Egghead Warrior's Blog

Okay, Easter weekend has been a lot of great family time. I was able to sneak away enough to get a quick recap of the PGF Week 5 action down. Seriously, these matches were amazing this week. I think the draws were as exciting as the dunks. So many matches went down to the wire before submissions. The format is standing the test of time – it forces the action. So, why did I start off with a pic of the standings? Well, obviously I had to be a little happy I’m on top – showing the proof of the pudding (of my fantasy prognostication) is in the tasting. Also, if you look closely (since I had to zoom out), you can see who’s waaaaaay down there tied for 17th place. I’m not bitter about last season McWhorter…at least that’s what I tell my therapist.

We may have a big flaw with Fantasizr. I was seeing how folks fared in their calls for last week. First, congrats to Khalis Nasir for that call of Matt Elkins over Kevin Primeau, putting him as the best fantasy team for the week. I should’ve thought Elkins front headlock game could get that one done, but I have a rule against voting against Primeau (publication forthcoming). But when I started looking at teams’ performances, I see there’s a number of folks who have pulled a “FreeSpiritPhil” and kept their over budget teams by not updating them.

These teams are not fighting for the championship, but it raises issues to iron out before next season. As for now, all is right with the world and Egghead Warrior’s Blue Belts Are People Too team is still on top.

I think we’re really starting to get to know these competitors. I didn’t get all my calls right, but it was pretty close. I’ve added my updates below to show how the matches came out compared with the estimations I provided for your fantasy use.

Just a quick note before we get to the analysis: think about throwing down a few bucks in the superchat during the premieres. BMAC and crew gave us some amazing free entertainment. Then you have tie ins from the McDojo Show, my blogs, Eakin’s YouTube videos – it’s a really great experience. Think about sending them a beer’s worth of money in the superchat to say thanks. I do this blog for fun. As I said, it’s my methadone until I can get my grappling club back up and running. But show BMAC and his crew some love if you can. Now, onto my awesome prognostication and how it actually panned out:

PGF Week 5 Matchups (predictions with UPDATES/comments on actual results):

BLOCK 8:

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) v Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) – KILL, BLUE 6. Colvin is basically nearing Elijah Carlton level now.  Colvin gets the kill on most and only resorts to the break on those with a solid defense where Colvin wants to conserve energy.  Now with Elijah Carlton in lead, Colvin may be harder pressed for the kill (more pertinent in the second match). For this match, we have a pedigreed black belt competitor against a gritty blue belt. #bluebeltsarepeopletoo, but Grayson gets choked.

UPDATE: KILL, HUNTER.  Grayson sat guard. Colvin knee slice passed the guard, then went to work. Hunter got a darce within the first minute for 7 points.

James Regina (purple) v Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau – BREAK, BLUE 3. This match intrigues me. It doesn’t have big PGF implications, as both are not near the leader board, but it may say something about some regional levels of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Regina is a purple belt and MMA fighter out of Kansas City.  Primeau is a former MMA fighter and purple belt out of Decatur, AL. Primeau hasn’t been in his “Liquid Terminator” form since having the Rona, but he’s been scrapping his way to some submissions and good showings against the top competitors. Regina has let to secure a submission, going for leg locks in most matches. I have to think Primeau finds a way to get another “prison rules” break. He has an upside of a kill. If Regina gets the win, it’ll likely be a leg lock break.

UPDATE: BREAK, PRIMEAU. Primeau was saying he was going to chill and cook Regina until Regina gave him something. Instead, Regina sat guard then swept Primeau. Kevin went for a straight ankle lock HARD. They had a bit of a leg lock shootout for a while.  Then, Primeau’s cardio/energy was sapped so he defended for a while. Finally, Primeau pulled off the straight ankle lock – WOW. Never bet against the Liquid Terminator.

Joshua Gibbs (purple) v Randy “Dump Truck” Roden (blue) – DRAW. PGF FANTASY RULE #3 – DON’T TRUST BLUE BELTS TO GET THE SUBMISSION. There’s about no way Gibbs can handle Roden on the feet. Gibbs may try a sneaky guard pull or go for Roden’s legs (ala last time with Mega Mike Johnson), but I think Roden’s defense is too much to suffer the pseudo sneaky submissions of Gibbs (unlike the SUPER SNEAKY SUBMISSIONS OF PRIMEAU – very, very sneaky). Roden will likely dominate the match, but have no luck submitting Gibbs.

UPDATE: DRAW. Very exciting match – as the Commish said in the chat, only in this format does a six-minute draw provide this much excitement. Gibbs took about 12 seconds to play guard. Roden got on top and threatened Gibbs with submissions for most of the match. Roden was very close to a mounted guillotine but his grips failed. They got back to the feet at one point and it looks like Gibbs watched the Barbosa v Roden match – Gibbs went for the guillotine and locked up the guard.  Gibbs got really close to finishing that guillotine on Roden but Roden escaped. If Roden works on a Japanese necktie and a north-south choke, he’s going to level up like crazy. I think it was Matt Elkins in Eakin’s Dream Show who said “he don’t teach that guy anything” or words to that effect. I think everyone who sees Roden grapple knows Roden is going to be great with just a little more experience and technique.

Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) v Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) – KILL, BLUE 6. This match would have been much more interesting before Elkins’ knee injury.  We won’t see the good wrestling exchange we might have seen. Barbosa has too good of a defense to be caught by Elkins.  Elkins sits with his left leg down to protect the leg.  This posture allows Barbosa to go for the rolling kimura on Elkins’ left arm, setting up the back take. Barbosa secures the RNC.  We should all be looking forward to Elkins in a future season…although, he’s still in fourth place on the Red team, meaning he would make the finale tournament. If you give Matt Elkins a little time to heal, it could be really exciting what he could bring to that finale tournament.

UPDATE: Matt sat guard as he’s been doing in most matches since his injury. Sam passed his guard and started working his twister side control. Elkins avoided Barbosa’s traps. Eventually, Sam took Elkins’ back and got the RNC.

Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) v Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) – KILL, RED 6. Jake’s the best wrestler in the PGF. He proved that last week. Jake takes Kemoy down. Kemoy isn’t as good off his back as he is on top (probably from his MMA days). Kemoy may try a pop triangle, but Jake will defend. I’m guessing punch choke or head and arm triangle for Jake, showing his BMAC lineage.  Jake showed the mounted triangle once, but this match isn’t the time to go with anything but your best stuff.

UPDATE: BREAK, ELKINS. In an unexpected move, Kemoy shot a single leg takedown on Elkins about 28 seconds into the match. Jake worked the guillotine but didn’t get Kemoy. Jake got to top half guard and alternated working on Kemoy’s head and going for his arm for the kimura. Kemoy goes belly down to avoid a darce choke. Jake gets to mount. Kemoy gets it back to ¾ mount/half guard then sweeps Elkins. I can’t tell the sweep, maybe a knee tap? Jake gets the butterfly sweep. Jake then passes Kemoy’s guard to side control. Kemoy fights back to half guard. Jake digs for that top arm for the kimura. As soon as Jake separates Kemoy’s arm from his hip, Kemoy taps. Great match.

Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) v Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) – KILL, RED 6. Edwards is gutting out a lower back injury. He likely sustained it the first night either getting smashed by the D1 wrestler Roden or the black belt Eakin ensuring he didn’t get leg locked. Regardless, Edwards isn’t playing his “A” game. Edwards’ game is to sit guard. Elijah on top is a bad idea for everyone. Elijah gets the kill.

UPDATE: Joe Kai said it best when he compared the leg locker match to the situation where two wrestlers face each other. For the wrestlers, we get a wrestle off. Elijah couldn’t help but want to show his leg lock superiority. Elijah got the leg lock just at the 1 minute buzzer so he got the extra point for the quick break.

“MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) v Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) – KILL BLUE 6. Eakin is a solid, big black belt. MEGA’s a skilled purple belt who’s a large, strong guy. Mega learns Eakin is a bad man. BJJ math and the transitive property are not always right.  But if Jake Elkins > Mega Mike and Stephen Eakin = Jake Elkins (DRAW); then Stephen Eakin > Mega Mike.   It’s what some in my field would call a scientific wild ass guess (SWAG), but I have a hunch Eakin gets it done.          

UPDATE: DRAW. It was bears dancing for five minutes. Finally Eakin pulled guard with one minute left. Eakin put in the lockdown but didn’t have the time to get that game going. MEGA almost got a head and arm towards the end, but Eakin basically gave up that position since there was no time left. Eakin wanted to conserve energy for his match against Elijah. Neither Eakin, nor MEGA looked forward to being in bottom position with the other on top. We can all understand both competitor’s thinking, but neither got any points so it’s really a loss for both.

Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) v “Judo” Justin Williams (white) – KILL, RED 6. I have to give it to my man 8-mile who is representing for all of us blue belts out there. Evan is the first competitor to get a “shoulder pressure” choke – I think they’re calling it a modified Von Flue/OSP choke. Regardless, Stapler’s savage (as my tweens would say). Judo really gives of a Stephen “Grey Goose” Mitchell vibe. I’m not sure if Judo is on the DMT like Mitchell and Joe Rogan, but he seems out there during his interviews. With his grey streaked beard and pseudo-philosophical remarks, I am mesmerized by Judo’s interviews. Judo could stall out this match as well, but Evan has shown a killer instinct.  Also, having called his move in the pre-match interview with Primeau, Evan has shown he has a good, strategic head on his shoulder.  By day 3, Evan has probably got an idea of Judo’s game or received some coaching from the Red team on how to take him down. I’ll take a flyer and say 8-mile gets it done.

UPDATE: KILL, 8-MILE. Judo goes for a sweep, but Evan gets the blast/power double. Judo pulls full guard. Evan is really going for the hands to the face/smother game. Evan baits with the arm, then bully passes when Judo starts to go for it. Judo is doing his tight defense thing and Evan is throwing some brutal punch choke attempts in there. It looks like Evan is trying to use his chin to grind on Judo’s face. Does Evan train at 10P Decatur or with Vagnar Rocha? Evan gets to mount and starts finger walking Judo’s arm up. Evan gets to that chopping block and secures the head and arm triangle.

Team Winner: BLUE by 3. It’s a very close one. So, I’d recommend not putting anyone on their rosters based on this team points situation.

UPDATE: Blue got the team points.

Block 9:

Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) v Joshua Gibbs (purple) – KILL, BLUE 6. Kemoy bounces back from the loss to Elkins and gets a kill on Gibbs. Gibbs is still a relatively new purple belt and Kemoy is a seasoned brown belt competitor. I’m guessing Kemoy gets the takedown (heel pick?) and works that head and arm.

UPDATE: KILL, KEMOY. Kemoy gets a pretty ankle pick takedown about 25 seconds into the match. Kemoy falls right into a pseudo twister/backstep pass. Kemoy applying A LOT of pressure. Kemoy gets his back for a second then Gibbs spins around into his guard. Kemoy pops the triangle up. Gibbs escapes after a bit. Kemoy pops the triangle again. Kemoy flips Gibbs onto his side and gets the tap.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) v Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) – KILL, RED 6.  Two of the bigger guys in the league collide in this Blue Belt matchup. 8-Mile has really stepped up to fill the Seth Tatum/Dallas Sharp/Noah Randolph role this season (i.e. 10P Decatur Blue Belts who are outperforming their belt ranks). We saw some mat smarts when Evan called his shot/strategy on Primeau. But, so far Evan’s subs have been via shoulder pressure and leg lock. The Southern Samurai isn’t tapping to shoulder pressure. Both these young men have lots of grit. I’m a fan of both, but I have a feeling Evan gets the pass and subs Grayson via head and arm triangle. I’m sure it won’t be as fast and strong as Jake Elkins finish of Grayson, but I have a hunch Evan will have taken notes and received some coaching from Papa Bear Elkins on ways to approach Grayson.

UPDATE: KILL, STAPLER. About 35 seconds in, Stapler gets the double leg takedown and passes guard immediately. Grayson is working a strong frame on Evan’s hip and trying to shrimp to a better position. 8-Mile gets to mount about 65 seconds into the match. He’s finger walking the arm up. Grayson turns that frame into almost benching Evan off him, but Evan floats back to the mount. Just at two minutes into the match, Stapler secures the head and arm triangle. Move over Seth Tatum, we have a new 10P Decatur Blue Belt star of the PGF. Of course, since Seth received his promotion to Purple Belt after the first season of the PGF, I’m sure he’s okay with the change of the guard.

Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) v Stephen “the Dream” Eakin (black) – KILL, RED 6?   In his behind-the-scenes YouTube videos, Eakin discussed his analysis of this upcoming match (~13:20 mark). Eakin pointed out if MEGA MIKE wears him out in his earlier match, it could be hard for Eakin to take Elijah.  Eakin will have to treat Elijah like Zack Edwards (keeping pressure and center of gravity low to keep from being elevated for leg locks). Honestly, I think I’m going to have to publish this post without making my call. I might come back and update.

UPDATE: BREAK, BAD GUY. This match reminds me a lot of the Matt “the Mane” Elkins v Elijah “Bad Guy” Carlton match from the PGF Season 1 Finale (see ~3:20:10). With the lead up to the finale, we had this buildup of Elkins saying he was going to take folks to the deep water.  We all thought the key to beating Carlton was to get past the first 90 seconds.  But in the finale, Elkins went for some weird roll and Elijah got his leg in less than 10 seconds. Here, Eakin says Elijah’s legs are at least 6” longer than anticipated and Elijah is just automatic when he gets a shot at your legs. Just as Colvin gave the head fake of trying to wrestle with Jake Elkins, Elijah said there was 100% chance he would choke Eakin. It makes sense Eakin would be more focused on the patented Bad Guy triangle, but overlooking Carlton’s leg locks made him pay. This result just further reinforces one of the main PGF Fantasy Rules (publication forthcoming): You go with Elijah until someone shows us they can beat him. For the official recap, Carlton sat guard. He did a double kuzushi sweep and was able to hook Eakin’s right foot with his left leg. Carlton quickly secured the ashi garame and got the leg lock tap, then a hearty good game butt slap from Eakin. Eakin showed a lot of professionalism/grace after the match.

Randy “Dump Truck” Roden (blue) v “MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) – DRAW. This night, MEGA has had Elijah Carlton on top of him and put him in a triangle; he’s faced Stephen Eakin (10P blackbelt and strong competitor) and now he faces Roden. MEGA has shown he’s much better on top than on bottom. Unfortunately for MEGA, Roden, as the top wrestler in this match, generally gets to choose who is on top. I initially thought MEGA would get the kill as the bigger competitor with the higher belt, but I think Roden’s wrestling and athleticism helps him defend enough to make it a draw.

UPDATE: DRAW. Roden confirmed Eakin’s strategy for not being under MEGA – “if there’s three guys I don’t want to be under it’s [MEGA] all three times.”  I don’t know if anyone else has seen this phenomenon but MEGA is like a big teddy bear in his interviews and likely real life. But when MEGA hits that mat, I saw a silverback gorilla stalking Eakin earlier in the night and now there’s definitely a grumpy/mean face (or determined) going on in this match. They start grip fighting. Roden gets the ankle pick, but MEGA gets a body lock and starts working for a twister (seriously, I’ll buy someone a burrito if they get a twister in the PGF – or some dumplings from Canton House). Roden escapes and they’re back to their feet. Mike sits. Roden tries for the heel pick to get Mike all the way to his back but MEGA gets back to his feet. Mike pseudo sits again and Roden goes for a cartwheel pass. Mike sits again and gets into bottom half guard. He’s got a lockdown and is looking for a sweep, but Roden is on MEGA’s head. Roden is slipping through the lockdown. MEGA looks to go to dogfight, but Roden uses that whizzer to force MEGA down. They both get back up to the feet again. Roden gets a duck under with rotation like we saw with Matt Elkins against Kemoy. Roden passes MEGA’s guard immediately. MEGA gets him back to half guard. Roden steps over as he thinks of going for a knee bar but quickly bails. Roden gets to mount and ends the match on top, but no points for either competitor. They really pushed the action the whole time. Really great match.

Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) v Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) – KILL, BLUE 6. Colvin has guaranteed Jake won’t get any points on him (see 11:49). Jake has been a breakout star/fan favorite of the season, but he has losses to the other two of the big three (Elijah earlier this season and Sam Barbosa at the four-man initial 225 tournament in 2020). Elkins is a threat, but I have to go with Colvin until someone can beat him. Now, we saw last week where Colvin went for the break after hitting some resistance with Primeau…but that decision may have just been conserving energy for this match. So, there’s a risk Colvin gets the break.  But the odds are Colvin gets the sub.

UPDATE: BREAK, COLVIN. The Professional called this match “his toughest match of the tournament so far.” Colvin gave us a head fake – he had said previously he wanted to stand with Elkins and have an Oklahoma vs Alabama wrestling showdown.  The Professional decided to sit off the bat after seeing Elkins outwrestle Roden. Honestly it was high-level great stuff from both competitors. Colvin eventually got Elkins’ back but had to switch off to an arm bar due to Elkins’ defense. It’s definitely worth re-watching this match. Seriously, I started rewatching it again (fourth or fifth time and I’m still seeing little movements that are awesome and worthy of emulating from both sides).

Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau v Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) – DRAW. Two interesting thoughts about these fan favorites from PGF Season 1: (1) both are not up to their PGF Season 1 form – Primeau is still recovering from the Rona and doesn’t have his endurance; Elkins has his left knee injury; and (2) they never faced one another in Season 1. Using bjj math (that transitive property seen above), we could look back and see Joe Kai who had a 1 hour, 12-minute match against Primeau in the Season 1 Finale tournament was able to get a draw against The Competitor Formerly Known As The Mane in Season 1, Week 2. So, they’re reasonable in the same range, skill-wise. These two are also really tough customers. Both would gut it out if they were put into a submission. I don’t think there’s a finish inside of six minutes.

UPDATE: KILL, MANELESS. A match we really should’ve seen last season. It was the third match of the night for both. After a couple of minutes, Primeau’s cardio/power was gone and he was working to survive (as he said in his post-match interview). Eklins sat immediately in the match and Primeau tried to pass. Elkins got the sweep, then stacks Primeau. Elkins got a nose honk, then finished the double under pass. From this point on, Primeau was in survival mode. Primeau showed a lot of heart and great defense. However, with 30 seconds left, Elkins had Primeau’s back and secured the RNC.

“Judo” Justin Williams (white) v James Regina (purple) – BREAK, RED 3. Judo isn’t ignorant of the leg game; he tried to sit for Colvin’s leg in their match. But a white belt against a leg locker is a good way to get a break. Judo’s main defense has been when opponents are in the mount; he plays really tight and finds a way to survive. Against a leg locker like Regina, I don’t think Judo can defend for six minutes.

UPDATE: BREAK, REGINA. Regina came out sits right away and starts working on getting Judo’s legs. Judo does a great job defending his legs. Regina ends up in top half guard. He tries to pass a little and looks at the kimura, but ends up using that goose-neck wrist lock with the straight arm bar to get the break. I love that submission.

Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) v Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) – KILL BLUE 6. I’m a little worried for this match. We already know Edwards is injured (lower back). In the original PGF Season 2 promo (at 1:02) we see Edwards on the ground covering his eyes with his hands. In his McDojo Show interview, BMAC tried playing it off like Edwards might have been on the ground, in elation. But, I just looked at it again:

Elijah and Regina are clearly concerned and Jake Elkins is checking on Edwards. Barbosa is distraught – in a way a Nice Guy would be if he thought he just hurt someone. There’s been talk of folks would not have been upset if some competitors didn’t finish the season. Edwards in a post on the Brandonmc.ninja Facebook group said he wouldn’t have made it through the PGF without Lonnie Jones. I’m putting all these things together and I think Edwards really exacerbated his back injury or possibly something else in this match. It’s not a bright way to end the night, but it’s likely what happened. Now, it’s cold hearted, but for fantasy analysis, I’m thinking it may still be a kill with Sam taking Edwards’ back and cranking on his neck which in turn cranks on Edwards’ back. It’s likely still a kill, but could end up as a break.

UPDATE: KILL, BARBOSA. Sam got a ”BOSAconstrictor” aka power guillotine. Edwards said it felt like a spine crank which exacerbated his lower back injury. He’s definitely a BEAST for pushing through this competition.

Team Winner: Within the margin of error.

UPDATE: Matt Elkins kill against Primeau pushed the Red Team over the finish line for the team points.

As a reminder, blocks 8 and 9 are the second and third rounds of day 3 for the competitors. Whether you think they’ll be more “warmed up” or more depleted, it’s up to you.

Now on to the analysis for this week:

For your consideration, each fantasy team has 7 possible spots with a total salary cap of $120 for the week.  Any left-over funds do not carry over to the next week. While one could hypothetically maximize their chances at success at playing all 7 roster spots, we often found during season 1 that sacrificing a roster spot to secure more “sure things” was the way to go.

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

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton (brown) – $30; faces Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) [KILL] and Stephen “the Dream” Eakin (black) [KILL] – 12 points. Edwards is hurt, so that call is easier than it should be. Eakin is a big question mark. As Eakin said, if MEGA makes him tired during this match it’ll be harder for him to beat Carlton. I think Eakin could really pull this match out, but one of the Rules of Fantasy PGF (publication forthcoming) is you don’t bet against Elijah until someone shows they can beat him.  This match is one of the matches where we could see Elijah lose. So, be careful about relying too heavily on these expected 12 points.

Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) – $30; faces Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) [KILL] and Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) [KILL] – 12 points. Last week we saw Colvin settle for a break pretty early in the match against Primeau when Primeau was defending hard. Should we worry “the Professional” settles for a break or two here? Or does Elijah overtaking him for the #1 spot make Colvin go harder for the kill?

Sam “the Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) – $26; faces Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) [KILL] and Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) [KILL] –  12 points.  Sam faces a hurt Elkins and a hurt Edwards (who may get more hurt or injured in the match). Absent some lesser points for hurting Edwards, I think Sam is a solid 12 this week. A non-hurt/injured Edwards took Barbosa to EBI overtime at the Gulf South Classic last year.

Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) – $23; faces – Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) [KILL] and Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) [LOSS] – 6 points. There’s a slight chance Kemoy sneaks in a triangle on Elkins, but I think it’s a solid kill. There’s a chance Elkins can force a draw or get some points against Colvin, but I have to go with the Professional in that match.

Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) – $23; faces “MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) [KILL] and Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) [DRAW] – 6 points. Eakin needs the kill against MEGA if he wants to keep his hopes of winning the PGF alive. I think there’s a chance Eakin takes out Elijah – he’s a fan of the PGF from season 1 and a black belt. I have to think Eakin has a game plan for Elijah, but no one’s game plan for Elijah has worked to this point.

PREMIUMS

Kemoy “RatedR/the Bully” Anderson (brown) – $20; faces Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) [LOSS] and Joshua Gibbs (purple) [KILL] – 6 points. Kemoy does his best work from the top position (despite his triangle finishes). Elkins as the superior wrestler takes and maintains the top position. Kemoy bullies Gibbs for the kill.

Matt “Maneless/the Fade” Elkins (brown) – $18; faces Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) [LOSS] and Kevin “Liquid Terminator/Pete Rose” Primeau (purple) [DRAW] – 0 points. What could have been but for Elkins’ knee injury against Roden in week 1? As I’ll say for Primeau below, I hope he makes it to the tournament and has a chance to heal. If you’re new to the PGF, check out his matches in season one (look for “the Mane” as Samson had not cut his locks yet).

Kevin “Liquid Terminator/Pete Rose” Primeau (purple) – $16; faces James Regina (purple) [BREAK] and Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) [DRAW] – 3 points. I hope Primeau finds some way to make the tournament again and recover from the Rona to show the new fans how bad a man he really is. For those of you who might have joined us for season 2, do yourself a favor and watch his matches from season 1.

Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) – $16; faces Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) [LOSS] and Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) [LOSS] – 0 points. I think this week we see Edwards get hurt some more. He’s proving a real warrior for continuing the season.

AVERAGE

Evan “8 Mile” Stapler (blue) – $15; faces “Judo” Justin Williams (white) [KILL] and Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) [KILL] – 12 points. This week’s lineup is Stapler’s best of the season but we all need to be wary of one of the PGF Fantasy rules (publication forthcoming) – “Don’t trust a blue belt to get the submission.” (also see below). That said Stapler has shown he has the killer instinct and you should put him on your team unless you’re in the top 15 or so (gotta protect my lead).

“MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) – $14 – aka the world’s most mysterious man; faces Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) [LOSS] and Randy “Dumptruck” Roden (blue) [DRAW] – 0 points. MEGA will give them good matches, but not get any points this week.

BELOW AVERAGE

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden (blue) – $13; faces Joshua Gibbs (purple) [DRAW] and “MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) [DRAW] – 0 points. Roden is a tough competitor and always the first person competitors mention as the most surprising and most improved from the season. Still, he’s a blue belt who hasn’t seemed to developed his killer instinct yet. He’ll likely get on top of both his opponents but hasn’t developed the “killing stroke” as Lindsey McCaghren has mentioned in her podcast with Brandon.

James Regina (purple) – $12; faces Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau [LOSS] and “Judo” Justin Williams (white) [BREAK] – 3 points.  Regina was fairly unknown coming into the PGF.  He hasn’t made a big splash yet. I wonder if his focus on MMA has taken away some sharpness in his bjj game.

Joshua Gibbs (purple) – $12; faces Randy “Dumptruck” Roden (blue) [DRAW] and Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) [loss] – 0 points. Gibbs is a game competitor but faces a superior athlete and a more skilled competitor this week. Gibbs has shown great enthusiasm during this season and continues to give it his all.

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.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) – $11; faces Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) [LOSS] and Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) [LOSS]. I think Grayson has a shot for a draw or submission against Stapler, but 8-Mile has been the man showing up for us blue belts. Here, mentality might be the key. Grayson has gone into a lot of matches hoping to not lose while Stapler has been going into matches to win. Mentality is a habit and Stapler’s habit could give him the edge.

Justin “Judo” Williams (white) – $9; faces Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) [LOSS] and James Regina (purple) [LOSS]. Judo’s best shot for points this week is throwing up a Judo-style submission (e.g. an arm bar setup common to Judo but not bjj or maybe a Yoko Sangaku against Stapler’s turtle). But I don’t think he’s going to get any points this week.

PGF Week 4 Matchups

BLOCK 8:

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) v Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) – KILL, BLUE 6. Colvin is basically nearing Elijah Carlton level now.  Colvin gets the kill on most and only resorts to the break on those with a solid defense where Colvin wants to conserve energy.  Now with Elijah Carlton in lead, Colvin may be harder pressed for the kill (more pertinent in the second match). For this match, we have a pedigreed black belt competitor against a gritty blue belt. #bluebeltsarepeopletoo, but Grayson gets choked.

James Regina (purple) v Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau – BREAK, BLUE 3. This match intrigues me. It doesn’t have big PGF implications, as both are not near the leader board, but it may say something about some regional levels of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Regina is a purple belt and MMA fighter out of Kansas City.  Primeau is a former MMA fighter and purple belt out of Decatur, AL. Primeau hasn’t been in his “Liquid Terminator” form since having the Rona, but he’s been scrapping his way to some submissions and good showings against the top competitors. Regina has let to secure a submission, going for leg locks in most matches. I have to think Primeau finds a way to get another “prison rules” break. He has an upside of a kill. If Regina gets the win, it’ll likely be a leg lock break.

Joshua Gibbs (purple) v Randy “Dump Truck” Roden (blue) – DRAW. PGF FANTASY RULE #3 – DON’T TRUST BLUE BELTS TO GET THE SUBMISSION. There’s about no way Gibbs can handle Roden on the feet. Gibbs may try a sneaky guard pull or go for Roden’s legs (ala last time with Mega Mike Johnson), but I think Roden’s defense is too much to suffer the pseudo sneaky submissions of Gibbs (unlike the SUPER SNEAKY SUBMISSIONS OF PRIMEAU – very, very sneaky). Roden will likely dominate the match, but have no luck submitting Gibbs.

Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) v Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) – KILL, BLUE 6. This match would have been much more interesting before Elkins’ knee injury.  We won’t see the good wrestling exchange we might have seen. Barbosa has too good of a defense to be caught by Elkins.  Elkins sits with his left leg down to protect the leg.  This posture allows Barbosa to go for the rolling kimura on Elkins’ left arm, setting up the back take. Barbosa secures the RNC.  We should all be looking forward to Elkins in a future season…although, he’s still in fourth place on the Red team, meaning he would make the finale tournament. If you give Matt Elkins a little time to heal, it could be really exciting what he could bring to that finale tournament.

Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) v Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) – KILL, RED 6. Jake’s the best wrestler in the PGF. He proved that last week. Jake takes Kemoy down. Kemoy isn’t as good off his back as he is on top (probably from his MMA days). Kemoy may try a pop triangle, but Jake will defend. I’m guessing punch choke or head and arm triangle for Jake, showing his BMAC lineage.  Jake showed the mounted triangle once, but this match isn’t the time to go with anything but your best stuff.

Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) v Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) – KILL, RED 6. Edwards is gutting out a lower back injury. He likely sustained it the first night either getting smashed by the D1 wrestler Roden or the black belt Eakin ensuring he didn’t get leg locked. Regardless, Edwards isn’t playing his “A” game. Edwards’ game is to sit guard. Elijah on top is a bad idea for everyone. Elijah gets the kill.

“MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) v Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) – KILL BLUE 6. Eakin is a solid, big black belt. MEGA’s a skilled purple belt who’s a large, strong guy. Mega learns Eakin is a bad man. BJJ math and the transitive property are not always right.  But if Jake Elkins > Mega Mike and Stephen Eakin = Jake Elkins (DRAW); then Stephen Eakin > Mega Mike.   It’s what some in my field would call a scientific wild ass guess (SWAG), but I have a hunch Eakin gets it done.          

Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) v “Judo” Justin Williams (white) – KILL, RED 6. I have to give it to my man 8-mile who is representing for all of us blue belts out there. Evan is the first competitor to get a “shoulder pressure” choke – I think they’re calling it a modified Von Flue/OSP choke. Regardless, Stapler’s savage (as my tweens would say). Judo really gives of a Stephen “Grey Goose” Mitchell vibe. I’m not sure if Judo is on the DMT like Mitchell and Joe Rogan, but he seems out there during his interviews. With his grey streaked beard and pseudo-philosophical remarks, I am mesmerized by Judo’s interviews. Judo could stall out this match as well, but Evan has shown a killer instinct.  Also, having called his move in the pre-match interview with Primeau, Evan has shown he has a good, strategic head on his shoulder.  By day 3, Evan has probably got an idea of Judo’s game or received some coaching from the Red team on how to take him down. I’ll take a flyer and say 8-mile gets it done.

Team Winner: BLUE by 3. It’s a very close one. So, I’d recommend not putting anyone on their rosters based on this team points situation.

Block 9:

Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) v Joshua Gibbs (purple) – KILL, BLUE 6. Kemoy bounces back from the loss to Elkins and gets a kill on Gibbs. Gibbs is still a relatively new purple belt and Kemoy is a seasoned brown belt competitor. I’m guessing Kemoy gets the takedown (heel pick?) and works that head and arm.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) v Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) – KILL, RED 6.  Two of the bigger guys in the league collide in this Blue Belt matchup. 8-Mile has really stepped up to fill the Seth Tatum/Dallas Sharp/Noah Randolph role this season (i.e. 10P Decatur Blue Belts who are outperforming their belt ranks). We saw some mat smarts when Evan called his shot/strategy on Primeau. But, so far Evan’s subs have been via shoulder pressure and leg lock. The Southern Samurai isn’t tapping to shoulder pressure. Both these young men have lots of grit. I’m a fan of both, but I have a feeling Evan gets the pass and subs Grayson via head and arm triangle. I’m sure it won’t be as fast and strong as Jake Elkins finish of Grayson, but I have a hunch Evan will have taken notes and received some coaching from Papa Bear Elkins on ways to approach Grayson.

Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) v Stephen “the Dream” Eakin (black) – KILL, RED 6?   In his behind-the-scenes YouTube videos, Eakin discussed his analysis of this upcoming match (~13:20 mark). Eakin pointed out if MEGA MIKE wears him out in his earlier match, it could be hard for Eakin to take Elijah.  Eakin will have to treat Elijah like Zack Edwards (keeping pressure and center of gravity low to keep from being elevated for leg locks). Honestly, I think I’m going to have to publish this post without making my call. I might come back and update.

Randy “Dump Truck” Roden (blue) v “MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) – DRAW. This night, MEGA has had Elijah Carlton on top of him and put him in a triangle; he’s faced Stephen Eakin (10P blackbelt and strong competitor) and now he faces Roden. MEGA has shown he’s much better on top than on bottom. Unfortunately for MEGA, Roden, as the top wrestler in this match, generally gets to choose who is on top. I initially thought MEGA would get the kill as the bigger competitor with the higher belt, but I think Roden’s wrestling and athleticism helps him defend enough to make it a draw.

Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) v Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) – KILL, BLUE 6. Colvin has guaranteed Jake won’t get any points on him (see 11:49). Jake has been a breakout star/fan favorite of the season, but he has losses to the other two of the big three (Elijah earlier this season and Sam Barbosa at the four-man initial 225 tournament in 2020). Elkins is a threat, but I have to go with Colvin until someone can beat him. Now, we saw last week where Colvin went for the break after hitting some resistance with Primeau…but that decision may have just been conserving energy for this match. So, there’s a risk Colvin gets the break.  But the odds are Colvin gets the sub.

Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau v Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) – DRAW. Two interesting thoughts about these fan favorites from PGF Season 1: (1) both are not up to their PGF Season 1 form – Primeau is still recovering from the Rona and doesn’t have his endurance; Elkins has his left knee injury; and (2) they never faced one another in Season 1. Using bjj math (that transitive property seen above), we could look back and see Joe Kai who had a 1 hour, 12-minute match against Primeau in the Season 1 Finale tournament was able to get a draw against The Competitor Formerly Known As The Mane in Season 1, Week 2. So, they’re reasonable in the same range, skill-wise. These two are also really tough customers. Both would gut it out if they were put into a submission. I don’t think there’s a finish inside of six minutes.

“Judo” Justin Williams (white) v James Regina (purple) – BREAK, RED 3. Judo isn’t ignorant of the leg game; he tried to sit for Colvin’s leg in their match. But a white belt against a leg locker is a good way to get a break. Judo’s main defense has been when opponents are in the mount; he plays really tight and finds a way to survive. Against a leg locker like Regina, I don’t think Judo can defend for six minutes.

Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) v Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) – KILL BLUE 6. I’m a little worried for this match. We already know Edwards is injured (lower back). In the original PGF Season 2 promo (at 1:02) we see Edwards on the ground covering his eyes with his hands. In his McDojo Show interview, BMAC tried playing it off like Edwards might have been on the ground, in elation. But, I just looked at it again:

Elijah and Regina are clearly concerned and Jake Elkins is checking on Edwards. Barbosa is distraught – in a way a Nice Guy would be if he thought he just hurt someone. There’s been talk of folks would not have been upset if some competitors didn’t finish the season. Edwards in a post on the Brandonmc.ninja Facebook group said he wouldn’t have made it through the PGF without Lonnie Jones. I’m putting all these things together and I think Edwards really exacerbated his back injury or possibly something else in this match. It’s not a bright way to end the night, but it’s likely what happened. Now, it’s cold hearted, but for fantasy analysis, I’m thinking it may still be a kill with Sam taking Edwards’ back and cranking on his neck which in turn cranks on Edwards’ back. It’s likely still a kill, but could end up as a break.

Team Winner: Within the margin of error.

There is a disturbance in the PGF Fantasy force. No, rest assured. McWhorter is safely back in 7^th place. Scoreboard McWhorter! No, I’m not still sore about coming in second place last season.

No, the problem is with the upstart, Freespiritphil.  It seems through cunning, sloth, or neglect, he found a way to game the system.  He kept a team from a previous week which should have been over budget last week.  His team:

This team went over the budget as follows:

Phil is a solid $13 dollars over budget.

I’m making an immediate motion to the Commish to remove the lowest two costing members of Phil’s team from his point total. This action should mean Grayson Webster and Kemoy Anderson are removed and their respective point totals. You don’t get any benefits from not changing your fantasy football teams; you shouldn’t get any benefit from not doing so in the PGF. Of course, we can all chock this situation up to growing pains, but an Egghead has to protect his lead.

Talking about leads and scoreboards, I’m still on top. So, it’s probably worth reading my analysis (even if it’s posted late – sorry guys for last week) or listening to the McDojo Show podcast for the latest analysis from Walo, Chris, mig-E, and occasionally the Egghead Warrior on who you should pick.

Okay, I’ve belabored the monologue almost enough.  I have to give a big shout out to YouTube for last Friday….GOOD GRIEF. I know the servers messed up a lot of folks over the last weekend.  The end result was many of us hanging out in the chat waiting for the PGF to start. But, it was worth it. We saw some really great matches. Which I’ll cover in my fantasy updates…NOW:

PGF Week 4 Matchups (predictions with UPDATES/comments on actual results):

BLOCK 6:

“Judo” Justin Williams (white) v Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) – KILL, Blue 6. Kemoy gets on the submission train with a win over Judo. Judo can defend, but Kemoy’s punishing style will be too much for the judoka.  Kemoy knows he needs to capitalize on this match so I think he forces the kill.

UPDATE:  KILL, KEMOY. Judo fends off Kemoy’s grips for a solid minute before Kemoy takes down Judo with a single leg. Judo uses the lockdown, but flat on his back, not whipping, so it’s just stalling. Kemoy gets to mount and Judo defends. Kemoy goes for the North South; Judo defends. Kemoy moves to scarf hold/kesa gatame/judo side control and gets the head and arm triangle. Kemoy isn’t pumped about beating a teammate who is really there for the experience than there to win. Kemoy – take the win, bud. You’re on the submission board, where many of us knew you could be. Keep on, keeping on.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) v Randy “Dump Truck” Roden (blue) – KILL, Blue 6 Grayson had the most impressive stats in the pre-season combine, but Roden does back flips on the regular. Both are blue belts, but Roden is a D1 athlete. D1 wrestlers are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. I think Roden gets the kill. Grayson’s going to make him work for it, but every person I’ve seen interviewed has been super impressed by Roden.

UPDATE: DRAW – Two blue belts. Both very physical. Roden gets the pass-by takedown in about 12 seconds. Roden disengages and gets to a standing v seated guard passing situation. Roden tries to pass and gets stuck in half guard. Roden disengages and Webster stands. Grayson sits guard. Roden gets a good arm around the neck, but Grayson stays calm and fights it. Roden gets to mount. He’s trying for that head and arm but isn’t walking the arm using his fingers. Roden moves to side control. Grayson is defending and using explosive breathing. Grayson goes to turtle. Roden gets his back and flattens him. Grayson fights back to on his back. Roden back on top; he can’t decide between Ezekiel, head and arm, or mounted triangle. He goes for a mounted guillotine but Grayson keeps fighting. Competitors and fans may not like Grayson’s defensive posture, but you can’t argue with his heart. He faced an onslaught for the entire match and didn’t give up. That’s grit, everyone.  For Roden, it’s just a matter of time. His athleticism and overall grappling will be complemented by his submissions as he develops. He will be a force for the next season of the PGF at his weight class.

Joshua Gibbs (purple) v “MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) – KILL RED 6. See above analysis. In short, bit/MEGA purple belt takes out smaller, more recently promoted purple belt. I’m a little concerned about Gibbs’ role for the knee bar from the  PGF season 2 promo but it looks like Mega is going to use his weight distribution to ensure he’s safe.

UPDATE: MEGA BREAK – Mega got the Russian tie on the feet, then moved to Gibbs’ back. Gibbs made that roll for the leg, but Mega kept the pressure down and shucked Gibbs’ legs, landing in half guard. Mega puts lots of pressure on Gibbs. He works the twister pass, but seals it when he gets a kimura grip. Mega gets a quick tap using that kimura from side control.

James Regina (purple) v Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) – BREAK RED 3. As said above, I think the brown belt leg locker takes out the purple belt leg locker. The x-factor is Edwards’ lower back. If Edwards is limited, Regina could pull the upset. Probably safe to say not a lot of wrestling in this match.

UPDATE:  BREAK, SQUIDBILLY. Imagine that, Edwards sits and starts going for legs. Okay, there’s a lot of rolling and footsie going on. [This levity is aimed more at my lack of sophistication with leg locks and less at the two leg lockers’ game lay.] At the end of the match, Edwards gets the toe hold for the break. Also, real props to Edwards for staying in the league despite his lower back injury.

Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) v Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) – KILL BLUE 6. After the “loss” to Covin, Sam’s going to want to get a dunk.  I think Sam’s realizing his relaxed/casual game play isn’t going to help him in the six-minute matches of the regular season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Barbosa came out with some more sense of urgency at the beginning of the match.

UPDATE:  KILL, BARBOSA. I think Evan tries a few attempts at an uchi mata against the Kingpin. That ends poorly and Sam gets into a north south position on 8-Mile. Barbosa gets the front headlock and goes to work. Sam sets up the Darce then pulls guard for some extra torque.

Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) v Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau – KILL, BLUE 6. Colvin showed some possible susceptibility to wrist locks when he faced Sam Barbosa.  “Prison Rules” Primeau has shown he’s not afraid to use wrist locks.  Absent a super sneaky wrist lock, I think Colvin has this match. I know one of the PGF rules is not to go against Primeau, but until someone beats Colvin, you have to pick him.

UPDATE: BREAK COLVIN. The Pete Rose of the PGF pulls guard. Colvin starts working for that kimura setup to the back but is able to secure it without the full kimura grip. Colvin is on Primeau’s back at 17 seconds into the match. Primeau keeps fighting, forcing Colvin to go to somewhat of a mount position. Colvin’s got that giftwrap and keeps trying to get the back. It looks like Colvin is going to try for a triangle, but Primeau keeps fighting. Colvin decides 1:42 into the match to not mess with the Liquid Terminator’s defense to chokes and settles for the arm bar.

Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) v Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) – KILL, RED 6. In the NFL, they say it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season (DAMN YOU TB, SAINTS STILL WON THE SERIES 2-1 THIS SEASON!). Elijah has now beat two Elkins boys via triangle choke in the PGF regular season (he got Matt also via leg lock in the season 1 tournament). Elkins may sit due to his knee. Apparently, having Elijah in top position is even worse than worrying about his triangle setups. In the season 1 tournament previews, I think we all figured Elkins would have to out grind Elijah to win, but Elijah tapped Elkins very quickly. Elijah knows he’s in a tight race with Hunter Colvin; he’s probably kicking himself for taking the break against Grayson. I think Elijah finds a way to get the kill against Elkins.  Matt’s a warrior for continuing to compete, using his C game (I think that’s what he said on the Daily Stack Podcast).  Elkins when he’s 100% hasn’t beat Elijah yet, so it’s hard to not bet on Elijah against a limited Elkins.

