tons of heart. If someone can outlast folks, it’s Gibbs. Stapler is a young man who is trying to make a name for himself so look for him to come out hot. This match should be a lot more competitive and exciting than the one we saw last in PGF Season 2.

Chase Hannah, brown belt, 10th Planet Atlanta versus Jimmy Green, brown belt, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Savannah Pedro Sauer. Chase Hannah has a renown in the SouthEast as a supremely tough competitor. The lore has it that Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton, winner of PGF Season 1, runner-up of PGF Season 2, and High Rollerz champion, was humbled by Chase Hannah back in the day. Jimmy Green comes out of a very competitive Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Savannah which is the current gym of PGF Season 4 competitor Jacob Arp. If Green is anything like Arp, he’ll push the pace and make it exciting. For one, I’m excited to see Chase Hannah in action.

Kevin Beuhring, blue belt, 10th Planet Atlanta versus Keith Roberts, purple belt, Renzo Gracie Nashville. Beuhring, sometimes called the Beuhrik, was the blue-belt standout of PGF Season 3. He has black-belt worthy leg attacks. I wouldn’t trust my legs or anyone’s legs anywhere near Beuhring. Admittedly, I don’t know Keith Roberts other than he’s a purple belt out of Renzo Gracie Nashville, led by BJJ legend Shawn Williams. If Carson Thigpen, a blue belt out of the same gym, could capture the excitement and imagination of PGF fans, I have to figure Roberts can ramp things up a bit. I’m not making a call here, just excited to see how it goes.

Kuline Wendling, white belt, BASE Brazilian Jiu Jitsue versus Victoria Simpson, white belt, Tupelo Jiu Jitsu Academy. Kuline has been known to steal the spot light a little bit. Fans of the Brandon and Lindsay have a Podcast Now know that LMAC’s father might have paid more attention to Kuline (a white belt) than this black-belt daughter. What Kuline has shown PGF fans is a Matthew Boiles/Scramble Jiu Jitsu motor. SHE WILL NOT STOP! Kuline has been caught in submissions in qualifiers and her endurance and motor have allowed her to escape. I’ll admit I don’t know much about Victoria Simpson. SmoothComp has her at .500 with a submission and a point loss back in April. But, we know we can trust the Commish. If he decided to book this match as one of five undercard matches, I’m willing to be these ladies will push the action and put on a show.

YOUR CO-MAIN EVENT- The HANDSOME BELT BATTLE: Handsome Kevin Sherrill, Brown belt, Not Bad Combat Club versus Travis “the Mantis” Thomas, blue belt, 10th Planet Decatur. Thomas is an OUTLIER. He’s known as one of the most gifted athletes to walk through 10th Planet Decatur’s doors. Thomas received his blue belt in record time for 10th Planet Decatur and has been taking out black belts in the gym and competitions. BTW, the Mantis has a 185 lb MMA championship in at least one promotion in the Southeast. Now, “Handsome” Kevin Sherrill will take all that hype about the Mantis and handle it in a predictable way: Handsome Kevin will just run his hands through his hair and wink at the camera. Handsome Kevin is a lifelong grappler, being a state champion wrestler out of Rome, Georgia and earning a wrestling scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa. Handsome Kevin is a brown belt in jiu jitsu and coaches at X3 Sports in Atlanta. Handsome Kevin showed his expertise in Season 3 of the PGF. Handsome Kevin exhibited high-level grappling and supreme showmanship. These gentlemen are “about that life” as they say. Let’s just say, we have no idea what they’ll weigh when they hit the mats – it’s called “handsome weight.” If nothing else is certain, we know these gentlemen will put on a serious show for the fans.

UPDATE: THE FINALE TOURNAMENT!

I’ve added the bracket for the finale and your final top 8 standings. The match order for the finale will be as follows:

• Evan Dewitt vs Eric Longar – DUE TO DEMAND FROM THE CHAT!!!!
• Josh Gibbs vs Evan Stapler
• Kevin Beuhring vs Keith Roberts
• PGF TOURNAMENT Round 1
• Kuline Wendling vs Victoria Simpson
• Stephen Dana vs Matthew Boiles
• PGF TOURNAMENT Semi Finals
• Mario Gaor vs Billy Baxter
• Chase Hannah vs Jimmy Green
• HANDSOME WEIGHT TITLE MATCH
  Travis Thomas vs Kevin Sherrill
• PGF TOURNAMENT FINAL

