While these athletes cannot legally place a legal wager at a casino, these four young men are betting on themselves. Jett “the Kid” Thompson showed fans in PGF Season 6 a relatively unknown teenager could end up seconds away from winning the entire PGF Season. Matt Masch, JJ Bowers, Raphael Ferreira, and Landon Elmore will all have 15 matches this season to prove they should be the PGF Season 8 Champion.
Matt Masch (age 20, Brown Belt, Black Hole JJ, NY)
The Grand Old Man of the Young Guns, Matt Masch has already found serious success at the ripe old age of 20. After coming in second place out of nowhere at the CJJ Worlds 2024 Featherweights (March), Masch returned eight months later in December and took home the CJJ Worlds 2024 Lightweights title (a higher weight division). To gain these accomplishments, Masch had to take out PGF alumni Max Hanson and Ben Eddy as well as fellow Young Gun (see below) JJ Bowers. Until the Combat Jiu Jitsu runs, Masch has mostly competed in regional events in the Northeast. He has serious wrestling and leg locks. In the Combat Jiu Jitsu Worlds, Masch was able to add devastating palm strikes to soften up his opponents, making them change their position. The last CJJ Worlds Champion to compete in the PGF just happened to lead his team to the championship and then won the individual championship. CJJ Worlds Champion and PGF Season 7 Ryan Aitken has some literally big shoes to fill, but you have to think Masch is hoping to reproduce his fellow CJJ Worlds champion’s success.
JJ Bowers (age 18, Brown Belt, Jay Pages Jiu Jitsu Academy, AZ)
Not only his JJ looking to reproduce Jett’s epic run from PGF Season 6; JJ and Jett both took their last chance and competed in the under 18 divisions in 2024. Both JJ and Jett won the ADCC World Championship in their respective weight division, with Jett being in the weight class directly above JJ. JJ has trained Jiu Jitsu since he was five already earning state and national acclaim when he was just 11. He started working on MMA and Pankration at an early age as well. JJ’s stock skyrocketed when he hit a very quick finish of world-class competitor Keith Krikorian at CJJW 2024: The Lightweights (2024). JJ had hit another anaconda in his previous match in that tournament. He ran into Masch (see above) and Masch caught him while JJ was looking to pass. JJ is very aggressive. He has a very exciting combination of wrestling, passing, and kills (in the PGF sense). With PGF 8, JJ has the opportunity to show he’s can fulfill the promise of his youth wins and continue that success in the adult ranks. JJ has a chip on his shoulder naturally which gives him the aggression and motor. JJ has won everywhere so far, and he believes he can do take these winning ways to PGF Season 8.
Raphael Ferreira (age 17, Purple Belt, Unified Jiu-Jitsu Academy, UT)
Your PGF 8 Las Vegas Qualifier winner! He goes “a Brazilian miles an hour” as one fan put it in the stream’s comments. Ferreira truly weaponizes cardio (tip of the cap to PGF Veteran Caleb McAlister). Raphael just out cycled all his opponents at the qualifier. More importantly, the PGF 8 Las Vegas qualifier included nine out of the 20 (or 45%) of the competitors who will be vying for the PGF 8 title. Raphael personally defeated four of those nine competitors. Any fan who sees an interview with Raphael will see a true baby face. He’s a very nice, calm young man who wants to pursue a law degree in the future. But stand by, when he steps onto the mats and the referee tells them to start. At that point, Raphael turns into the Tazmanian Devil, relentlessly attacking his opponent until he can secure a submission. His mild-mannered appearance and demeanor might just be setting him up to repeat or exceed Jett “the Kid” Thompson’s success from PGF Season 6.
Landon Elmore (age 18, Blue Belt, Kingswave Jiu Jitsu, TX)
For its first five seasons, the PGF always had a blue belt who rose above their ranks. This blue belt would inevitably make the playoffs as one of the top eight. Landon trains at arguably the best gym in the world with Kingswave (formely New Wave) Jiu Jitsu with Gordon Ryan, John Danaher, et al. Landon has also been grappling since his tender years. He proves the proposition that blue belts can have black belt techniques: Landon is constantly looking for a foot to lock, whether heel hook or an ankle lock variation. And he has entries from all over. Landon went to two qualifiers, winning the PGF 8 Austin Qualifier – also arguably one of the cities most chock full of bjj talent in the United States. Will Landon prove once again that #bluebeltsarepeopletoo (that’s also a PGF fantasy reference)? One has to believe Landon has a true chance to show a blue belt can once again have real success and become a fan favorite.
With these four gentlemen, the jiu jitsu world is truly seeing the beginning of youth jiu jitsu in the United States come to fruition. Just as youth soccer in the United States eventually gave us Major League Soccer (the MLS), youth jiu jitsu has the promise of building the foundation for solidifying jiu jitsu as a true professional sport in this country.
Alternate ending for comic book fans: With these four gentlemen, the jiu jitsu world is truly seeing the beginning of youth jiu jitsu in the United States come to fruition. Not to get too corny, but this entire situation reminds the Editorial Board of Eggheadwarrior.com of the scene from The Dark Knight Rises. These Young Guns have every right to echo, or at least paraphrase the words of Bane: “You merely adopted [jiu jitsu]; I was born in it, molded by it.” Sure, the other PGF 8 competitors might like the idea of being Batman in that scene. But at the same time, these Young Guns all have the ability to break the backs of their opponents this season.
Keep following PGF World and Brandon Mccaghren on Instagram and keep tuning in to the PGF Insiders on PGF World’s YouTube page. We normally go live at 7pm Eastern on Sundays. As #PGF8 starts in earnest, we’ll have a lot to discuss about the season.
After all, it’s everything you love about sports, plus jiu jitsu!
BTW, if you’re looking to get some new jiu jitsu gear, PGF World Season 6 Team Champions XMARTIAL has some great gear. I wrote a review of my XMartial shorts and rash guard HERE. If you use the coupon code “EGGHEAD,” you will get 15% off your order (and you’ll help me out a bit). XMARTIAL has some really fun rash guards and everyone I know loves their shorts. So check them out.
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