UPDATE:  KILL, CARLTON. Matt Elkins v Elijah Carlton 3 (first was regular season PGF season 1, then season 1 tournament). I didn’t notice at first, but Papa Bear Elkins is pacing on a corner of the mat watching his little brother – it’s kinda cute. Maneless comes out and sits guard against the Bad Guy. Elkins is trying some De la Riva guard or reverse DLR, but Carlton passes pretty quickly. Carlton tries to get the mounted triangle, but Elkins inverts and forces a scramble. Carlton passes again, working some side control/knee on belly. Looks like he moves to a little of an s-mount, then goes back take. Elkins fights hard, but Carlton gets the RNC. Another win for the Bad Guy. I’ll admit I was re-watching everything on 1.5 speed to help with my summary, but I rewound and went back to normal speed for Matt Elkins’ interview. He’s easily the best interview in the PGF. Watch the interview, then look back at my commentary from Elkins matches last week.

Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) v Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) – A big, bad wrestler faces a big, bad MMA fighter. Both transitioned to jiu jitsu after their first passions (of course Elkins still does just a bit of wrestling). Eakin’s been looking for a reason to sit guard; well this match might be that reason.  At the same time, Eakin might just want to stand with Elkins just to see what it’s like. As the black belt, Eakin should win, but Elkins is a beast. Eakin’s match against Barbosa shook my confidence in him a bit…but I think the Kingpin woke the sleeping giant in that match. Eakin’s seems to be a lot more motivated. I’m not sure if Elkins was looking forward to the match with Elkins, but Eakin was thinking about this match way before getting to Decatur. As I said above, put a gun to my head and I’m saying Eakin. But it could completely go either way or stall out for a draw.

UPDATE:  DRAW. While this match was originally the first of the block, it was moved to the last because it was actually a make-up match. Jake HEAD Elkins had a prior engagement the normal night, so they made this match up on the bye day. It’s funny because I thought it would provide a benefit to Eakin as he would be fresh. As it happens Elkins had two matches prior to this match on the makeup night. But Eakin in his Dream Youtube show pointed out six minutes isn’t really enough to gas you out, but he may have faired better in this match if he had the two dunks of his white and blue belt teammates. I guess the layoff cuts both ways. After a brief exchange, Eakin sits guard. Elkins goes for the front headlock from top half. Eakin puts in the lockdown, a good lockdown. Elkins passes with the knee slice and moves to scarf hold/kesa gatame/judo side control. Eakin scrambles to his feet, but Elkins secures the beginnings of an anaconda choke. Eakin expertly defends. Here we see the rhythm of the match – Elkins uses athleticism and skill to get to a good position, but Eakins uses superior experience and technique to mitigate any threat from the position. In the end, six minutes isn’t enough for either competitor to secure a submission, but it’s a great match to review.

Team Winner: BLUE, by 9 if you believe my picks. 9 should allow for one reversal (say the first match of the block) and still maintain blue as the team winner.

UPDATE:   I was correct.

Block 7:

Sam “Kingpin” Barbosa (brown) v James Regina (purple) – KILL, BLUE 6. Regina sits. Sam does his rolling kimura and takes Regina’s back. Sam gets the RNC Kill.

UPDATE: KILL BARBOSA. First, gotta give some props for the Regina’s KC rash guard. I have plenty of family and friends in Kansas who would really love Regina representing. Regina immediately sits. The Kingpin passes in less than 11 seconds. Regina puts in some nice frames. As Skaff says, Barbosa really loves that twister side control. You can see it more in his recent Sapoteiro matches on Youtube. Regina is defending; he scrambles. Barbosa gets to the front headlock. Regina sits to his back on the ground. Regina tries to invert for a leg, but Barbosa uses the position to get Regina’s back. At about two minutes into the match, Barbosa puts in a twister hook and secures a neck crank under the nose which is counted as a kill in the PGF.

Kemoy “RatedR” Anderson (brown) v Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) – KILL, BLUE 6.  Kemoy keeps it rolling with another submission. Kemoy knows he needs the points. Grayson is bigger and strong, but everyone says Kemoy is very strong. I could see Kemoy settling for the break, but I hope he forces the kill.

UPDATE: KILL KEMOY. They fight grips standing for a while then Grayson pulls guard after 27 seconds. Kemoy uses that knee slice to get to side control. Kemoy gets to mount but Grayson reverses almost immediately.  Almost as quickly, Kemoy pops up that triangle. Grayson stacks and well, let’s be honest, Grayson is a big boy so it’s hard to triangle him. Grayson ends up with his own mount position. Kemoy gets back to quarter guard then reverses the position to be on top. Kemoy passes to mount with 2:30 left. Kemoy goes for the triangle, rolling to his back and finishing. 

Randy “Dump Truck” Roden (blue) v Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) – KILL, RED 6. Jake shows some sick chain wrestling in the Season 2 promo against Roden. Elkins has awesome wrestling and great jiu jitsu.  My only worry is if the competitors spend too much time trying to out wrestle each other they don’t have enough time to get a submission. If there is a submission, it’s going to be a Jake kill of Roden.

UPDATE: BREAK ELKINS.  WRESTLEMANIA…CS (don’t want to get sued for TM violation). They start wrasslin’ Roden is chewing gum again. I hear chewing gum helps with our breathing. A little under 20 seconds into the match, we see the chain wrestling display by Jake HEAD Elkins we previously saw in the PGF Season 2 promo. It ends in Elkins getting Roden to the ground and securing a seated position with Roden’s back (without hooks). Roden tries a granby but Jake floats and gets once more to Roden’s back, securing a twister hook. Jake is constantly threatening with the choking arm, keeping Roden’s attention away from the hooks. Elkins flattens out Roden, belly down. Roden shows a lot of heart and strength getting to his back, to bottom mount. Roden threatens to roll out of the bottom mount. Elkins rolls with him and secures the arm bar submission.

“Judo” Justin Williams (blue) v Hunter “the Professional” Colvin (black) – KILL, BLUE 6. In the season 2 promo, we saw Colvin with a slick back take of Williams. Once Colvin gets your back, tap early; tap often.

UPDATE:  KILL COLVIN. Colvin jumps for a standing guillotine to no avail. Judo sits back for a leg leading to that sweet back take from Colvin we saw in the PGF Season 2 promo. Colvin forces the neck crank for the kill.

Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) v Matt “Maneless” Elkins (brown) – KILL, RED 6. Elkins finds a way to get the front headlock with a little seated wrestling and secures the kill. I’m a little concerned for how Edwards is doing. This block will be the first match of the third day so Edwards might have hit that hot tub and received massage therapy. I hope he’s recovered and makes it a good match.

UPDATE: KILL ELKINS. In a strange turn of events, Elkins sits and Edwards takes top position. Elkins sweeps, but Edwards is happy to accept bottom position as Matt Skaff points out. Edwards rolls to a bit of a turtle and Elkins gets on that front/side headlock. Elkins looks like he’s moving to the North South choke, eventually securing it for the kill.

Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) v Joshua Gibbs (purple) – KILL, BLUE 6. Eakin knows he needs the kill. Eakin gets the kill. Eakin won’t goon Gibbs like he did with Judo Williams, but he will go after the kill hard.

UPDATE: KILL EAKIN. Gibbs goes for the single leg early. Eakin counters with the 10-finger guillotine, but since Eakin doesn’t have any guard/way to secure Gibbs, Gibbs is able to circle and get to side control. Eakin quickly gets back to half guard, then lockdown. Eakin goes for an old school, then a middle school (if you haven’t purchased and watched BMAC’s lockdown instructional on his Kajabi website/app, you’re missing out). Eakin keeps trying and gets the old school/middle school sweep. Gibbs puts in his own lock down but Eakin flattens Gibbs. Eakin gets double underhooks and uses the “dominator pass” according to Skaff to get to the mount. Eakin finger walks Gibbs’ right arm up, but Gibbs had his forearm between Eakin’s shoulder and Gibbs body.  There’s a little scramble, but Eakin uses it to secure the head and arm triangle without Gibbs forearm in the mix.

Kevin “Prison Rules” Primeau v Evan “8-mile” Stapler (blue) – BREAK, BLUE 3. The crafty purple belt doesn’t let the upstart blue belt take him down. Kevin finds a sneaky sub during the match.

UPDATE: DRAW. 8-mile starts going for that uchi mata again. The Liquid Terminator (surely fueled by the hubris of his blue belt teammate trying to take down the purple belt) gets to Evan’s back and does a little suplex take down. Primeau is high on the back and Evan turtles up. 8-mile is doing a great job hand fighting against the choke. At this point, Primeau has Evan’s back, but Evan is on top putting all his weight and pressure on Primeau. I actually had a wrestling teammate get a defensive fall/pin in a similar situation.  Regardless, all that weight on Primeau can’t be helping his reduced cardio. Kevin looks like he might transition for a head and arm and Evan spins back to guard. Primeau pops a triangle, but Evan stacks hard. Evan gets on top of Primeau’s turtle. With 32 seconds left, Evan’s call of going for the head and arm triangle setup by Primeau’s granby roll almost comes to fruition. Evan has it then Primeau gets his back to the ground. Evan mounts and get’s Primeau’s arm pinned to his head. Primeau goes back to turtle. With about seven seconds left, Primeau goes to granby out of turtle again and Evan almost sinks in the head and arm triangle. It’s obvious they’ve rolled a lot. 8-mile almost pulled the upset…but it’s a PGF rule (rules list forthcoming): never bet against Primeau aka the Pete Rose of the PGF.

Elijah “the Bag Guy” Carlton (brown) v “MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple) – KILL, RED 6. MEGA could push Elijah a bit, but Elijah has too much skill and competition experiences.

UPDATE:   Elijah sits guard. He gets that sweet ankle pick from seated guard we saw in the promos. Elijah is trying to pass half guard but does a sweet mounted triangle setup, but MEGA escapes. Mega is trying to defend Elijah’s pass attempts first with a quarter guard, then looks to try a deep half on the other leg, which results in a triangle setup. Carlton gets the triangle without really locking it in. I had to watch it multiple times…Mega is just so well, MEGA, that Elijah cutoff the circulation without a traditional lock. I just watched it the eight time and Elijah does cross his ankles. Regardless, masterful showing by Elijah which takes him into the leader position in the PGF.

Team Winner: Blue team takes it by 9 points. Again, Blue is ahead enough to have a complete flip of a kill and still get the team points.

UPDATE:   Blue team took it by 10 points (25 to 15).

COLLUSION: We now have proof who led the COLLUSION effort!

The Usual Suspects is one of my favorite movies. It begins with Verbal (played by Kevin Spacey) talking to a customs agent about a firefight on a ship.  Spacey as Verbal spun a yarn about how he was put in touch with four other criminals as part of a lineup (the usual suspects) for a truck hijacking case.  Verbal catches the audiences’ and the custom agent’s attention with his compelling story. Verbal always portrays himself as a somewhat helpless cripple who is compelled by other members to be part of the conspiracies.  (SPOILER ALERT) At the end of the movie, after Verbal has told his tale to the amazement of the customs agent, the agent releases Verbal.  Verbal starts limping out of the office and down the street.  Slowly, the customs agent starts recognizing parts of the story and names were plucked from the random items in his office.  Slowly, we start to see Verbal begin walking more normally.  Finally, the customs agent and the audience realize Verbal (Spacey) was actually Keyser Söze (the big bad, the crime boss) all along. It’s one of the most epic endings in movies I’ve ever seen.

Why would I spoil the Usual Suspects for youngsters (seriously, you’ll still love it)?  Why would I spend so much copy on an old-ish (I’m not old dangit) movie?  Because I’ve uncovered the Keyser Söze of the PGF – the Kingpin (for you youngsters who have at least seen Daredevil). I called him “the Nice Guy.” I said “if you have a soul, you have to cheer for him.” I’ve unearthed the KINGPIN behind the collusion – it is Sam Barbosa!

Don’t get me wrong. It hurts me to reveal the mastermind behind the collusion in the PGF. I really enjoyed interviewing Sam as a special co-host for the McDojo Show. Sam won us all over with his demeanor and seeming candor. Then he started talking about founding an orphanage and I was about to make a motion to canonize the man (that’s making him a Saint). But then I get my second week fantasy play blown up by some COLLUSION by Stephen Eakin. Then there’s some chatter that the COLLUSION was a master plan by the blue team. Then there’s UNCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE my man, Saint Barbosa was the man with the plan for the blue team collusion. In the video linked immediately above, we see at 51:21- “Ya’ll see what we’re doing, right?” Then at 51:53- “Ya’ll see what we doing, right?” Then again at 52:04- “We on the same team, you know what I mean?” These behind the scenes excerpts were all taken after Sam Barbosa ALLOWED Hunter Colvin to choke him.

We were all taken for a ride. Sam Barbosa is Keyser Söze. In my write-ups as folks refer to them, Barbosa shall forever more be nicknamed “THE KINGPIN.”

OKAY, while it’s fun to mess with Barbosa and Eakin last week. They’re still great people. Most of us could probably learn a lot from both of them.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, the PGF is a masterful competition at using incentives – weighting more points for chokes to incentivize passing, etc.; making a draw essentially a loss for both opponents, etc.  With the advent of the “teams” and team points, the PGF created another set of incentives.  As soon as same-team matches do not count towards team points, we should not see the same COLLUSION again. Barbosa and Eakin were trying to game the game.  They were trying to put their teams before themselves. While this approach can screw us fantasy fans, it’s a completely normal reaction to the situation they found themselves facing…and they were not fantasy players previously so how would they know the second-order effects?

I understand we’re done with the COLLUSION/gentlemen’s agreement matches.  From now on, it’s gloves off – go time. So we won’t have to worry about factoring in COLLUSION in our analysis.

Since I raised some issues last week, I’ll provide an update. I’m under contract to sell my place in NC. I’m under contract to pick up a place in VA. I have an open house coming up this weekend for my place in CA. There’s still a lot of moving parts (hence my tardiness with this update) but things are coming together. Next, I have to setup my Airbnb so I can train in Decatur and attend the Season 2 tournament.

Okay, enough of that junk, let’s see what happened last week and whether I was on point or not:

NOW FOR SOME REVIEW OF LAST WEEK’S PREDICTIONS AS WELL AS HOW THEY PANNED OUT (I’m alone in the lead in fantasy, btw):

PGF Week 3 Matchups (predictions with UPDATES/comments on actual results):

BLOCK 4:

Hunter Colvin (black) v Zack Edwards (brown) – Kill for Colvin, but it’ll take time. Until someone stops Colvin from getting that rolling kimura to back take, I have to go with Colvin for the kill. Everyone says Colvin is very smart. He saw how Eakin passed Zack’s guard. Colvin is a level above Zack (view from the cheap seats at least). Colvin will find a way to get the kill. I doubt he goes to the leg lock because you open yourself up for leg locks when you do so and leg locks are Zack’s bread and butter.

UPDATE:   Hunter highlights his wrestling advantage over Edwards (I think I’ve said it before but Okies can wrestler, ok? – BTW, Kansans are pretty good, too.). Edwards sits. Hunter gets a nice knee slice pass. Zack tries some leg lock entries but Hunter limp legs out of them. Hunter tries his kimura attack to the back, but Edwards defends. Hunter settles for the arm bar.

Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson v Sam “the Kingpin” Barbosa – Barbosa kill. I really like Kemoy’s style. I like his pressure, his passing, his fundamentals, but he hasn’t got the subs this season.  I still suspect it’s from competing with longer time limits and being able to fall back on judges’ decisions. Barbosa will find a way to Kemoy’s back and finish the fight.

UPDATE:  Sam sits. Sam really allows others to work their game, relying on his defense to setup submission down the road. Sam eventually sweeps and starts attacking Kemoy, but doesn’t have the time to finish. Sam admits he needs to be more aggressive in his post-match interview. Kemoy realizes he needs to up his game now that he’s facing tougher competition.

James Regina v Elijah Carlton – Carlton kill. I really want Matt Skaff to have James Regina on his Grappling Discourse podcast. Regina’s story of no athleticism and bening huge to going to jiu jitsu and mma and losing lots of weight should be very interesting.  Sure, 8-mile has some of the same elements in his interview, but Regina seems to be a very cool cat in interviews and has the mma angle.  Seriously, whose first athletic endeavor is MMA?  All that aside, Regina gets on the mat with a cold-blooded bad guy killer in Carlton. Elijah finds a way to get the kill. 

UPDATE: Elijah KILL – 6 points. Elijah gets the choke on Regina. Elijah eventually gets on top, gets to mount and forces Regina to give up his back, leading to the RNC. Regina is a good sport saying if he’s going to be choked, it’s best to be choked by his team captain.

Evan “8-Mile” Stapler v Matt “Maneless” Elkins – Elkins kill. By this round, Elkins had at least the night to ice his knee. Not sure whether Elkins will sit guard again or wrestler.  Either way, Elkins will figure out Stapler and probably get him with a guillotine. 

UPDATE: Stapler, BREAK (leg lock) – 4 points.  I have some real mixed feelings on this match. Evan is a 20-year-old young man.  He’s an enthusiastic blue belt willing to put himself through the gauntlet of the PGF. Still, in doing his back step leg lock entry, Evan went after Matt Elkins’ bad leg/knee. Elkins had sat with his bad leg/knee down.  First, Elkins does not sit guard. He’s a co-owner of Ironclad Wrestling and a college wrestler. With Elkins sitting guard, we all know his knee is messed up. Every competitor should know which knee is messed up. Regardless, Evan threatens the injured knee, then clears the other leg and back steps for that heel hook entry on the other leg. If this match was in a big money competition and Evan had mouths to feed, I really wouldn’t fault him for this move. While the PGF has some more money behind it for this season, it’s still a grass roots, homespun event with a lot of close-knit folks involved. Evan even admitted he’d never before submitted Elkins. They train together once a week. I don’t want to Monday morning quarterback guys, but I have to think I’d rather lose than take the loss than use a training partner’s injury against him to get a win.  Rest assured, “Maneless” has said he will avenge himself ever week for at least the next year with an auto-renew on that vendetta in place until he’s satisfied.

Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau v Randy “DumpTruck” Roden – DRAW. Primeau will be somewhat fresh but is still diminished by the RONA. Roden is a game blue belt, but Primeau is very hard to finish. Say it with me – “going against Primeau will hurt my fantasy chances.” It’s an unwritten rule of the PGF. Primeau could do his sneaky/weird jiu jitsu and get that arm bar off bottom turtle he likes (seems like he goes to a kesa gatame/skarf hold and takes that arm). But Roden is a legit beast and getting better all the time. Rack this match up on the list of “I wish I could see it with a 100% Liquid Terminator.” Seriously, Kevin is so game. He couldn’t grapple for 6 weeks before the PGF and still showed. He hasn’t seemed like his old self, but he’s been a warrior in all his matches. Seriously, Primeau may be grit personified. All that said, he’s going to have to prove that grit once more against Roden and it could be a tall order.

UPDATE:   Roden has the top advantage from the beginning, taking Primeau down almost immediately. Primeau does his sneaky jiujitsu thing, just chilling from turtle, bottom side control, etc. Roden goes for an anaconda choke but leaves space allowing Primeau to roll it into a straight arm lock. Wow. Primeau is a sneaky, sneaky man. I fear we are underestimating the sneakiness. But seriously, it’s good to see Primeau adjusting to his post-covid situation. He’s showing a martial artist doesn’t just have to rely on their conditioning to defeat one’s opponent.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster v Mega Mike Johnson – Mega kill. Grayson shocked us all with that kimura against Gibbs (hurting my fantasy btw). I think everyone who looks at Grayson sees he’s athletic. Then if you know he’s a life-long martial artist, you should know he can handle himself. Still, in this rule set, we have Grayson as a baby blue belt versus Mega Mike Johnson who I’ll mention again is built like Kirby Puckett (google it if you’re too young). Johnson is a true purple belt, having competed at that belt level for a while. Mega has let me down before but I think he gets the kill…but he’s going to have to work for it.

UPDATE:   Mega KILL – 6 points. Mega Mike does some great passing going one way then the other – shows his IBJJF-style. Then, he uses his pressure and strength to secure the head and arm triangle.

Judo Justin Williams v. Stephen Eakin – DUNK. Eakin knows he has to get the dunk here, preferably getting the bonus point for under a minute. 

UPDATE:   Eakin KILL – 6 points. Eakin went a little goon on this match, pushing forward almost recklessly. Judo might have done a quick inside trip to drop Eakin for a moment before Eakin took Judo down (I slowed it to .25 speed and I still couldn’t figure the technique used to take Eakin to his knee). Eakin gets to mount and gets the head and arm triangle.

Jake “HEAD” Elkins v Joshua Gibbs – HEAD gets the kill. Elkins’ wrestling and top pressure are too much for Gibbs. They’re both purple belts, but Elkins has been grappling his whole life. 

UPDATE:   ELKINS KILL/DUNK 7 points. Gibbs sits guard almost immediately – which seems fair against arguably the best wrestler in the PGF. Gibbs tries to put in the knee shield. Elkins passes and gets the anaconda for the 7 point DUNK.