In case you’re wondering if the top 8 competitors faced each other in the PGF regular season, here you go:

Dane Leak: Rock Troll (DRAW – Day 3); Reese Lafever (DRAW – Day 2); David Garcia (BREAK via armbar – Day 1); Samson Phomabout (RNC – Day 1)

David Garcia: Juan Martinez (BREAK via arm bar – Day 3); Dane Leak (L v armbar)

Reese Lafever: Juan Martinez V (KILL via guillotine – Day 3); Dane Leak (DRAW); Samson Phommabout (DRAW – Day 1)

Samson Phommabout: Dane Leak (LOSS via RNC Day 1); Reese Lafever (DRAW – Day 1)

Maximus “Rock Troll” Jolly: Dane Leak (DRAW – Day 3); Alex Hall (BREAK via heelhook Day 1)

Manning Leverette: Juan Martinez V (LOSS via RNC Day 3)

Juan Martinez V: Reese Lafever (LOSS via guillotine – Day 3); Manning Leverette (KILL via RNC – Day 3); David Garcia (LOSS via armbar – Day 3); Alex Hall (KILL via RNC – Day 2)

Alex Hall: Juan Martinez V (LOSS via RNC Day 2); Max Rock Troll Jolly (LOSS via heelhook Day 1)

For those of you who wanted a one-stop-shop post, I’m putting out this quick 5W’s post. As information changes or is updated, I’ll work to keep this quick post up to date as well as the other posts it links. For the video promo of PGF Season 4, check out this LINK.

What: The Professional Grappling Federation’s fourth season is just around the corner. It’s the most exciting, most fan-interactive submission grappling promotion on the planet. The six-minute matches force competitors to go for submissions, eliminating the all-too-often issue of grapplers stalling out matches in other promotions. This season, the teams face off in team two team duels a night. The teams’ ladies face each other in a round robin competition (each lady facing all the opposing ladies in the duels) with the gentlemen facing off in a quintet-style match in between the ladies’ matches. The quintet format pits the teams’ rosters of men against each other. The Coaches will send out their lead-off grappler onto the mat first. If either competitor secures a submission, they remain on the mat and the opposing team sends in their next competitor. In this way, it’s been compared to a king of the hill situation. If neither competitor in a quintet match secures a submission, the draw is a double-loss with both competitors eliminated and both teams having to send out new competitors. The team with the last competitors standing wins the quintet match. The gentlemen earn six points for a Kill (choke) and three points for a Break (joint lock) with an additional point for submissions in less than one minute (Elbow Genie rule). The eight gentlemen garnering the most points in the regular season will move on to the post-season tournament with a chance to earn the title of PGF Season 4 Champion.

Who: 10th Planet Black Belt Brandon Mccaghren (BMAC) is the Commissioner of the PGF. BMAC has assembled four coaches: Nick “Chewy” Albin, Kemoy Anderson, Sean Applegate, and Caleb McAllister. More about the coaches can be read HERE. The coaches recently drafted their teams, including six gentlemen and two ladies per team. The team rosters can be found HERE. PGF Season 4 includes eight outstanding bantamweight ladies and 24 tough lightweight gentlemen. For the complete roster of competitors please look HERE.

When: The PGF Season 4 regular season will from 26, 27, and 28 October. The regular season will begin at or around noon Central time each day. PGF Season 4’s post-season finale will be on Saturday, 29 October also starting at noon.

Where: PGF Season 4 will be live on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube Channel. If you’re near the Decatur, AL area, you can watch the competition live and in person at BComing Church, 607 14th St SE, Decatur, AL 35601. Tickets for the regular season matches are $10 at the door, but free to PGF NFT holders. The post-season finale will also be held at BComing Church and will be available on PPV (link forthcoming). Tickets for the season finale (in person) will be $30 and available only at the door – let them know which competitor you are supporting and they get a piece of those ticket sale. Of note, PGF NFT holders will also have their own VIP spots at the PGF Season 4 Finale.

Why: Because you deserve the most exciting, compelling jiu jitsu around. Because you can be a part of the tribe, hopping in the chat, putting out bounties (superchats for certain submissions), talking with the commentators, or just interacting with other fans. Because the PGF sports a number of up and coming jiu jitsu competitors who are making names for themselves and could break out on the national grappling seen shortly. Because it’s just a ton of fun.

I hope this quick post helps consolidate information for folks. You can also head on over to PGFHOME.COM for more information.

Also, if you want some more information about the Finale, including the undercard, you can check out this post.