Block 5:

Zack Edwards v Evan “8-mile” Stapler – Edwards break. At some point, Edwards is going to look up and say he has to take a shot at the kill against lower belts. He seems to be getting that idea a little as we see his post-fight interviews, but I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet.  Stapler isn’t an easy out, but Edwards is going to have to try to get that kill. I don’t think it’ll happen. I think Edwards tries for the kill but has to settle for the break. I think Stapler is fighting hard the whole time but gets caught with a slick leg lock entry by Edwards.

UPDATE:   Stapler KILL (shoulder pressure/von flue) 6 points. Stapler saw from the Colvin/Edwards match that Edwards wasn’t feeling the wrestling. Stapler shot a double-leg takedown. Then Stapler kept stacking. Edwards had a triangle locked in, but there was too much space between the thigh and the carotid artery. Edwards was going for the kill and may have given up an easier arm bar break. Stapler gets the shoulder pressure kill, but I’m curious how much has to do with Edwards lower back injury he seems to have suffered the first night. For one of the more known competitors of the PGF, I have to think we’ll see Edwards regress to the mean and start scoring soon.

Kevin “PRISON RULES” Primeau v Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson – Kemoy kill by triangle, 6 points. I know – one of the biggest rules of the PGF is not to pick against Primeau. Still, we’ve seen Primeau is diminished by the Rona. Plus, we should have a very motivated Kemoy who knows he needs some points.  

UPDATE:  Primea BREAK/wristlock for 4 points. Primeau sits again. Kemoy tries to pass, but Primeau seems to do a sort of hip bump sweep. Kemoy seems to take the back but Primeau is just focusing on those arms. Primeau frees his right arm and gets the goose-neck wristlock on Kemoy for the bonus point. Funny story, I was taught wristlocks in a couple of different arts, but didn’t play them in BJJ until a brown belt named Latron decided to put one on me. Then it was game on. I still think one of my favorite bjj moments was getting a wristlock on Latron before we had to shut down our club for COVID.

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton v Joshua Gibbs – Elijah kill 6 points. Elijah likely gets the triangle.

UPDATE:   Elijah KILL 7 points. Gibbs goes for a single leg and Elijah starts locking up the guillotine. Gibbs tries to body out of the choke but Elijah guides him next into a darce, securing the choke.

Stephen “Shoeless Joe” Eakin v Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster – Eakin kill 6 points. Eakin needs the dunk.  He needs the early dunk, but I think Grayson will fight long enough to only allow Eakin to get 6.

UPDATE: Eakin KILL 6 points. They start wrestling, but Grayson sits guard.  He should have listened to Sam Barbosa and Barbosa’s coach – don’t let Eakin on top of you. Eakin passes and tries the head and arm setup from a gift wrap. It looks like Eakin will get the head and arm but Grayson is a BEAST and explodes out. Eakin transitions to the back. Eakin tries the RNC, but settles for the short choke/bully choke.

Matt “Maneless” Elkins v James Regina – Elkins kill 6 points. Elkins should know if he wrestles a bit that Regina will sit guard. Elkins can go for that guillotine of his off the front headlock. If Regina wins, it’ll be by leg lock.

UPDATE:   Elkins BREAK 3 points. Elkins sits again – it’s his new normal with the knee injury. Regina tests the Stapler backstep, but Elkins isn’t having any of it. They roll around a bit and Elkins ends up with the heel hook. He just heel hooked a leg locker, son!

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden v “Judo” Justin Williams – Roden kill 6 points. Roden’s a wrestler so I think he takes Williams down and gets the head and arm triangle or RNC. Roden’s a blue belt, so his submissions are likely not completely dialed in yet. Judo seems to be going for survival/the tie. Roden likely gets to the mount early, but Judo has been very keen on not getting tapped in that position. It would be sick if Roden hit the mounted triangle against Judo, but we’ll have to see how he finishes him. I’ll venture this opinion – Roden either gets the kill or a draw. I don’t see Roden going for a leg lock or arm bar.

UPDATE: Roden KILL 6 points. Please see the McDojo Show at 1:39:49. I’m not up there with Matt “the Prophet” Skaff, but I called this one pretty well. I said Roden would take down Williams and likely get the kill by head and arm triangle – and he did just that. BOOM!

“Mega” Mike Johnson v Jake “HEAD” Elkins – In Season 1 of the PGF, we had the much-anticipated match of Mike “Manscape” Richey v Matt “Manderson” Anderson – the two reputed strongest members of the PGF. With a tip of the cap to Sam Barbosa, we seem to have another Hulk vs the Thing matchup here. As Stephen Eakin said on his YouTube show, Mega Mike has been sandbagging us, trying to only look like an insurance salesman (I think it is actually family financial advisor) on social media.  Then Mega Mike shows up, well, MEGA. Of course, Mega’s guns won’t scare HEAD Elkins. Since they both train in Birmingham (BHAM), I’m fairly confident they’ve rolled before. The problem for Mega is Elkins’ confidence and overall mat time. Elkins is getting that kill. Mega is the type of competitor to force the draw, but I have faith in Jake Elkins (okay, I’ll put some respect on his name). Jake is legit A.F. 

UPDATE:   Mega has rolled with Elkins before. He shows the recognition of Elkins’ wrestling by pulling/sitting to guard. Mega does a little butter-half guard. Jake rolls around and gets the head lock, transitioning to the anaconda. Jake then transitions to the arm-in guillotine, moving to mount. Elkins secures the KILL.

Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa v Hunter “the Kingpin” Colvin – One of the most anticipated matchups of the season. You’d think Barbosa by RNC or Colvin by leg lock (see McDojo Show podcast interview of Barbosa for that reasoning). Barbosa was a wrestler and coaches wrestling. Colvin was a wrestler in Oklahoma and Okie wrestling is LEGIT. Colvin has a loftier competition pedigree but Barbosa has been a constant competitor (even if at a more regional level).  Both have fought in cages (aka mma). Matt Skaff said he’d only seen Sam Barbosa submitted by three or four WORLD-CLASS BLACK BELTS.  Well, is Colvin the next world-class black belt to be added to the list?  I’ve said before, if you don’t cheer for Barbosa, you don’t have a soul. I’m not going to pick this matchup for fantasy…impossible.  I will cheer for Barbosa – he’s too good of a man not to cheer for him.

UPDATE: Hunter KILL 6 points.  SHENANIGANS! at 1:35:39 we found out the footage of the match was “corrupted.” With this much footage, it’s understandable to have some corrupted files. For those conspiracy folks, maybe it was to not let us see the COLLUSION with Barbosa letting Colvin get the Kill. If you believe that idea, you probably have refused the vaccine and don’t believe we’ve visited the moon.

Guys and Gals, it’s been a wild week. I spent most of it with my son in Colorado, hanging out with him during his spring break (mostly shoveling snow). I forgot to bring my laptop so most of my work on this week’s recap and projections were done on his Apple laptop (if you’ve read “The Four” you would probably agree with me that Apple’s appeal is now as a luxury item, overcoming their shortcomings when it comes to real usability. Folks would rather buy a mediocre functioning Apple product at a premium than buy a PC which has normal shortcut keys, etc. and is a fraction of the price – well, because Apple is a status symbol.  And as much as I love my baby boy, he loves his brands. Anyway, I had to mess around with an Apple (I still call them Macs) laptop. Now that I’m home, there’s plenty of other stuff going on, I’m selling two houses and looking to buy or rent a third as I’m moving the family for the sixth time in the last fourteen years or so. We also have the impending loss of our family pet of 13+ years going on, so that’s fun. My head’s a little more scatter-brained…or perhaps “scrambled” since my nickname is Egghead, than normal.

Anyway, this week in the PGF should be a big week. If you listen to the “Brandon and Lindsey Have a Podcast Now” podcast, they said this week is intense. Below, you’ll find my analysis, but it’s not sexy. I don’t call too many upsets. Maybe I’m wrong or maybe the action is intense, but ultimately still leads to the results I conclude. Assuming “Shoeless Joe” Eakin’s “Gentleman Agreements” are now off the menu, I think my calls should stand up. Due to the collusion from last week, I will be filing a formal protest with the Commissioner…which will be summarily filed in the “Egghead Warrior File,” which was the name of the trash can in my high school journalism classroom (seriously, the labeled the trash can the “Egghead Warrior [but my actual surname] File.”

On a super happy note, I think I almost have the wife convinced to let me attend the PGF Season 2 tournament on the weekend of 20 May. My son is attending a Football University Camp on the weekend before in Charlotte, NC. Good grief, Decatur, AL is still more than 7 hours away from Charlotte – seriously, could Decatur be any more isolated? It’s like the Hawaii of the continental US (btw, Hawaii is one of the most geographically isolated land masses in the world). Wow, going really far astray in this monologue.  Okay folks, I swear I’ll have my head screwed on straighter next week for more applicable frivolity and less randomness.

One last thing…if you win this season, McWhorter, I’ll forever make motions to have an asterisk by your name due to last week’s COLLUSION!

Now on to the analysis for this week:

In a first for the PGF, the competitors’ costs have not changed. I don’t know what to make of it, but I think it will give the shrewd fantasy player some great value now that we’re getting a better picture of the relative skills of the competitors.

For your consideration, each fantasy team has 7 possible spots with a total salary cap of $120 for the week.  Any left-over funds do not carry over to the next week. While one could hypothetically maximize their chances at success at playing all 7 roster spots, we often found during season 1 that sacrificing a roster spot to secure more “sure things” was the way to go.

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

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton (brown) – $25; faces James Regina [KILL] and Joshua Gibbs [KILL] – 12 points. Regina’s big game is leg locks – if Regina comes at Elijah with leg locks, I think we can expect a Bane-like response (“You merely adopted [leg locks], I was born [doing them]”). I like Regina’s story, but Elijah gets the kill. I’m all Go Navy, beat everyone; but Gibbs is facing too much adversity here. Elijah is just too good and will get the kill.

Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa (brown) – $25; faces Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson [KILL] and Hunter Colvin [DRAW/Who knows?] – 6 points.  Kemoy is a tough customer. Sam has been known to “rest” on opponents he thought he could take easily (See Mega Mike match) in order to save energy for later matches. Given he’s facing Hunter Colvin after Kemoy, Sam could save his energy – that could leave him susceptible to a submission.  Do I think it’ll happen? No, but I’ve heard this week will shake things up. Sam versus Hunter Colvin – should be one of the top four matches this season. I believe in Sam and am a big fan, but Hunter is the most pedigreed competitor in this season.  However, Hunter has spent a lot of the last year working his MMA, so does that take away from his grappling? Getting down to brass tacks, if Colvin doesn’t have a “Shoeless Eakin” – like deal with Sam, it’s a risky bet to spend this much money on a roster spot for Sam. Not taking anything away from you, Sam – you may get the kill, but it’s not high percentage enough for the price.

Hunter Colvin (black) – $22; faces Zack Edwards [KILL] and Sam Barbosa [see above] – 6 points. Okay, I’m already taking a chance here on Colvin taking out Edwards. Edwards is a great leg locker, but Sam Barbosa in his interview on the McDojo Show said Colvin was a better leg locker than him. Also, in looking at multiple Colvin matches including his one against Gabriel Gonzaga, Colvin is a leg locker himself. As I’ve mentioned previously, Colvin has received great praise for his jiu jitsu IQ. I don’t think Edwards gets it done against Colvin.  Could we see a draw like Edwards vs. “Shoeless Joe” Eakin? Maybe. But I think Colvin has that killer mentality to make it happen. As far as Colvin versus Sam Barbosa, see above.

PREMIUMS

Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) – $20; faces “Judo” Justin Williams [KILL] and Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster [KILL]. “Et tu, Brute/Eakin?” – one final jab at Eakin for his betrayal near the Ides of March. “Shoeless Joe” Eakin has provided his mea culpa.  He knows what he did in block 2 wasn’t cool. This week, he knows he has to get those kills, and if possible, those seven-point quick kills.  I have to think he’ll do it. Judo has proven wily and Grayson is showing his youthful athleticism and martial background, but I still think Eakin gets it done.

Matt “Maneless/the Fade” Elkins (brown) – $19 ; faces Evan “8-mile” Stapler [KILL] and James Regina [KILL] – 12 points. Elkins and Stapler both train at 10th Planet Decatur. If a blue belt beats a brown belt from the same school, well – I’ll cheer for the blue belt, but I’d be surprised. I’m not saying blue belts can’t take brown belts – I may have sub’d a few in my day, but it’s a noteworthy thing.  As for Regina, as long as Elkins can still muster enough strength from his knees for little wrestling, I think he gets the kill against the purple belt.

Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) – $17; faces Joshua Gibbs [KILL] and “Mega” Mike Johnson [KILL] – 12 points. Ok, maybe I’m an Elkins fan boy this week. I think Gibbs is an easy kill for Elkins. His superior grappling will see him on top with his devastating mount. Mega Mike will face Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster in his first match. While Grayson is just a blue belt (#bluebeltsarepeopletoo), he’s a lifelong martial artist and an athlete as shown in the pre-season combine. I think Grayson will help tire out Mega Mike, allowing HEAD Elkins to take the match. They’ve probably trained enough together to have Mega Mike on guard for the head and arm triangle, but I think Jake still makes it happen.

Kemoy “RatedR/the Bully” Anderson (brown) – $17; faces Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa [LOSS] and Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau [KILL] – 6 points. I think I’ve consistently said I’m a fan of Kemoy Anderson. We’ve seen consistent strong grappling, with a possible lack of killer instinct (which I still think is a holdover from other rule sets where you could rely on official’s making the call on the winner). I think Kemoy has a wicked kimura attack, but I’ve also seen Sam Barbosa almost rip very large gentlemen’s arms off. I have to give Sam the kill in that matchup. As much as I maligned the Pete Rose of the PGF when talking fantasy competition last season, I’m still a fan of him as a competitor and a human being. If Primeau didn’t already have two cool nicknames, he could be called the bully himself due to his grindy game. But the RONA has deflated the liquid terminator (or diluted would be the more proper liquid term?).  If you haven’t been watching, I believe the commentators said Kevin couldn’t train for the six weeks leading up to the filming of season 2. Between his off timing and Kevin’s own admission of fatigue, I have to give the kill to Kemoy (but I believe Kevin could force the draw). Perhaps this matchup is the one I really wish I could see with a fully-recovered Primeau.  If neither make it to the tournament, I’d really like to see a super fight between them on the weekend of 20 May.

AVERAGE

James Regina (purple) – $15; faces Elijah Carlton [loss] and Matt “Maneless” Elkins [loss] – 0 points. I’ve analyzed both situations above. I like Regina, his personality, his story – I really think he should be interviewed on a podcast, but I don’t think he gets any points this week.

Joshua Gibbs (purple) – $15; faces Jake “HEAD” Elkins [loss] and  Elijah “the bad guy” Carlton [loss]– 0 points. This week, our Shipmate faces two of the baddest [sic] men in the PGF. I’m sorry, bud, but you’re not going to get any points this week.

Kevin “Liquid Terminator/Pete Rose” Primeau (purple) – $15; faces Randy “Dump truck” Roden [draw] and Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson – 0 points.  COVID-19 is a hell of a virus. Primeau’s game is based in large part on his cardio, on his grit.  He still has the grit, but the cardio is gone. Primeau sat guard last season against Elijah Carlton and that mistake changed his outlook and the rest of the season.  But facing one of the best wrestlers in PGF history, Primeau may want to sit guard against Roden. Roden could get the submission here. Roden has a D1 wrestler’s cardio (why? Because he was a D1 wrestler). If Roden can wear down Primeau enough, maybe Roden gets that tap…but I have to have some faith in my man Primeau.  But after facing Roden, Primeau’s going to have to face the Bully.  Kemoy Anderson is a punishing opponent after Primeau’s own heart.  But Kemoy seems to be in fine form. I think Kemoy either gets the submission or a draw.  Either way, I don’t think Primeau is getting any points this week.

“MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple)– $15 – aka the world’s most mysterious man; faces Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster [KILL] and Jake “HEAD” Elkins [loss] – 6 points. Mega gets pushed by Webster, but I think Mega gets it done. Grayson is a beast, but Mega Mike is…MEGA. Grayson helps play spoiler here – or just helps cement Mega being tired so he falls to the HEAD Elkins brother.

Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) – $15; faces Hunter Colvin [loss] and Evan “8-Mile” Stapler [BREAK] – 3 points. Colvin gets my vote until he doesn’t – show us something Squidbilly.  Edwards should take out Stapler.  Edwards knows he needs to get back in the game with a kill, but I think he still resorts to a break against Stapler.  Again, I am not putting it past “8-mile” to give us an upset, but this one is a perhaps a bridge too far to expect that upset.

BELOW AVERAGE

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden (blue) – $13; faces Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau [draw] and “Judo” Justin Williams [kill] – 6 points. Roden has immense athletic ability – seriously, dude is doing flips almost every time he gets on the mats. Primeau has been dealing with the Rona (see above). I think Roden could get a submission, but my man Primeau is a serious beast himself.  He’s a bad man that won’t go down lightly, especially to a blue belt (#bluebeltsarepeopletoo). Even with “Judo” Justin going for the draw more than the kill, I think Roden still has his number. Judo could pull some crazy arm bar – Roden is the least experienced jiu jitsu player (not grappler, see his long wrestling career) so he may not be as experienced in defending crazy arm bar setups.

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.

Evan “8 Mile” Stapler (blue) – $11; faces Matt “Maneless” Elkins [loss] and Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards [loss] – 0 points. I like Stapler a lot.  Heck, I’m one of 22 subscribers to his YouTube channel. Still he’s facing a tall order to get a submission this week.  I hear there’s some upsets this week. If it did happen, I would like to see Stapler over Edwards, but that’s not enough to bet on.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) – $10; faces “Mega” Mike Johnson [loss] and Stephen “Shoeless Joe” Eakin [loss] – 0 points. The Southern Samurai a good athlete according to the combine, but he’s facing a hyuge purple belt and a black belt. Grayson’s best shot is against Mega, but he’ll have to get lucky.

Justin “Judo” Williams (blue) – $10; faces Stephen “Shoeless Joe” Eakin [loss] and Randy “Dump truck” Roden [loss] – 0 points. Even if Judo pulls his best Data again, he’s not getting you any points.

PGF Week 3 Matchups

BLOCK 4:

Hunter Colvin (black) v Zack Edwards (brown) – Kill for Colvin, but it’ll take time – BLUE 6. Until someone stops Colvin from getting that rolling kimura to back take, I have to go with Colvin for the kill. Everyone says Colvin is very smart. He saw how Eakin passed Zack’s guard. Colvin is a level above Zack (view from the cheap seats at least). Colvin will find a way to get the kill. I doubt he goes to the leg lock because you open yourself up for leg locks when you do so and leg locks are Zack’s bread and butter.

Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson v Sam Barbosa – Barbosa kill – BLUE 6. I really like Kemoy’s style. I like his pressure, his passing, his fundamentals, but he hasn’t got the subs this season.  I still suspect it’s from competing with longer time limits and being able to fall back on judges’ decisions. Barbosa will find a way to Kemoy’s back and finish the fight.

James Regina v Elijah Carlton – Elijah Carlton kill – RED 6. I really want Matt Skaff to have James Regina on his Grappling Discourse podcast. Regina’s story of no athleticism and being huge to going to jiu jitsu and mma and losing lots of weight should be very interesting.  Sure, “8-mile” has some of the same elements in his interview, but Regina seems to be a very cool cat in his post-match interviews and has the mma angle to boot.  Seriously, whose first athletic endeavor is MMA? (tip of the cap to Primeau here, deciding to find the hardest endeavor possible after his car crash).  All that aside, Regina gets on the mat with a cold-blooded “Bad Guy” killer in Carlton. Elijah finds a way to get the kill. 

Evan “8-Mile” Stapler v Matt “Maneless” Elkins – Elkins kill – RED 6. By this round, Elkins had at least the night to ice his knee. Not sure whether Elkins will sit guard again or wrestler.  Either way, Elkins will figure out Stapler and probably get him with a guillotine. 

Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau v Randy “DumpTruck” Roden – DRAW. Primeau will be somewhat fresh but is still diminished by the RONA. Roden is a game blue belt, but Primeau is very hard to finish. Say it with me – “going against Primeau will hurt my fantasy chances.” It’s an unwritten rule of the PGF. Primeau could do his sneaky/weird jiu jitsu and get that arm bar off bottom turtle he likes (seems like he goes to a kesa gatame/skarf hold and takes that arm). But Roden is a legit beast and getting better all the time. Rack this match up on the list of “I wish I could see it with a 100% Liquid Terminator.” Seriously, Kevin is so game. He couldn’t grapple for 6 weeks before the PGF and still showed. He hasn’t seemed like his old self, but he’s been a warrior in all his matches. Seriously, Primeau may be grit personified. All that said, he’s going to have to prove that grit once more against Roden and it could be a tall order.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster v Mega Mike Johnson – Mega kill – RED 6. Grayson shocked us all with that kimura against Gibbs (hurting my fantasy btw). I think everyone who looks at Grayson sees he’s athletic. Then if you know he’s a life-long martial artist, you should know he can handle himself. Still, in this rule set, we have Grayson as a baby blue belt versus Mega Mike Johnson who I’ll mention again is built like Kirby Puckett (google it if you’re too young). Johnson is a true purple belt, having competed at that belt level for a while. Mega has let me down before but I think he gets the kill…but he’s going to have to work for it.

Judo Justin Williams v. Stephen Eakin – DUNK – BLUE 6. Eakin knows he has to get the dunk here, preferably getting the bonus point for under a minute. 

Jake “HEAD” Elkins v Joshua Gibbs – HEAD gets the kill – RED 6. Elkins’ wrestling and top pressure are too much for Gibbs. They’re both purple belts, but Elkins has been grappling his whole life. 

Team Winner:   Red wins by 6, but it could be a draw.

Block 5:

Zack Edwards v Evan “8-mile” Stapler – Edwards break – RED 3. At some point, Edwards is going to look up and say he has to take a shot at the kill against lower belts. He seems to be getting that idea a little as we see his post-fight interviews, but I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet.  Stapler isn’t an easy out, but Edwards is going to have to try to get that kill. I don’t think it’ll happen. I think Edwards tries for the kill but has to settle for the break. I think Stapler is fighting hard the whole time but gets caught with a slick leg lock entry by Edwards.

Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau v Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson – Kemoy kill by triangle, 6 points – Blue 6. I know – one of the biggest rules of the PGF is not to pick against Primeau. Still, we’ve seen Primeau is diminished by the Rona. Plus, we should have a very motivated Kemoy who knows he needs some points.  

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton v Joshua Gibbs – Elijah kill 6 points – RED 6. Elijah likely gets the triangle. I could belabor the point, but Elijah is a couple of levels above Gibbs. Sorry, Shipmate.

Stephen “Shoeless Joe” Eakin v Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster – Eakin kill 6 points – BLUE 6. Eakin needs the dunk.  He needs the early dunk, but I think Grayson will fight long enough to only allow Eakin to get 6.

Matt “Maneless” Elkins v James Regina – Elkins kill 6 points – RED 6. Elkins should know if he wrestles a bit that Regina will sit guard. Elkins can go for that guillotine of his off the front headlock. If Regina wins, it’ll be by leg lock. But after listening to “The Daily Stack” podcast featuring Elkins, it seems the leg pop from Elkins match with Roden has forced him to his B/C game which includes sitting. Regina has the edge in the leg lock game, but I have a feeling my man Elkins will find a way to overcome his knee issue and still get that guillotine. Seriously, you need to listen to the podcast above. Also, if you’re a fan of either Elkins, you need to check out their Iron Clad Methods website. I’m seriously looking into getting their products for my son (high school football player recruited to the wrestling squad – similar story to my own) and for myself as a jiu-jitsu guy who could use some upgrading to my wrestling game.

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden v “Judo” Justin Williams – Roden kill 6 points. Roden’s a wrestler so I think he takes Williams down and gets the head and arm triangle or RNC. Roden’s a blue belt, so his submissions are likely not completely dialed in yet. Judo seems to be going for survival/the tie. Roden likely gets to the mount early, but Judo has been very keen on not getting tapped in that position. It would be sick if Roden hit the mounted triangle against Judo, but we’ll have to see how he finishes him. I’ll venture this opinion – Roden either gets the kill or a draw. I don’t see Roden going for a leg lock or arm bar.

Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa v Hunter Colvin – One of the most anticipated matchups of the season. You’d think Barbosa by RNC or Colvin by leg lock (see McDojo Show podcast interview of Barbosa for that reasoning). Barbosa was a wrestler and coaches wrestling. Colvin was a wrestler in Oklahoma and Okie wrestling is LEGIT. Colvin has a loftier competition pedigree but Barbosa has been a constant competitor (even if at a more regional level).  Both have fought in cages (aka mma). Matt Skaff said he’d only seen Sam Barbosa submitted by three or four WORLD-CLASS BLACK BELTS.  Well, is Colvin the next world-class black belt to be added to the list?  I’ve said before, if you don’t cheer for Barbosa, you don’t have a soul. I’m not going to pick this matchup for fantasy…impossible.  I will cheer for Barbosa – he’s too good of a man not to cheer for him.

“Mega” Mike Johnson v Jake “HEAD” Elkins – Elkins kill – RED 6. In Season 1 of the PGF, we had the much anticipated match of Mike “Manscape” Richey v Matt “Manderson” Anderson – the two reputed strongest members of the PGF. With a tip of the cap to Sam Barbosa, we seem to have another Hulk vs the Thing matchup here. As Stephen Eakin said on his YouTube show, Mega Mike has been sandbagging us, trying to only look like an insurance salesman (I think it is actually family financial advisor) on social media.  Then Mega Mike shows up, well, MEGA. Of course, Mega’s guns won’t scare HEAD Elkins. Since they both train in Birmingham (BHAM), I’m fairly confident they’ve rolled before. The problem for Mega is Elkins’ confidence and overall mat time. Elkins is getting that kill. Mega is the type of competitor to force the draw, but I have faith in Jake Elkins (okay, I’ll put some respect on his name). Jake is legit A.F. 

Team Winner:  Red by the slimmest of margins at 3 points. But it’s not outside the margin of error, so good luck.

Okay, I went a little far afield in this post’s monologue. If you just want to find out what happened in Week 2 of the PGF, you can scroll down to “PGF WEEK 2 MATCHUPS(predictions with UPDATES/comments on actual results):” below. But, you might be interested in the monologue.

I lost my best friend in January 2017. He was a bear of a man, but the most brotherly brother you could have. His life stories were the stuff of legend; many of us said we should put them together and print a best seller. He was my wife’s favorite of all my friends. He would do anything for you. He was my pledge son, my roommate, my fellow Saints fan, my friend who served as my sounding board for so many things and would just listen when I needed to vent. He’s the guy who anyone could count on to help them move (which says a lot). He was always there when you needed him. Amongst my closest friends, I think we all acknowledge him as the best of us. In one of his very brotherly moves, almost a dozen years ago, he created a fantasy football league for our group of friends who had attended the local university (local to where we mostly grew up). He based it in part off the television show “The League.” He wanted to have something that kept us connected as we grew further apart. Now, you may be asking yourself, why is Egghead going down memory lane here? First, because I can never say enough about that man and talking about a lost brother keeps them alive. Second, I would never have ever messed with fantasy anything if it hadn’t been for Brad. But there’s more…there’s been a disturbance in the PGF force. There’s been:

I’m going to have to pull a RUXIN (here’s how The League ties in) and call COLLUSION! on some actions during week 2 of the PGF.

Here’s a little hint as to whose performance we shouldn’t take on face value:

What am I talking about? I’m talking about Stephen “Gentlemen’s Agreement/Shoeless Joe” Eakin GIVING Sam Barbosa the submission during their match. Sure, Sam may have finished Stephen, but there was less than one minute left and as Eakin has said “[he’s] a bad man.” But behind the scenes, Eakin continued to immediately admit he let Sam get the submission:

At around the pic above, Eakin said “that was another…draw,” “they don’t know today, but they will know when it’s over” or words to that effect, then he made that smile.

He went on later to describe the talk amongst Sam and the Blue team about securing team points and the idea of letting someone get the submission to help everyone get a point. Specifically, Eakin went on to describe his mindset when he gave the submission to Barbosa:

Sam went on to admit Eakin gave him the submission. If you look at the live chat for week 2 at about 43:43, you’ll see:

BUT, let’s see how this COLLUSION/Shoeless Joe betrayal has affected the fantasy rankings. Let’s look at the top five or so…

Imagine that McWhorter is on top…but who did he pick for week 2? Let’s look:

You might notice. McWhorter had Sam Barbosa on his roster. If Sam didn’t get his COLLUSION win, I would be in the lead by 3 points.

We can look at the guy in second place. Look who’s on his week 2 roster:

That’s right. Sam Barbosa is on his roster as well. So, I’d be ahead of the guy in second place as well had Eakin not provided the “gimme” to Sam.

Finally, let’s look at the guy tied for third place:

Oh look! He has Sam Barbosa as well. Again, take six points off the total.

Yeah, Shenanigans were afoot in week 2. BMAC tried to warn us. He said the team stuff led to some “Chicanery and underhandedness” when Walo and I interviewed him on The McDojo Show Episode #43 at around 12:57.

For fairness, here’s my roster, which was picked 100% in conjunction with my fantasy analysis as depicted in my blog:

So, I call SHENANIGANS! I’m not concerned about the $1,000. For me, this fantasy league is an extension of the gift my friend Brad gave me combined with my love of jiu jitsu (especially since my club has been ordered again to not roll any more). I’m bummed I have to worry about handicapping fights, but also worrying about “Chicanery” amongst the competitors. Allegedly things work themselves out. Eakin essentially said in his live show that it looked like others weren’t going with the program, to his detriment. Also, I should say, I understand why he did it. Eakin went on to discuss on his Dream Show live that he was there to win “the game” and finish in the money. If gaming “the game” meant giving up a submission to a teammate so the entire team could get a point, it is rational to get one point rather than to get zero points for the draw. As it turns out, his chicanery did not get the blue team any points.

Regardless, I make a motion to the rules committee to modify the team scoring where only team against team matches will go towards the totals when determining team points. Assuming I get a second, I move for acclimation. Of course, the PGF isn’t governed by Robert’s Rules of Order – it really isn’t a democracy, but a benevolent dictatorship. So, I implore you BMAC, you’re our only hope. Change the rules so we don’t get shenanigans such as these in season 3. And as for you Stephen “Gentlemen’s Agreement/Shoeless Joe” Eakin:

PGF WEEK 2 MATCHUPS(predictions with UPDATES/comments on actual results):

BLOCK 2:

Evan “8 Mile” Stapler v Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton – DUNK, kill 6 points Red. Elijah saw Hunter Colvin get the kill on 8 Mile. I think Elijah gets his head right and steps up to get the kill as well. There’s an outside chance Elijah feels he has something to prove and gets it done within a minute. Also an outside chance that Elijah has to settle for a break.  If 8 Mile can only give up 6, it’ll be a win for him. The schedule makers really fed Stapler to the wolves on the first day.

UPDATE: Elijah kill via RNC. Red team 6 points. Elijah sits, going for that triangle. Evan works the bully pass. They reset and Elijah gets on top. Elijah mounts and pulls Evan to take Evan’s back. Evan’s a warrior. He fights and fights, even yelling “C’mon at one point.” Eventually, Evan has to submit, but he definitely shows heart. Evan is the Noah (NOAH he didn’t) of this season.

Hunter Colvin v James Regina – Kill, 6 points Blue. Colvin is a legit black belt with a serious pedigree of competition. Regina has a warrior’s heart and skill, but Colvin gets it done within regulation.  Regina’s length may give Colvin some trouble, but picking against Colvin right now is a bad idea. Regina seems like a really genuine, cool guy.  

UPDATE: Colvin by modified RNC, kill for Blue 6 points. Regina sits. Colvin did something I can’t explain but was slick as snot to pass then got to mount. Regina recovers. Colvin goes kimura trap to the back again. Colvin gets the kill via jaw crank. Regina reveled in not allowing Colvin to get the seven points. 

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden v Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards – Break, 3 points Red team. Everyone in the league just saw Roden handle all of Matt Elkins’ choke attacks and wrestling. Elkins had a couple of chances at leg locks, but he’s still working on his leg entanglement game. Zack is likely the best leg locker in the league. Zack sits to mitigate the wrestling advantage and gets the leglock on Roden. Zack very well might get it done within a minute, but I’ll just take that as gravy on the biscuit.

UPDATE: Zack heel hook, break for Red, 3 points. Zack sits quickly. Randy is alert for the leg entanglement from the get go. You could see Randy trying to figure out the dilemma of Zack’s guard. After a lot of defense by Roden, Zack got the entry he wanted and the inside heel hook with 51 seconds left.

Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau v Mega Mike Johnson – Kill, 6 points red. It pains me to say it, but after having BMAC and Skaff mention Primeau having COVID recently before the PGF, as well as Primeau in his post-match video talk about his lack of energy, I have to jump off the Liquid Terminator train. Primeau is a helluva guy, but COVID is a helluva virus. The general side effects of COVID (empirically) has been a reduced athletic/cardio performance. Primeau is still a beast, still a bad man. However, Primeau isn’t Mega. Primeau is coming off a six-minute draw. Mega Mike Johnson was breathing hard in his match against Sam Barbosa, but only went five minutes. Mega Mike has some weight on Barbosa.  The normally grind-y Primeau is likely to get out ground by Mega Mike.  Voting with my brain and not my heart, I have to think Mega Mike gets his chance this week to shine.

UPDATE:  DRAW – I violated one of the first rules of the PGF: Don’t bet against Primeau! Kevin goes for a little of the throw he used in the first match, but had to settle for his turtle position. Mega Mike works to get the back. Primeau keeps fighting the hands. Kevin then tries to stack with Mega Mike on his back. Mike is breathing hard. Kevin does a crazy reversal to a toe hold setup (wow!). Mike then gets to a heel hook setup. Mike gets a sweet kimura, but Kevin does a sick defense. 

Grayson Webster v Jake “Head” Elkins – Dunk – Kill, 6 points Red team. Grayson showed some athleticism at the combine, but Jake is a stud wrestler. Jake will take Grayson to the ground and punish him until he gets the kill. We saw how Elkins uses all his weight on his opponent in his mount.

UPDATE: HEAD Elkins kill by arm triangle, Red team 7 points. Elkins does a slide by, then gets the takedown, landing in the head and arm triangle setup. Wow, cold blooded, big headed, killer.

Sam Barbosa v Stephen Eakin – Draw – If Sam gets Stephen’s back, it’s a kill. Sam is too well known for being a gorilla-strength beast and deadly from the back.  But, Eakin is a LEGIT black belt from the 10P Freaks in San Diego. Now, Stephen has 15 years on Barbosa and just faced a full six-minute match against Zack Edwards.  Barbosa has allegedly only been submitted four times in the last how many years because his defense is super ridiculous. But his super defense could be Sam’s weakness. I’ve seen Sam give up his arm and position against black belts in the past, only to reverse them and win. While it worked in the past, it might have emboldened him to give up bad positions to Stephen Eakin. I don’t think anyone in this world wants to give Stephen Eakin an advantageous position. If Sam is lulled into confidence in his defensive abilities, he could have a harsh wake-up call against Eakin.  But, at the same time, in Sam’s post-match interview, he said he wanted to reserve his strength and energy for “those who deserved it” or words to that effect.  One can only surmise Sam knew Eakin was coming. Sam is legitimately “the Good Guy” and you really don’t have a soul if you cheer against him.  At the same time, I am really a big fan of Eakin’s philosophy and just about everything he’s putting out there in social media.  We also need to add that Stephen Eakin put on a promotional tournament in which Sam Barbosa won – which should give Eakin some insight into Barbosa’s game.  But does knowing a man’s game mean you can best it? Honestly, I can’t pick a winner in this match. If you choose to put Sam on your roster due to the possible kill against Roden, you better hope for some points in this match to make it worth your while. But you may take a flyer on Eakin, trusting him to kill the COVID-compromised Primeau and hopefully pick a submission here. Sorry, folks…may the odds be ever in your favor in picking this one.

UPDATE: CHICANERY! COLLUSION! SHENANIGANS! Sam Barbosa by Collusion RNC. Blue team 6 points. Both got two on ones, but they kept wrestling. Sam gets a nice takedown. Sam passes the guard to side control and keeps his weight on Eakin. Sam goes around to a twister side control. Sam’s basically sitting on Eakin’s shoulder. Sam just keeps cooking Eakin, going from twister side control to doorstop side control with some quick north-south mixed in there. Sam gets to that kimura entry then uses it to take Stephen’s back. Stephen fights smartly. Sam gets the twister hook on the back. With 47 seconds left, Stephen just gives up and lets Sam get the RNC. Look at Sam’s comment at 43:43- “Stephen gave that up at the end there cause #redteamsucks we still got business Stephen” – SHENANIGANS!

“Judo” Justin Williams v Joshua Gibbs – Kill, 6 points Red. Put simply and nicely, Gibbs is a purple belt and Williams is a baby blue belt. Gibbs should get the kill. Rest assured, I’ll make sure I only wear attire with no real grips around Judo Justin Williams after my commentary for this season.

UPDATE: Gibbs gets the triangle – Kill Red Team 6 points. Justin goes for a leg lock. Justin scrambles out. Gibbs get a single leg. Justin escapes. Gibbs tries a foot sweep, but falls and Justin gets top position. Gibbs puts in knee shield. Gibbs goes to a quick dogfight then gets to side mount. Gibbs ties the Darce, but Justin goes to his back. They go back up. Gibbs does a suplex to a darce. Gibbs tries to setup the darce again, but grabs his own ankle – very interesting. Gibbs put in a triangle choke. Justin tries to defend but with his hand in, he then starts choking himself. Gibbs gets the kill.

Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson v Matt “Maneless” Elkins – Kill, 6 points Red. – I mentioned it above, but it’s worth repeating. This matchup is an indication of the level of competition found in PGF Season 1. The Maneless Elkins finished second in the regular season of the inaugural season of the PGF. He’s a solid wrestler, with serious jiu jitsu, especially some serious chokes off the front headlock. Kemoy has been featured on many a high-profile, streaming competition. Both are former MMA fighters and brown belts. Seriously, I’m a big fan of both. I’ve watched every available online roll from both and some mma fights. This match should be fireworks, but if you put a gun to my head, I’m going Elkins by choke.  HOWEVER, it’s hard for me to account for how injured Elkins’ left knee is after the Roden match.  He was a little gimpy walking off. Was it an ice it and good to go thing? Did he borrow Eakins’ Normatec compression stuff in between rounds?  Who knows?  But, Matt Elkins is tough. So this match will be tough to call.

UPDATE: Matt sits. Kemoy with a quick pass. Seems like Matt’s knee is still messed up. Kemoy goes for that kimura he loves, but Matt able to defend. Matt back to half guard. Kemoy gets to mount, but Matt gets back to half guard. Kemoy gets back then tries his favorite flying triangle play against a seated Matt – nothing doing. Kemoy gets to North South. Matt leg pummels back to guard. Elkins did an imanari attempt. Matt goes from a pseudo butterfly to a collar-tie to a pass by rotating around Kemoy to top position. Matt gets to ¾ mount. Kemoy lets go of the foot, letting Matt get to mount, but Kemoy gets the guard recovery. Elkins gets the arm-in guillotine with less than one minute left.

TEAM WINNER OF BLOCK 2: I think RED takes it this time. I have a good feeling Colvin gets the kill, but other than him, I don’t have super confidence in any other Blue team submission in block 2. Why does this matter? As we saw in Block 1, the team who has the most points, earns an additional point for each member. Team Winner projections should only be used in a tie breaker scenario between two possible competitors for a roster spot.  A Team Winner point is a nice to have, not a game changer.

UPDATE: Red team is the winner, despite the COLLUSION on the blue side.

Of note, block 2 ended at right about one hour into the episode.

Loved the Lonnie Jones piece. “Control the controllables; do the doables.” I really enjoy his podcast. I really enjoyed his interview on Matt Skaff’s Grappling Discourse Podcast. To be fair, I also picked up his book when he sponsored season 1. Lonnie Jones’ book: “Grappling with Life: Controlling Your Inside Space” is a really good read. Look into it.

BLOCK 3:

Joshua Gibbs v Grayson Webster – Kill, 6 points Red. Purple belt vs athletic blue belt. Purple belt wins via kill. It’s the best week we’ll see for Gibbs. Believe me, I believe #bluebeltsarepeopletoo, but I’m playing the odds here. Gibbs is not just a purple belt, but an instructor at a BJJ gym. The best way to learn something is to teach, so Gibbs should be mastering his art.

UPDATE: Grayson gets the surprise kimura; Blue team gets the break, 4 points. Grayson pulls guard then gets that kimura grip. He sweeps Gibbs, then worked that kimura until he got it with two seconds left to get that bonus point.  

Stephen “the Dream” Eakin v Kevin “Liquid Terminator” Primeau – Kill, 6 points Blue. It was already going to be an uphill battle for Primeau to face Eakin. Eakin actually said he didn’t look forward to the match against Primeau; Eakin was a fan of season 1 and knows how tough Primeau can be. But Primeau contracted the Rona and it messed him up as so many others. It’s a testament to his character, to his grit, Primeau continued with the tournament and has performed so well thus far. I’m a big fan of the Pete Rose of the PGF and Stephen Eakin.  Here, the more extensive experience, the greater size, and the lack of COVID in the recent past, has Eakin getting the kill in the match.

UPDATE: Eakin gets the kill. 6 points Blue. Primeau gave Eakin his back on the top and went to the ground that way. Primeau kept going back to the turtle well, looking for his sneaky arm bar, but Eakin knows that game. Stephen goes to the mount, setting up the head and arm triangle. Stephen gets that arm and triangle with the mount still intact. Stephen has said he’s not looking to go against a fully healthy Primeau in competition. 

James Regina v Evan “8 Mile” Stapler – Draw – Both are long guys. Both lost more than 100 lbs, I believe, in their bjj journey. Regina is a mma athlete, so should have some serious cardio. According to Matt Skaff (10P Decatur black belt, PGF commentator, and Grappling Discourse Podcast host), Stapler has some serious cardio as well. Regina could get Stapler in a leg lock, but 10P Decatur is stingy with its belts. To get a Blue Belt, they need to be able to defend the legs. This match is a serious opportunity for Stapler to get a submission.

UPDATE: Stapler gets the kill. Red team 6 points. Matt Skaff – I’m coming for that prophet title. I thought this match was an opportunity for 8-Mile to make a mark and HE DID! Evan gets the front headlock, using it for a takedown, but to be fair Regina might have been trying to pull guard to get out of it. Evan gets to side control and starts putting on that pressure. Regina takes/attacks the back. Evans tripods. Regina almost got the arm bar. Evan baited the triangle, then bully passed. Evan gets to back. Evan keeps getting that bully pass. Evan gets a kind of modified von flue choke, focusing on that wicked shoulder pressure. Wow! A LOT!

Matt “Maneless” Elkins v Hunter Colvin – Break, 3 points Blue. Matt Elkins is a great wrestler. If you look a Colvin’s ears and know he’s from Oklahoma, you should believe he’s a solid wrestler as well. Colvin has the best pedigree on the roster. He has high level leg locks so I have to give him the break. Of course, it doesn’t help Maneless tweaked his left knee. Elkins may be more hesitant or less explosive due to his first-round injury.

UPDATE: Colvin gets the quick RNC, Blue gets 7 points. Elkins sits guard…looks like his play to spare his knee. Hunter went rolling kimura. He used it to take the back. This move seems to be this season’s “Elijah triangle setup” – the move that takes down everyone. We’ll see if someone catches on. Elkins taps to the RNC with 5:20 left on the clock.

Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa v Randy “Dumptruck” Roden – Kill, 6 points Blue. In the intro, Sam looks to lock up a guillotine after Roden tries a duck under. Getting a guillotine on a wrestler may be a bit on the nose, but still very believable. Roden powered out of Matt Elkins front headlocks and setups for chokes, so maybe Roden can’t be choked. It really does look like Sam has it locked in, so I have to go for him.

UPDATE: Sam kill via guillotine. Blue kill 7 points. It’s the Randy duck under leading to the Sam guillotine we saw in the intro for sure.

“Mega” Mike Johnson v “Judo” Justin Williams – Kill, 6 points Red. Mega Mike gets a dunk here as long as he doesn’t let Judo get a random arm bar. Ultimately, I think Mega Mikes’ size and strength secure the kill. Now that we know Mega Mike won the IBJJF Atlanta Open Purple Belt double gold, how can we not pick him? (dang sandbaggers).

UPDATE: DRAW. Mega gets the blast double, but goes into Justin’s guard. Justin puts in the lockdown but then Mega passes to mount. Justin used the telephone defense to survive a DEEP head and arm choke. Mega goes to mount again. Mega goes for the mounted triangle. Justin defends again. Justin gets the win by forcing the draw. It reminds me of Data in Star Trek the Next Generation where Data wins a match of a game by going for the draw instead of trying to win. (#nerdsrule). 

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton v Jake “Head” Elkins – Break, 3 points Red. Elijah doesn’t want any of Jake “Head” Elkins’ wrestling. Elijah might do some wrestling off his butt (ala Nilo Burgener), but you have to think Elijah is going to be smart and go for the leg lock. Elijah has that Sean Applegate, 10P Atlanta, deadly leg lock action going. But here’s the fun part, Elijah is awesome from bottom for both leg locks and triangles. Head Elkins has reputed black-belt level top game. This match could be really good.  Still, I have learned not to bet against Elijah (dang final week of season 1; dang you McWhorter!).

UPDATE: Elijah triangle. Kill Red Team 6 points. Elijah tries some low wrestling, then just sits. Jake passes Elijah’s guard. I’m probably not able to adequately talk through this match, but it’s awesome. Strangely enough Jake almost seems to shimmy his way into Elijah’s triangle setup. Elijah has now taken out both Elkins with that triangle. 

Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards v Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson – Break, 3 points Red. As mentioned previously, Squidbilly is one of the most serious leg lockers in this season. Kemoy has great, grindy top pressure and some good wrestling. They both compete a lot. My gut says Edwards gets the leg lock. Kemoy was really grinding on Regina almost the entire first match, but he allowed himself to end up on bottom. Then Kemoy allowed Regina to get him in a 411. Edwards is a better leglocker than Regina. Edwards is a little less long than Regina which should help him have a little more strength behind his levers to elevate or otherwise manipulate Kemoy into Edwards’ desired leg lock entry. 

UPDATE: DRAW. Zach pulls guard. Kemoy passes Zack’s guard and gives that bully pressure. He goes to the mount. Kemoy goes from the gangsta lean to the mounted triangle attempt. Zack escapes. Kemoy goes back into Zack’s guard. So another strong performance by Kemoy, but no finish.

TEAM WINNER OF BLOCK 3: This one is close. If all my prognostication is correct, Red will win this block by 3 points.  That’s not a lot of margin, only one break or three matches where submissions occur in the first minute. Again, this estimation should only be used as a possible tiebreaker when trying to figure out a roster spot…better than flipping a coin?

UPDATE: Blue team got it.

First, a quick announcement: dammit McWhorter, stop reading this analysis. You’re the Newman to my Seinfeld. I see we’re tied for first and I have a feeling you’re reading my blog again. I’m going to quickly rename it the “No McWhorter Club.”  But seriously, thanks for being a fan and good luck.

I’ve included my estimates of value of competitors with point values and a breakdown of matches. I did not include my ideal team setup. You’ll have to wait for the McDojo Show (whether I’m in the comments or on live) for my suggested ideal lineup. Or you could take the provided intel and build your own Excel spreadsheets. If you do want to get the most up to date advice, check out the McDojo Show on Fridays at 4:30pm Eastern Time.

A quick note on nicknames: Nicknames are fun. Case in point, my nom de plume is Egghead Warrior, a nickname given to me around 16 years ago by one of my best friends after assessing my “20lb brain” and choice of profession. I think I’m pretty good at nicknames. A few known rules about nicknames are they are not to be chosen by the individual to whom assigned. And the can either be acknowledgments of perceived excellence or avenues for taking folks down a notch who need it. I always think it’s funny when folks talk about the cool “callsigns” pilots have, as in those in the movie Top Gun. Call signs are normally given through a “kangaroo court” of other aviators, where they assign names mostly in the spirit of inside jokes and keeping egos in check.  I’ve tried to keep my nickname assignments in the same spirit of the k-courts, but with some names signaling due deference to character of that competitor. As I previously pointed out, I did coin the very popular nickname for Matt Elkins in season one of the PGF (PGF Season1, Week 2 –  1:26:49 – “someone” nicknamed Matt Elkins “the Mane” but then Matt shaved his locks for this upcoming season).  I thought it was a pretty good nickname. I’ll “try on” nicknames from time to time. As you might have gathered, I think Kemoy Anderson’s pressure style earns him the nickname “the Bully.”  But one of my new favorite nicknames “grew” out of an episode of the McDojo Show in which I was but a mere spectator. At 6:03 of The McDojo Show Ep #44 – Jake Elkins became: Jake “Head” Elkins. His younger brother Matt Elkins kept pointing out how Jake’s Head was so huge compared to the rest of the talking heads of the podcast. Jake didn’t have any comebacks other than to justify his HUGE HEAD due to xyz attributes. Chris and Walo of the McDojo Show kept bringing up the issue in later episodes in which I was involved with shooting. After looking back at the Elkins’ episode, I can see why. So, I’ve nickname Jake “Head” Elkins as such. It makes me think of “So I Married an Axe Murderer” with Mike Myers. Sadly, most of you reading this post or those competing in the PGF might not remember the movie, so I linked a good clip above. Okay, I’m going too long on this Orange on a toothpick issue. Sufficed to say, I like nicknames. Let me know if you like them or have better ideas (I think 8-mile is a winner, do you?).

Back to business: there are some matches with very real implications for PGF Season 2 rankings this week. We should find out where a number of competitors shake out in the rankings of the PGF this week. Be sure to watch this week – live if possible, let’s get the live numbers to 300+ this week.

Big shout out to Mark McEathron who is the man behind the PGFhome.com website redesign. He really knocked it out of the park. Lots of great functionality to the site, including player pages, easy to read/navigate fight schedule, nice rules graphic, etc. The redesign really improves the overall PGF experience. Great job Mark!

I’d also like to give a big shout out to all the lower belts who showed up and participated in the PGF Season 2. Guys, who in the spirit of Keahi Makekau, the other Mike Johnson, and Canaan Brooks continually showed up despite giving up size and experience. Lord knows, if I had received my vaccinations in time [I have a very susceptible person at home], I would have looked to take off a week for this fun…knowing I would be the dunkee, not the dunkor in oh so many matches. BTW, Canaan owes the McDojo Show crew and myself beer for PGF Season 1 – we’re not forgetting.

If you haven’t already, consider supporting Mat Viper, the folks that brought us the PGF rashguards. You missed out on the PGF rash guards from season 1, but they do have a t-shirt available. You can see Chris from the McDojo Show modeling it in episode 46.  I’m trying to get them to put out a PGF hoodie. I really could use another hoodie or two. The Commish supports it. I’m hoping for the pullover type with the big pouch in the front.  Regardless, support Mat Viper if you can. We need to support those folks who help defray the expenses for BMAC.

Now on to the analysis for this week:

For your consideration, each fantasy team has 7 possible spots with a total salary cap of $120 for the week.  Any left-over funds do not carry over to the next week. While one could hypothetically maximize their chances at success at playing all 7 roster spots, we often found during season 1 that sacrificing a roster spot to secure more “sure things” was the way to go.

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

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton (brown) – $25; faces Evan “8 Mile” Stapler [KILL] and Jake “Head” Elkins [BREAK] – 9 points. Elijah sits in both matches.  The Bad Guy catches 8 Mile in one of his patented triangles for the kill, but smartly settles for a leg lock against the “Head” Elkins. Sure, we might be overpaying for the points, especially if Elijah settles for a break against Evan, but with Elijah you know you’re going to get some points.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Elijah got two submissions in under a minute here to try to make up for only getting the break against Grayson Webster.

Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa (brown) – $25; faces Stephen “the Dream” Eakin [DRAW] and Randy “Dump Truck” Roden [DRAW] – 0 points. I could be wrong here. I want to be wrong here. I don’t think I’m wrong here. We’ve heard that if Sam gets on your back, you’re getting submitted. In the promo video(at 0:15), it shows Roden hitting a duck under on Sam, but Sam gets a guillotine. Sam later mentioned him “locking up” a guillotine on the McDojo Show (at 28:11). If Sam is as strong as Matt Skaff said in his PGF 2 Preview (at 06:14, feels like a gorilla; insanely strong), can Roden get out of that guillotine? Roden was able to get out of Matt Elkins’ headlocks and guillotines and his are legit. Likewise, while Eakin is a 10th Planet Freak Black Belt, he is around 15 years the elder of Sam. In his match with Eakin, Sam’s greatest strength (his defense) could be his greatest weakness. It seems Sam isn’t afraid of bad positions because he’s so good at defense. I forget which match it was, but Sam gave up his arm to a black belt who had a win over Sam’s coach.  Sam calmly took his arm back and submitted the black belt. Against Eakin, if Sam gives up a good position, he could face a submission. Sam doesn’t want to let Eakin paint a pretty picture using him as a canvas. Honestly, not going with Sam on my team could cost me $1,000 as I look back on it. I’ll definitely reevaluate this call a few times before Friday.

Hunter Colvin (black) – $22; faces James Regina [KILL] and Matt “Maneless” Elkins [BREAK] – 9 points.  Colvin has the best competition pedigree in the PGF.  Until someone takes him to a draw, I’m going to say Colvin gets the submission every time. Colvin’s a legit black belt; Regina is a purple belt.  They’re both MMA fighters, but Colvin looks to be climbing the ranks faster than Regina. I think Colvin uses that kimura trap to get to the back again and finished Regina. Multiple folks have mentioned Colvin is smart.  If he’s smart, he watched PGF season 1. While Skaff mentioned Elkins has been working on his leglocks, we saw from his match against Roden that Ekins is still working on that part of his game. Colvin probably saw Elijah Carlton take out Elkins quickly with a leglock.  Elkins already tweaked his left knee in his match against Randy Roden.  I’d be surprised if Colvin doesn’t target that knee in their match for a quick break. If Colvin goes for the kill, it’ll be to prove a point and that would be very interesting to watch.

PREMIUMS

Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin (black) – $20; faces Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa [Draw] and Kevin “Liquid Terminator” Primeau [Draw] – 0 points. Eakin’s first day reminds me of Matt Elkins’ first day of season 1. Elkins had a bad showing after going against the top competition, then rattled of more than a dozen consecutive kills. Here, Eakin already had to face Zack Edwards (resulting in a draw).  Now, Eakin has to face the reigning champ and a man who went >1:11:00 in a match for the PGF Season 1 Playoff Tournament. I’m a real fan of Eakin. I catch his PGF behind the scenes Youtube videos; I hit up his Saturday live broadcasts.  His philosophy and viewpoints are awesome. But this schedule is rough. I’m calling the Eakin v Barbosa match a draw. It could go either way. If Barbosa gets Eakin’s back, Barbosa gets the kill. If Eakin passes Barbosa’s guard, I have to think he’ll get the break. But, ultimately, I think they cancel each other out. When top competitors face each other in timed matches, a draw is the most likely outcome. Six minutes isn’t enough time for either of these guys to bake the other for that submission. Now, in a no-time-limit, sub-only match, who knows (but it would be awesome)? Normally, I would think Kevin Primeau would go all terminator and power through anything Eakin put on him. Primeau is known for his insane grit and endurance. However, we saw how COVID-19 affected Primeau in his match against Gibbs. There’s a real probability Eakin gets a kill or break on the weakened Primeau, but my heart is telling me Primeau gets the moral victory of taking Eakin to the draw. Primeau does have the luck of only facing Eakin after what will likely be Eakin enduring two six-minute draws.

Matt “Maneless/the Fade” Elkins (brown) – $19 ; faces Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson [Kill] and Hunter Colvin[loss] – 6 points. I am a huge Matt Elkins fan. I thought he was funny on “Not the BMAC show,” gave him the nickname “the Mane” in season 1 of the PGF, and continue to hope he does well. But I think we’ll see mixed results at best this week.  First, we need to consider Elkins tweaked his knee against Randy Roden.  Even though he walked off the mats under his own power, his gate was affected. In the final two matches of that night, Colvin takes out Elkins with a leglock – that’s my best guess.  The bigger question is Elkins v Kemoy. Kemoy has some wrestling and mma in his background just like Elkins. Kemoy is a brown belt just like Elkins. But Kemoy doesn’t appear to be injured or hurt. I think a non-injured Matt Elkins submitting Kemoy would say a lot about the strength of the top contenders from season 1 of the PGF. If Elkins gets Kemoy in a front headlock, I think he could legitimately get the kill. I think the kill is the best possible outcome (obviously, right), but the more realistic outcome might be a draw.

Jake “Head” Elkins (purple) – $17; faces Grayson Webster [Kill] and Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton [loss] – 6 points. The HEAD Elkins has an extremely mixed bag for tonight, facing one of the lowest ranked and one of the highest ranked PGF competitors. Jakes wrestling will smother Grayson, leading to a head and arm triangle for the kill.  But against Elijah, Head Elkins will quickly face a seated opponent, partially mitigating Jake’s wrestling. Elijah will likely seek a leg lock rather than risk the Head Elkins’ wrestling and heavy top pressure.

Kemoy “RatedR/the Bully” Anderson (brown) – $17; faces Matt “Maneless” Elkins [loss] and Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards [loss] – 0 points.  Kemoy could make a HUGE name for himself with these matchups.  If he could take out Matt Elkins and Zack Edwards, he would really shake things up in the PGF. Unfortunately for the Bully, Maneless is an impressive competitor.  He may be coming off a draw and a possible knee injury, but Elkins is still a beast himself.  Matt Elkins could make a big statement by scoring a kill on Kemoy – a fellow brown belt and someone who competes on the big-time stage frequently. I think Matt Elkins motivation may propel him past his injury to secure the kill, or at least the draw. Edwards is likely the best pure leg locker in the PGF. Kemoy has shown the ability to work against leg lockers in the 10th Planet Team duel and against Regina in his first match. But will Kemoy be able to keep his weight low enough against a leg locker who is at least another level if not two better than Regina (sorry Regina, Go Chiefs?). I think Edwards wears down Kemoy and gets the leg lock in the last couple of minutes in the round.  If Edwards can take the topside pressure of Stephen Eakins, he can withstand the Bully and make him pay.

AVERAGE

James Regina (purple) – $15; faces Hunter Colvin [loss] and Evan “8 Mile” Stapler [break] – 3 points. Colvin and Regina are both MMA athletes as well as jiujitsu players, so any perceived MMA athlete advantage is neutralized. Colvin is the higher-belted and pedigreed competitor. I’m sticking with Colvin until someone proves me wrong. Stapler is a blue belt but this match could be one where he surprises us. While I’ve seen Regina throw in the rubber guard in a MMA match, he has seemed to be a majority leg locker in straight jiu jitsu. Even when he got in top position on Kemoy, he eschewed the darce, in favor of a back-step 411 setup, going for the leg lock. Going into the second night of competition, we could see Regina’s team urging him to go for more kills, but we’re still on the first night and he likely gets the break.

Joshua “Shipmate” Gibbs (purple) – $15; faces “Judo” Justin Williams [KILL] and Grayson Webster [KILL] – 12 points. Blocks 2 and 3 are Gibbs’ best shots at making fantasy gold in the PGF. Even though Gibbs just got done with a grueling six minutes with Kevin Primeau, Gibbs faces two newly promoted blue belts. Gibbs should be a level above his competition this week. Gibbs comes from a more traditional bjj school just as Williams and Grayson do, so he should not be surprised by any techniques coming out of left field. To be fair, Gibbs two matches prior to the PGF available online have him going to EBI overtime so one might be concerned with his ability to get the submission in regulation. I could be wrong here, but my gut says go with Gibbs.

Kevin “Liquid Terminator/Pete Rose” Primeau (purple) – $15; faces “Mega” Mike Johnson [loss] and Stephen “the Dream” Eakin [loss].  COVID-19 is a hell of a virus.  It took my father and many of our family and friends.  But even for those whom it did not take, it diminished their athletic capacity at least temporarily if not permanently. Primeau had not fully recovered from COVID when PGF season 2 commenced (he was clear of the virus, but not recovered). He admitted as much in his post-match interview from week 1. Both BMAC and Matt Skaff had mentioned Primeau’s struggle with COVID.  They both said it did diminish him, but we shouldn’t forget he’s always going to be the Liquid Terminator. All this said, we all know Primeau has a workhorse attitude.  He shows the heart of a warrior every time he’s on the mat. But Primeau is going up against two of the biggest bodies of PGF season 2 this week. He faces Mega Mike Johnson who has drawn analogies to “Manscape” Mike of last season (as one of the strongest competitors, but this time with more skill, being a purple belt) and a gym owner and black belt in Stephen Eakin. Primeau’s just wasn’t setup for success this week. Tip of the cap to you Pete Rose of the PGF; however the matches end up, we know you’ll leave everything you have on the mats.

“MEGA” Mike Johnson (purple)– $15 – aka the world’s most mysterious man; faces Kevin “Liquid Terminator” Primeau [KILL] and “Judo” Justin Williams [KILL] -12 points – This week, “Mega” Mike will shine.  He faces the Covid-compromised Kevin Primeau and “Judo” Justin Williams. I would really like to see Mega against a fully functioning Primeau – I think it would be a great match even if Primeau was giving up weight. But in this match, Primeau is not himself. Mega will get the kill. Judo could threaten with an arm bar, but Mega is a purple belt and should be able to defend against the arm bar, eventually smashing Judo before getting the kill.

Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards (brown) – $15; faces Randy “Dumptruck” Roden [BREAK] and Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson [BREAK] – 6 points. Does “Squidbilly” become the foot genie of PGF season 2 this week?  Anyone with some sense wouldn’t want to face Roden in any sort of wrestling after seeing his match against Matt Elkins (well, maybe Head Elkins would want to impose some Ironclad avenging). So, Edwards will sit right away against both opponents. Roden has the best chance to fall quickly.  Roden showed that Woodley v Maia sprinters pulse move to remove his legs from Elkins, but Edwards is at least two levels above Elkins on the leg game. It’s not going to work this time. Kemoy has faced some serious leg lockers, but I don’t think the level of leg lock game that Edwards brings to the table. Yeah, I know he faced 10P SD in the teams match, but Edwards came up from the 10P Bethlehem crew, facing the likes of Thor and Gundrum all the time. I have to think Edwards brings a different, east coast 10P leglock look as well as some serious skill, leading to the break. If Edwards takes both their legs, it’s likely he’ll be crowned the “Leg Genie” (much love to the original Genie, the “Elbow Genie” Jonathan Roberts who received his black belt after last season…probably overdue you joint-locking sandbagger! Hahahaha!).

BELOW AVERAGE

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden (blue) – $13; faces Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards [loss] and Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa [draw] – 0 points.  Roden is such a beast.  His match against Matt Elkins showed us why every interviewed participant of season 2 has said to watch out for Roden. But Roden was given a hard night. Edwards is likely the best leg locker in the league (tip of the hat to Elijah and Colvin). Having seen Matt Elkins face Roden, Edwards will want none of that wrestling.  Edwards will sit, elevate, and snatch a leg against Roden. The worst Sam will do is a draw; he’s just too good. I still can’t tell in my gut whether Sam locks up that guillotine for the kill. I’m starting to think he does. Regardless, Roden’s not submitting Sam. I just can’t wait until block 7 when we can see Roden face Jake “Head” Elkins for some insane wrestling action. With the right matchups, I really think Roden will be a quality, value pick. We’ll have to see how the season pans out for him.

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.

Evan “8 Mile” Stapler (blue) – $11; faces Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton [loss] and James Regina [unknown]. 8 Mile gets killed by the Bad Guy – sorry, but it’s science. Regina might be an opportunity for Evan to shine. Both Regina and Stapler lost a significant amount (~100lb) in their jiu jitsu fitness journey; they’re both long as well. Can Stapler handle the leg attacks of Regina?  While Stapler is a blue belt, 10th Planet Decatur is well known for being stingy with their promotions (looking at you Mr. Seth Tatum who finally got your purple belt after having an awesome showing in season 1). If the combine stats are correct, Evan is only 20 years old. That blows my mind. While he may have the youthful energy, the relative old age and deceit of Regina should carry the day.

Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster (blue) – $10; faces Jake “Head” Elkins [loss] and Josh “Shipmate” Gibbs [loss].  The Southern Samurai a good athlete according to the combine, but he’s facing a D1 wrestler purple belt and another purple belt.  Grayson’s best shot is against Gibbs, but it’ll be tough after Elkins smashes him.

Justin “Judo” Williams (blue) – $10; faces Josh “Shipmate” Gibbs and “Mega” Mike Johnson – two losses, 0 points. Judo’s best shot is an arm bar against Gibbs, but I think it’s long shot. I think Gibbs and Mega get the kills.

PGF Week 2 Matchups

BLOCK 2:

Evan “8 Mile” Stapler v Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton – DUNK, kill 6 points Red. Elijah saw Hunter Colvin get the kill on 8 Mile. I think Elijah gets his head right and steps up to get the kill as well. There’s an outside chance Elijah feels he has something to prove and gets it done within a minute. Also an outside chance that Elijah has to settle for a break.  If 8 Mile can only give up 6, it’ll be a win for him. The schedule makers really fed Stapler to the wolves on the first day.

Hunter Colvin v James Regina – Kill, 6 points Blue. Colvin is a legit black belt with a serious pedigree of competition. Regina has a warrior’s heart and skill, but Colvin gets it done within regulation.  Regina’s length may give Colvin some trouble, but picking against Colvin right now is a bad idea. Regina seems like a really genuine, cool guy.  

Randy “Dumptruck” Roden v Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards – Break, 3 points Red team. Everyone in the league just saw Roden handle all of Matt Elkins’ choke attacks and wrestling. Elkins had a couple of chances at leg locks, but he’s still working on his leg entanglement game. Zack is likely the best leg locker in the league. Zack sits to mitigate the wrestling advantage and gets the leglock on Roden. Zack very well might get it done within a minute, but I’ll just take that as gravy on the biscuit.

Kevin “Pete Rose of the PGF” Primeau v Mega Mike Johnson – Kill, 6 points red. It pains me to say it, but after having BMAC and Skaff mention Primeau having COVID recently before the PGF, as well as Primeau in his post-match video talk about his lack of energy, I have to jump off the Liquid Terminator train. Primeau is a helluva guy, but COVID is a helluva virus. The general side effects of COVID (empirically) has been a reduced athletic/cardio performance. Primeau is still a beast, still a bad man. However, Primeau isn’t Mega. Primeau is coming off a six-minute draw. Mega Mike Johnson was breathing hard in his match against Sam Barbosa, but only went five minutes. Mega Mike has some weight on Barbosa.  The normally grind-y Primeau is likely to get out ground by Mega Mike.  Voting with my brain and not my heart, I have to think Mega Mike gets his chance this week to shine. 

Grayson Webster v Jake “Head” Elkins – Dunk – Kill, 6 points Red team. Grayson showed some athleticism at the combine, but Jake is a stud wrestler. Jake will take Grayson to the ground and punish him until he gets the kill. We saw how Elkins uses all his weight on his opponent in his mount.

Sam Barbosa v Stephen Eakin – Draw – If Sam gets Stephen’s back, it’s a kill. Sam is too well known for being a gorilla-strength beast and deadly from the back.  But, Eakin is a LEGIT black belt from the 10P Freaks in San Diego. Now, Stephen has 15 years on Barbosa and just faced a full six-minute match against Zack Edwards.  Barbosa has allegedly only been submitted four times in the last how many years because his defense is super ridiculous. But his super defense could be Sam’s weakness. I’ve seen Sam give up his arm and position against black belts in the past, only to reverse them and win. While it worked in the past, it might have emboldened him to give up bad positions to Stephen Eakin. I don’t think anyone in this world wants to give Stephen Eakin an advantageous position. If Sam is lulled into confidence in his defensive abilities, he could have a harsh wake-up call against Eakin.  But, at the same time, in Sam’s post-match interview, he said he wanted to reserve his strength and energy for “those who deserved it” or words to that effect.  One can only surmise Sam knew Eakin was coming. Sam is legitimately “the Good Guy” and you really don’t have a soul if you cheer against him.  At the same time, I am really a big fan of Eakin’s philosophy and just about everything he’s putting out there in social media.  We also need to add that Stephen Eakin put on a promotional tournament in which Sam Barbosa won – which should give Eakin some insight into Barbosa’s game.  But does knowing a man’s game mean you can best it? Honestly, I can’t pick a winner in this match. If you choose to put Sam on your roster due to the possible kill against Roden, you better hope for some points in this match to make it worth your while. But you may take a flyer on Eakin, trusting him to kill the COVID-compromised Primeau and hopefully pick a submission here. Sorry, folks…may the odds be ever in your favor in picking this one.

“Judo” Justin Williams v Joshua “Shipmate” Gibbs – Kill, 6 points Red. Put simply and nicely, Gibbs is a purple belt and Williams is a baby blue belt. Gibbs should get the kill. Rest assured, I’ll make sure I only wear attire with no real grips around Judo Justin Williams after my commentary for this season.

Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson v Matt “Maneless” Elkins – Kill, 6 points Red. – I mentioned it above, but it’s worth repeating. This matchup is an indication of the level of competition found in PGF Season 1. The Maneless Elkins finished second in the regular season of the inaugural season of the PGF. He’s a solid wrestler, with serious jiu jitsu, especially some serious chokes off the front headlock. Kemoy has been featured on many a high-profile streaming competition. Both are former MMA fighters and brown belts. Seriously, I’m a big fan of both. I’ve watched every available online roll from both and some mma fights. This match should be fireworks, but if you put a gun to my head, I’m going Elkins by choke.  HOWEVER, it’s hard for me to account for how injured Elkins’ left knee is after the Roden match.  He was a little gimpy walking off. Was it a ice it and good to go thing? Did he borrow Eakins’ Normatec compression stuff in between rounds?  Who knows?  But, Matt Elkins is tough. So this match will be tough to call.

TEAM WINNER OF BLOCK 2: I think RED takes it this time. I have a good feeling Colvin gets the kill, but other than him, I don’t have super confidence in any other Blue team submission in block 2. Why does this matter? As we saw in Block 1, the team who has the most points, earns an additional point for each member. Team Winner projections should only be used in a tie breaker scenario between two possible competitors for a roster spot.  A Team Winner point is a nice to have, not a game changer.

BLOCK 3:

Joshua “Shipmate” Gibbs v Grayson Webster – Kill, 6 points Red. Purple belt vs athletic blue belt. Purple belt wins via kill. It’s the best week we’ll see for Gibbs. Believe me, I believe #bluebeltsarepeopletoo, but I’m playing the odds here. Gibbs is not just a purple belt, but an instructor at a BJJ gym. The best way to learn something is to teach, so Gibbs should be mastering his art.

Stephen “the Dream” Eakin v Kevin “Liquid Terminator” Primeau – Kill, 6 points Blue. It was already going to be an uphill battle for Primeau to face Eakin. Eakin actually said he didn’t look forward to the match against Primeau; Eakin was a fan of season 1 and knows how tough Primeau can be. But Primeau contracted the Rona and it messed him up as so many others. It’s a testament to his character, to his grit, Primeau continued with the tournament and has performed so well thus far. I’m a big fan of the Pete Rose of the PGF and Stephen Eakin.  Here, the more extensive experience, the greater size, and the lack of COVID in the recent past, has Eakin getting the kill in the match.

James Regina v Evan “8 Mile” Stapler – Draw – Both are long guys. Both lost more than 100 lbs, I believe, in their bjj journey. Regina is a mma athlete, so should have some serious cardio. According to Matt Skaff (10P Decatur black belt, PGF commentator, and Grappling Discourse Podcast host), Stapler has some serious cardio as well. Regina could get Stapler in a leg lock, but 10P Decatur is stingy with its belts. To get a Blue Belt, they need to be able to defend the legs. This match is a serious opportunity for Stapler to get a submission.

Matt “Maneless” Elkins v Hunter Colvin – Break, 3 points Blue. Matt Elkins is a great wrestler. If you look a Colvin’s ears and know he’s from Oklahoma, you should believe he’s a solid wrestler as well. Colvin has the best pedigree on the roster. He has high level leg locks so I have to give him the break. Of course, it doesn’t help Maneless tweaked his left knee. Elkins may be more hesitant or less explosive due to his first-round injury.

Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa v Randy “Dumptruck” Roden – Kill, 6 points Blue. In the intro, Sam looks to lock up a guillotine after Roden tries a duck under. Getting a guillotine on a wrestler may be a bit on the nose, but still very believable. Roden powered out of Matt Elkins front headlocks and setups for chokes, so maybe Roden can’t be choked. It really does look like Sam has it locked in, so I have to go for him.

“Mega” Mike Johnson v “Judo” Justin Williams – Kill, 6 points Red. Mega Mike gets a dunk here as long as he doesn’t let Judo get a random arm bar. Ultimately, I think Mega Mikes’ size and strength secure the kill. Now that we know Mega Mike won the IBJJF Atlanta Open Purple Belt double gold, how can we not pick him? (dang sandbaggers).

Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton v Jake “Head” Elkins – Break, 3 points Red. Elijah doesn’t want any of Jake “Head” Elkins’ wrestling. Elijah might do some wrestling off his butt (ala Nilo Burgener), but you have to think Elijah is going to be smart and go for the leg lock. Elijah has that Sean Applegate, 10P Atlanta, deadly leg lock action going. But here’s the fun part, Elijah is awesome from bottom for both leg locks and triangles. Head Elkins has reputed black-belt level top game. This match could be really good.  Still, I have learned not to bet against Elijah (dang final week of season 1; dang you McWhorter!).

Zach “Squidbilly” Edwards v Kemoy “the Bully” Anderson – Break, 3 points Red. As mentioned previously, Squidbilly is one of the most serious leg lockers in this season. Kemoy has great, grindy top pressure and some good wrestling. They both compete a lot. My gut says Edwards gets the leg lock. Kemoy was really grinding on Regina almost the entire first match, but he allowed himself to end up on bottom. Then Kemoy allowed Regina to get him in a 411. Edwards is a better leglocker than Regina. Edwards is a little less long than Regina which should help him have a little more strength behind his levers to elevate or otherwise manipulate Kemoy into Edwards’ desired leg lock entry.

TEAM WINNER OF BLOCK 3: This one is close. If all my prognostication is correct, Red will win this block by 3 points.  That’s not a lot of margin, only one break or three matches where submissions occur in the first minute. Again, this estimation should only be used as a possible tiebreaker when trying to figure out a roster spot…better than flipping a coin?

PGF Season 2 Week 1 was a great success. It already has 4300+ views when Season 1, Week 1 only has 4851 as of the posting of this blog post. The competitors are not only larger, but of a higher caliber than last season. The production value has gone through the roof. It was just a great, overall super enjoyable time. Season 2 got some outside love in the press, but is still largely a grass roots promotion. So, if you are reading this blog, you’re already at least somewhat of a fan, don’t forget to pay it forward by sharing the feeds to all your friends, family, and training partners. If you have contacts in the media, any media, let’s see if we can get them some press releases. Any media can take my content for free with just a little attribution. Similarly, I know Walo and Chris of the McDojo show would be willing to share their awesome photography with attribution to support the PGF cause. Someone out there can help us get the word out more than we can dream, if it’s you, hook it up.

NOW FOR SOME REVIEW OF LAST WEEK’S PREDICTIONS AS WELL AS HOW THEY PANNED OUT (I’m tied for the lead in fantasy, btw – dang you McWhorter):

PGF Week 1 Matchups (predictions with UPDATES/comments on actual results):

1. Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton vs Grayson “Southern Samurai” Webster – DUNK – Elijah gets the 7. Grayson Webster seems like a really cool guy.  His Dad is a martial arts beast who like to do forms in the snow (true story). Still, Grayson’s main focus is his more traditional martial arts. He just got his blue belt recently.  Elijah is a killer. He eats blue belts for breakfast (still, much love Grayson, I’m a blue belt as well, even calling my fantasy team “Blue Belts Are People Too”).  But, this match was meant to make a splash and it will.

UPDATE: ELIJAH GOT 4 POINTS AFTER SITTING, GOING FOR A SWEEP, THEN GETTING A QUICK HEEL HOOK. ELIJAH ADMITTED HIS MISTAKE IN THE POST-MATCH INTERVIEW. IT’S FUNNY, BUT HE GOT NILO WITH THE TRIANGLE ARM BAR INSTEAD OF TRIANGLE IN HIS FIRST MATCH OF SEASON 1. IN THE HOME STRETCH, I THOUGHT GIVING UP THOSE EXTRA POINTS PUT HIM IN DANGER OF NOT SECURING THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP – WITH THIS SEASON’S KILLERS, THOSE LOST POINTS COULD BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.

2. James Regina vs Kemoy “RatedR/the Bully” Anderson – Oooh interesting. Both these competitors are new to me. I only have tape of one Regina match. He seems to be a big leg locker/rubber guard guy (huge limbs being 6’5”), but Kemoy is a BEAST. Both have fought MMA. But, seeing Kemoy go against other 10th Planet competitors from the team duels makes me think he’ll win.  Kemoy also has six (6!) fights in the Fight to Win promotion in the last year – he’s game and focusing on jiu jitsu now. While Kemoy seems like he loves to tear off folks’ arms and take them home (kimuras everywhere), I think he might find a way to a kill with his bullying pressure.

UPDATE: DRAW-NO POINTS AWARDED. I’VE MADE IT KNOWN I’M A BIG KEMOY FAN. I REALLY LIKED HIS SHOWING IN THE 10^TH PLANET TEAM DUEL. BUT, HE HAS A NUMBER OF MATCHES OUT THERE WHERE HE WENT TO THE DRAW AND WON THE DECISION. IN HIS POST-MATCH INTERVIEW, KEMOY SAID EVEN WHEN HE GETS DRAWS, HE STILL DOES A GREAT JOB OF PASSING, ETC.  THE QUESTION GOING FORWARD IS WHETHER KEMOY’S EXPERIENCE IN RULE SETS WHERE YOU CAN WIN A JUDGE’S DECISION HAS LULLED HIM INTO THE COMFORT OF SHOWING THE BETTER JIU JITSU BUT NOT SECURING THE SUBMISSION.  REGINA IS SHOWING HIS LENGTH AND GUARD WILL MAKE IT HARD TO SUBMIT HIM. REGINA HAD A MMA FIGHT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER FILIMING FOR THE PGF SO YOU KNOW HE HAS PLENTY OF CARDIO GOING INTO THE PGF. IT WAS A GREAT MATCH.

3. Matt “the Mane/Fade” Elkins vs Randy “Blue Blood” Roden – Roden wrestled for Duke (D1/AAC). He’s obviously a smart guy, getting into Duke and being a NHS scholar in high school (as well as being undefeated his junior and senior years in high school). The Mane (dammit, why did you get a haircut?) has the better jiu jitsu as a brown belt and has great wrestling of his own (co-owner of Ironclad Wrestling and wrestled in college as well). Elkins should know how to get the kill; he rattled off 11+ in a row after a rough first week in PGF season 1. Still, Roden is game. Everyone associated with the PGF says to watch out for him. He’s a D1 wrestler and works as a wrestling coach at a BJJ school. I have to think Roden might just pull off the upset (no, not winning), he may force Elkins to not get any points. I have concerns here and my concerns make the premium $20 price for Elkins a questionable investment. I’m all about Elkins, but I’ll admit I’m hesitating until I see Roden’s game (and it’s a salary cap issue).

UPDATE: DRAW – NO POINTS AWARDED. HERE WAS OUR AMUSE-BOUCHE FOR THE UPCOMING WRESTLING EXTRAVAGANZA WE WILL WITNESS WHEN JAKE ELKINS AND RANDY RODEN FACE OFF. THE WRESTLING WAS GREAT TO SEE AND MATT ELKINS DID GET TO APPRECIATE RODEN’S “MAJESTIC AFRO” AS RODEN EXECUTED A DOUBLE-OVERHOOK SUPLEX. EVERYONE INTERVIEWED HAS BEEN SINGING RODEN’S PRAISES – AND I HAD A FEELING HIS ATHLETICISM COULD SAVE HIM FROM SUBMISSIONS. WE’VE SEEN THE WAY TO WIN AGAINST RODEN IS THE LEG GAME, BUT HE’S SMART SO WHO KNOWS HOW LONG IT WILL WORK. ELKINS TWEAKED HIS KNEE AND WALKED OFF A LITTLE GINGERLY WHICH WORRIES ME.

4. Evan “8 mile” Stapler vs Hunter Colvin – Colvin is better known for his leg locks than chokes. Still, we have the most pedigreed PGF competitor, a black belt, against a blue belt. C’mon. Again, we have a designed dunk to open the competition. Stapler allegedly has killer cardio, so he may be able to make Colvin work for it, but the Colvin’s getting the kill. This prediction doesn’t keep me from listening to Stapler’s music video daily (ok, maybe multiple times a day – seriously, it’s a masterpiece).

UPDATE: COLVIN GETS 6 POINTS FOR THE KILL. EVAN TRIED AN IMANARI ROLL, BUT COLVIN STUFFED IT. COLVIN GOT A KIMURA TRAP AND USED IT TO GET EVAN’S BACK. BUT GIVE IT TO 8-MILE, HE GOT A SMALL VICTORY IN HOLDING OUT TO MAKE SURE COLVIN DIDN’T GET THE BONUS POINT FOR FINISHING HIM IN THE FIRST MINUTE. I HOPE EVAN TOOK THIS MATCH AS A WAKE-UP CALL LIKE KEVIN PRIMEAU DID AGAINST ELIJAH CARLTON – ACCORDING TO THE COMMENTARY SKAFF THINGS EVAN NEEDS TO BE ON TOP.  IF EVAN’S GREATEST ASSET IS HIS CARDIO, HE NEEDS TO PUSH THE ACTION ON THE FEET AND TIRE OUT OPPONENTS.

5. Jake Elkins vs Justin “Judo” Williams – I’m a big fan of judokahs. One of my main training partners when I first started bjj was a brown belt in judo – a great guy (cheers to you Armbar/Otter!).  Judokahs do practice ground fighting or Newaza as they call it; they’re normally great at arm bars (think Ronda Rousey). Still, Jake is a beast. He’s a high-caliber wrestler and purple belt under BMAC (which says a lot because 10th Planet Decatur is self-admittedly stingy with the promotions).  Jake took down a Gracie black belt in the semifinals of the inaugural 225 lb bracket. I think Jake’s taking down this judokah with a kill.

UPDATE: JAKE ELKINS GETS 6 POINTS FOR THE KILL. JAKE TAKES DOWN WILLIAMS REALLY QUICKLY, THEN GETS TO MOUNT AFTER WILLIAMS GIVES UP ON HIS LOCKDOWN. AFTER WEATHERING THE MOUNT STORM A WHILE, WILLIAMS IS ABLE TO ESCAPE A MOUNTED TRIANGLE ATTEMPT BY JAKE. JAKE ROLLS RIGHT INTO A DARCE, FINISHING WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS SAID HE WAS HESITANT ON THE FEET DUE TO A KNEE INJURY, AND HE DIDN’T WANT TO RISK TWEAKING IT WITH AN EXPLOSIVE JUDO MOVEMENT. AS A GUY WHO HAS HAD FOUR KNEE SURGERIES, I WILL NEVER BEGRUDGE A GUY BABYING HIS KNEES, BUT WILLIAMS IS IN FOR A LONG SEASON IF HE’S LIMITING THE ONE AREA WHERE HE MAY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE (REGARDLESS, I WOULDN’T BE ANY MONEY ON JUDO JAKE HAVE ANY LUCK AGAINST MATT ELKINS OR RANDY RODEN – THEY’RE WRESTLING IS TOO GOOD).

6. Mega Mike Johnson vs Samuel “the Good Guy” Barbosa – Mega Mike Johnson is a social media black hole.  He’s got that stuff on lockdown.  He doesn’t have any searchable matches.  All I know is he’s a purple belt from SBG in Birmingham and is very strong.  From the promo videos, you can see him and he is built like Kirby Puckett (old school Minnesota Twins baseball player – or as my dad would say “like a spark plug”); basically ole boy has no neck and is thicc as the kiddos would say.  While Mega is strong, Sam is renowned as ridiculously strong.  During an interview of Barbosa in which I participated, I had issues resolving the Nice Guy he clearly is with the BEAST he turns into when competing. Sam suggests he may have some demons in there – well, those demons are going to propel him to a kill here.  Sam might need a little time, but I’m thinking the promoters scheduled another dunk to kick things off.

UPDATE: THE GOOD GUY SECURES THE KILL FOR 6 POINTS. “MEGA” MIKE “SANDBAGGER” JOHNSON, WHOSE ONLY SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPPLING RELATED MEDIA WAS POSTED AFTER I SENT OUT MY LAST PREDICTIONS (IBJJF ATLANTA 2019 PURPLE BELT DOUBLE GOLD PIC), GAVE SAM A GREAT MATCH. AFTER WRESTLING WASN’T GOING ANYWHERE, SAM SAT AND MEGA MIKE WAS GIVING SAM SOME SERIOUS PRESSURE. SAM WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE, EVENTUALLY TAKING MIKE’S BACK AND GETTING THE RNC. MEGA MIKE DID SHOW US WHAT HE WAS ABOUT IN THIS MATCH. AS CAN BE SEEN THIS WEEK, MEGA MIKE MAY BE ONE OF THOSE HIDDEN GEM GUYS WHO CAN HELP US BREAK AWAY FROM THE PACK.

7. Joshua Gibbs vs Kevin “Liquid Terminator” Primeau – I used to call Primeau the Pete Rose of the PGF because for a while in season one he was leading the fantasy standings. Of course, it was all live so it was fair-ish. Now, he can’t participate since he knows many of the outcomes of matches.  And, to be fair, allegedly he’s the “liquid terminator” because he sweats a lot – as another aside that’s kind of the way many aviator callsigns are made (even the cool ones are actually a dig at the pilot – I knew a pilot with the callsign “Virus” which sounds pretty b.a. but then he told me it was because he was sick a lot as a young pilot).  Okay, enough preamble, Primeau is a pressure/Sao Paolo passing monster.  Gibbs is a purple belt, but with a solidly traditional, mostly gi bjj background.  I can only find two Gibbs competition videos, both no gi, but neither seem to suggest he can stand up to Primeau.  Seriously, Primeau went for 1:10 (that’s one hour, 10 minutes plus) in the PGF season 1 final playoffs/tournament. Primeau knows the scoring/the game; he gets the kill and is a bargain.

UPDATE: DRAW- ZERO POINTS AWARDED. COVID IS A HELL OF A VIRUS. PRIMEAU DIDN’T ADDRESS IT DIRECTLY IN THE POST-MATCH INTERVIEW, BUT HE ALLUDED TO HIS LACK OF ENDURANCE IN THE MATCH.  HE SAID AROUND THE 2 MINUTE MARK, HE DIDN’T HAVE THE OLD LIQUID TERMINATOR STRENGTH. COMING IN AT 210, PRIMEAU WAS A GOOD SIZE FOR THIS COMPETITION, BUT WITHOUT HIS GRINDY ENDURANCE, IT COULD BE A ROUGH SEASON. GIBBS WEATHERED THE STORM AND SHOWED SOME REAL GRIT BY NOT TAPPING TO THAT HEAD AND ARM CHOKE PRIMEAU ALMOST FINISHED AT THE END OF THE MATCH.

8. Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards vs Stephen “the Spoiler/the Dream” Eakin – Very interesting. Eakin said words to the effect at the beginning before the match both of them agreed to not hurt each other.  That acknowledgement shows respect for the capabilities of each other.  Edwards is a self-admitted leg-locker.  He sells out for leg locks. Edwards received his brown belt in 3 years (RIDICULOUS) from 10th Planet Bethlehem – the folks who brought us Jon “Thor” Blank and Grace Gundrum (two HUGE name in bjj).  10th Planet Bethlehem folks know their leg locks. On the other hand, Eakin is one of two black belts in this competition (seriously, when is someone going to give Elijah his black belt?). Eakin received his black belt from 10th Planet San Diego (the Freaks) head Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez.  The FREAKS are known for their ridiculous leg lockers as well. I have to think Eakin will be able to defense Edwards’ leg locks. Does Eakin get the kill? I think it’s very possible. Eakin in his podcasts and on his Facebooks seems very happy/proud with how PGF season 2 finished.  Still, this match has too many variables involved for me to make a bet on either of these guys (especially in this matchup) just yet.

UPDATE: DRAW – NO POINTS AWARDED. PROBABLY THE MATCH OF THE NIGHT. THE TWO ARE FRIENDS AND BOTH VERY GAME COMPETITORS. ZACK SITS GUARD. STEPHEN GETS THE BULLY PASS. JOE KAI WAS IMPRESSED WITH STEPHEN’S PACE, SAYING HE WAS DEFINITELY “NOT LETHARGIC.” [NOTE: KAI DIDN’T SAY THAT, BUT STEPHEN HAS FIXATED ON MY USE OF THAT WORD. IT MAY BE POSTED ON A BOARD SOMEWHERE GIVING HIM MOTIVATION, OR WRITTEN NEXT TO MY NAME ON THE WALL IN LIPSTICK (BILLY MADISON STYLE) WITH STEPHEN JUST WAITING TO DESTROY ME ON THE MATS] BACK TO THE MATCH, STEPHEN PUT ON A CLINIC OF GUARD PASSING AND HOW NOT TO FALL PREY TO LEGLOCKS. ZACK EVEN SAID HE WAS GOING TO SHOW THE TAPE TO FOLKS TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT KEEPING YOUR WEIGHT DOWN IS FOR NOT GETTING LEGLOCKED (LINK TO DREAM SHOW LIVE UNAVAILABLE, IT WAS MOVED TO PRIVATE).  STEPHEN ALMOST GOT ZACK WITH A KIMURA/STRAIGHT ARM BAR NEAR THE END. ZACK SAID HIS ARMS ARE USUALLY LONG ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE AN ISSUE BUT STEPHEN GOT HIS WEIGH OVER THE ARM ENOUGH THAT IT GOT TWEAKED. BOTH COMPETITORS ARE AWESOME, I STAND BY MY CALL NOT TO BET ON EITHER, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE STEPHEN IS GETTING READY FOR A RUN…RIGHT AFTER HE GETS DONE FACING BARBOSA NEXT.

OVERALL UPDATE: BLUE TEAM GOT THE TEAM WIN FOR BLOCK 12, NETTING EVERYONE ON THEIR TEAM A POINT. THIS TEAM WIN, GOT ME EXTRA POINTS FOR BARBOSA, COLVIN, KEMOY, AND KEVIN PRIMEAU.  TEAM POINTS REALLY SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED WHEN IT COMES TO A TOSS UP FOR A MATCH/WHO TO PUT ON THE ROSTER. I’LL TRY TO TRACK IN MY PREDICTIONS, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE TOO SIGNIFICANT. LOOKING AT THE POINT TOTALS, WE ALSO SEE THAT SAM BARBOSA, EVAN STAPLER, JUSTIN WILLIAMS, AND GRAYSON WEBSTER WERE THE ONLY PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMBINE, NETTING THEM EACH TWO EXTRA POINTS (ALMOST A BREAK). OF NOTE IN THE COMBINE, GRAYSON WEBSTER CAME IN AT 222, THE HEAVIEST, BUT HE PUT UP SOME NICE NUMBERS, SHOWING HE’S GOT SOME ATHLETICISM WE MAY NEED TO CONSIDER FOR LATER MATCHES.

Guys, I started researching the competitors for this PGF season as soon as it was announced. Once I started trying to put together a summary and realized the initial list put out was just tentative, I stopped for a while. When I found out the final list, I restarted with the hope of educating myself on these guys so I would have some background for my fantasy picks. I figured the best spots to look for competitors’ footage would be UFC Fight Pass (SUG, etc.), Flograppling, and Youtube. Of course, I also stalked them on Instagram and Facebook as well as the ole Google, etc. I’ve done my fair share of investigations in the past (all official) so I am usually pretty good at digging up stuff on people. That said, there’s too much to put everything here on these guys. BMAC really stepped up the competition this year. So, I’m just going to do a data dump for anyone interested. Yeah, it’s rough. If you don’t like something, I can change it, but here’s some research that could help you get a leg up on others:

1. Justin “Judo” Williams – Judo Black Belt

• Judo instructor for Webster Martial Arts out of Grayson, AL (small town between Decatur and Huntsville)
• Webster Martial Arts website says: Has 11 years of martial arts experience, with a black belt in Judo, Yudo, Jiujitsu, and a third degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. “The program is offered to ages 13+, our Judo program is a traditional training experience with a focus on technique, history, and core principles.”

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube – None

2. Grayson Webster – @thesouthernsamurai, Tang Soo Do Black Belt, received his blue belt January 28th from Daniel O’Bryan of Triad Martial Arts Academy out of Cullman, AL. Looks to be training in the gi. Self-defense-based jiu jitsu.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube – None

3. Stephen “the Spoiler” Eakin – 10th Planet Black Belt under Boogeyman Richie Martinez; former MMA fighter (8-6). He’s now head of 10th Planet Perry (Georgia).  Eakin is the promoter/organizer of the Mid South Classic submission grappling tournaments. He’s putting on a Dream NOGI camp in Costa, Rica this October.  Eakin lost 55 pounds in four months to be able to compete in this season.  Eakin really wanted to be in this tournament.  That desire and dedication along with the increase of physical attributes from a weight loss as he had could give him the ability to spoil this season for others.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling –

• Chad Fields vs Stephen Eakin Fight To Win 150 – Aug 2020 – loss via decision. Was taken down and ended up on bottom most of the time. Probably the match that made me mention the word “lethargic,” but this was 55lbs before PGF Season 2.  Losing that much weight makes you much more athletic.
• Flograppling roll-up for Eakin matches

Youtube –

• Stephen Eakin vs Juber Andino – No-Gi Jiu Jitsu – High Rollerz 2 Men’s Expert Quarter-Finals – got the kimura
• Stephen Eakin vs Mike Ball – No-Gi Jiu Jitsu – High Rollerz 2 Men’s Expert Division – head and arm tringle
• SEMI-FINAL: Kevin Crane vs Stephen Eakin – No-Gi Jiu Jitsu – High Rollerz 2 Men’s Expert Div. – loss by ride time in EBI overtime.

4. Kevin Primeau – 10p Decatur Purple Belt; Former MMA figher; Season 1 quarterfinalist; Liquid Terminator, Pete Rose of the PGF (but can’t bet on himself). Bet against this man at your own peril. The McDojo show guys didn’t show him the love and they fell behind. Egghead and McWhorter kept the faith and they skyrocketed to the top. As Matt Skaff mentioned on his podcast and during the PGF season 1 commentary, Primeau changed his whole mentality/game after he lost to Elijah Carlton.  Primeau sat guard against Carlton and got picked apart.  Afterwards, Primeau worked on his wrestling an grind and just beat up his opponents.  Primeau is a workhorse.  Opponents will have to really up their game to win against him.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube –

• Liquid Terminator promo on Brandon Mccaghren’s YouTube page
• Kevin Primeau’s YouTube with many matches
• Also see other Primeau matches on PGF Season 1 playlist
• PGF Season 1 Playoffs – If you have a question about this man, you can watch a 1 hour 10 minute war between him and Joe Kai. No resting, only competing. Primeau is a beast.

5. Jake Elkins – Collegiate Wrestler; 10p Decatur Purple Belt; Founding Member of Voltron; Season 1 Cruiserweight Tournament Finalist; Ironclad Wrestling Proprietor. Alabama State Champion at 189 lb in 2007 (and tournament most valuable wrestler). Wrestled at Newberry College (D2).  He went up to heavyweight (285) in college.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube –

• PGF Season 1 Playoffs – 4-man tourney to crown champ going into season 2 – first match at 3:08:30; 3:27:10 (Jake Elkins v Sam Barbosa)
• Ironclad Wrestling videos – he’s the head owner/instructor. It’ll give you some insight into him.
• Multiple Wrestling USA videos, but all were from 9 years ago and were him wrestling in 285 lb division.

6. Matt “the Mane” Elkins – BJJ Brown Belt; former Collegiate Wrestler; former Pro MMA; Season 1 Quarterfinalist; Founding Member of Voltron.  He’s cut off the locks (now, “the Fade”?).  Does he lose his strength like Samson? But seriously, Matt was a force in season 1. He’s a legit brown belt with very solid wrestling. He’ll be a handful for everyone and could be a force if he doesn’t get too excited like he did in the PGF playoff tournament.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – Oscar Gugala vs Matt Elkins IBJJF 2017 World Championships – Not sure how useful for background as he was a purple belt and wearing a gi.

Youtube –

• PGF Countdown (to PGF Season 1 playoffs) –
• The WRESTLING of MATT ELKINS – PGF –
• PGF Season1, Week 2 –  1:26:49 – “someone” nicknamed Matt Elkins “the Mane” but then Matt shaved his locks for this upcoming season.  I thought it was a pretty good nickname.
• Matt Elkins – PGF Insider (Athlete Profile) – some good background for you.
• You can find his MMA matches but they’re limited in value for the PGF.

7. Elijah “the Bad Guy” Carlton – Brown Belt; Undefeated Season 1 Champion; The Bad Guy; trained in PR with the DDS. Since most press has been on him, you likely know about him. He’s legit A.F. Even as a smaller guy for the division, many who know their stuff are picking him to win.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling –

• Riley Wiseman vs Elijah Carlton SUG5 –
• Elijah Carlton vs Eddie Jamrog Submission Underground 4 –

Youtube

• Ethan Crelinsten vs Elijah Carlton At Freedom Grappling Invitational – very similar leg lock games. Crelinsten came out on top. Led to Elijah going to PR to train with the DDS.
• Elijah Carlton v Nilo Bergener – PGF Season 1
• Elijah Carlton VS Drake Renfrow- Battle Mountain 10 – RNC
• Plenty more if you go to YouTube

8. Sam “the Good Guy” Barbosa – 10p Jacksonville (under Bryan Brown); Reigning Cruiserweight Champion; USA wrestling – had scholarship for wrestling, then played football, but came back to wrestling afterwards. Brown belt. Weighed in at 192 with clothes on  “Bamual Sarbosa” nickname? Wants to open an orphanage – seriously, listen to the McDojo Show interview podcast (or on YouTube) of Sam. If you don’t cheer for Sam, you don’t have a soul.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube

• PGF Season 1 Playoffs – 4-man tourney to crown champ going into season 2 – first match at 3:11:06; 3:27:10 (Jake Elkins v Sam Barbosa)
• Sapateiro Invitational 23: Baize vs O’Neil – 1:46:43 – dang the commentary on this match is golden. I’m dying laughing listening to it. Outside heel hook win (exchange started with him being mounted by opponent). Wow. Earlier in the match, he played possum and just gave up his arm for the arm bar. He’s a beast!
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31o8QCOtbeo MMA fight, got title
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVkOuCxPQSI 185lb MMA fight
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccl1e0EqoDw Barbosa v Zack Edwards (see below)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LljuNHcy4fs Barbosa v Hannah
• 10th Planet Jacksonville In House Quintet – May 2021 – won via armbar.

9. Evan Stapler – 10th Planet Decatur Blue Belt; NAGA belt holder; Noted Rapper/Music Video Superstar. Formerly 300 lbs then went running out of the house like David Goggins and worked it all off. Reported killer cardio. Great interview on the Grappling Discourse Podcast with Matt Skaff.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube – Soon to be worldwide jiu jitsu music video sensation: A Lot Remix-BIG-E

10. James Regina; @james10pkc; MMA record 8-3; fitness trainer; like Stapler was formerly a larger man (lost 160 lb and 37% body fat). 29yo; 6’5”; has cut to 185 before; out of Lone Wolf MMA (10th Planet Kansas City). Purple belt. Good leg locker. Leg locks seem to be his bread and butter – but can he get the kills for the points???

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling –

• Cody Dixon vs James Regina 2020 WNO: Garry Tonon vs Dante Leon -10P KC v Atos product on FTW148 (might be mislabeled – announcers said F2W as well)
  • Butt scoot immediately, allowed a quick pass, then got mounted, recovered half guard, went for the knee bar setup, Dixon escaped to standing, got guard, pop triangle but didn’t work, goes under, tries for knee bar en route to heel hook but Cody sees it coming. Keeps going for the heel hook and knee bar action. Won by decision due to constant leg attacks.

YouTube –

• MMA – Feb 11, 2021 – FAC 5 James Regina vs Nick Meck – Was this the same day they wrapped PGF Season 2?
  • Regina was at 190 for the fight
  • Went the full three rounds so still good cardio. Subject to getting double-legged, but he’s also focusing on not getting punched as well.
• MMA – Nov 2020 – FAC 4 James Regina vs Calonese Tolbert
  • Went for gogoplata when taken down (maybe some rubber guard play?)
  • 15 minute fight, got the decision, plenty of cardio
• He has a number of other MMA fights, but they were from a few years ago when he was a heavyweight and don’t seem helpful for analysis.

11. Joshua Gibbs – @gibbythegrappler. Formerly Checkmat Virginia aka Freedom Jiu Jitsu BJJ Purple Belt. Earned his purple belt as of 4 August 2020; Traditional BJJ school system under Master Leo Vieira, 2xworld champ and 2x ADCC champ. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA); out of Lynchburg, VA. In the 190 range NOMAD BJJ IBJJF registered academy affiliated under Rubao Carioca. School only has No Gi on Friday nights. “Coach Josh Gibbs is an avid competitor and purple belt under Professor Brian.  He has a Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Nutrition from Liberty, and he is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Trainer.  He initially started training jiu-jitsu to learn self-defense as according to him, “it’s proven to be the most effective martial art”.   He now has a deep passion for the sport.  He has earned several Gold medals in US Grappling, Grappling Industries and Naga tournaments in both Gi and No Gi divisions. 

Whether you are looking to get newly started in BJJ, improve your game with clear and precise instruction or simply want to get in the best shape of your life, Josh is the instructor for you.”

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube

• ENDO Athletics Jiu-Jitsu PRO 1: Kalen Woodard vs Josh Gibbs – Defended most of the time. Looks like he can defend footlocks well. He lost via RNC in EBI overtime.
• Endo Athletics Jiu-Jitsu PRO 1: Dylan Smith vs Josh Gibbs – Won via ride time in EBI OT.

12. “Mega” Mike Johnson – bjj purple belt out of SBG Birmingham.  OKAY, you got me stumped; that’s all I got. He has one of the most common first names in the US along with one of the most common last names in the US. He isn’t an instructor or known competitor (at least online).  We’ll just have to wait in suspense as we find more out about “Mega” Mike Johnson (the nickname “Mega” is all I was able to squeeze out of BMAC).

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling – None

Youtube – None

13. Zack “Squidbilly” Edwards – 10th Planet Austin brown belt and coach; formerly of 10th Planet Bethlehem; @backcountryleglocks_bjj; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9dp9brFVVk ; leg lock specialist, but can transition to other submissions while hunting the legs (as seen in arm bar victory at Fight2Win). Onnit Invitational veteran (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoNnY_J6ygc); Diesel Technician at Performance Truck – Buda; Jiu-Jitsu Instructor at UFC GYM; Assistant Instructor at 10th Planet Austin; Studied Diesel Technology at Universal Technical Institute Extone, PA; Third Coast Grappling 5 win over Josh Richards (heel hook); loss at Subversiv 4 to Hugo Marques (judges decision). Win at Fight2Win over L. Ferreira Junior. Lives in Austin, Texas. From Allentown, Pennsylvania. Earned his brown belt in three years! Gave Sam Barbosa some trouble at Mid South Classic Final on 5 December 2020, Barbosa only won in EBI overtime. Trains with Tackett brothers now.

UFC Fight Pass – None

Flograppling –

• Matheus Anderson vs Zach Edwards RISE Submission Invitational 5 – nn
• J Richards vs Zack Edwards 3CG 5 – win via heelhook Dec 2020
• Zack Edwards vs Hugo Marques Subversiv 4 – loss via split decision
• Zack Edwards vs Leonardo Ferreira Junior Fight to Win 146 – Jul 2020 – win via Armbar Triangle

Youtube

• Sam Barbosa vs Zack Edwards Mid South Classic FINAL – Edwards v Barbosa. Barbosa won via RNC in EBI overtime.
• KOTM 7 Michael Arrieta VS Zack Edwards – won via 50/50 heel hook?
• More if you look, but too many to view.

14. Hunter Colvin – @colvin335; Husband/ BJJ Black Belt out of Triton Fight Center in Broken Arrow (Tulsa) Oklahoma is also an instructor at Brothers Jiu Jitsu in Broken Arrow. Pro MMA Fighter (2-0) at 170lb. He’s sponsored by Secret Jiu Jitsu Club and represented by Dodge Sports. He has wins over Elijah Carlton and Kyle Boehm in the past. Recently at CJJ World in Dec 2020, he took on Tye Ruotolo, one of the Ruotolo brothers and an Atos team member. Colvin took it the distance, only losing by ride time in EBI overtime to Tye Ruotolo. Submission Underground, Fight2Win, and Combat Jiu Jitsu veteran. Recent American Grappling Federation champ. Competed in a super fight on SUBVERSIV 3. In his professional MMA debut against Spencer Glenn on Xtreme Fight Night, Colvin wasted little time taking down his opponent.  He pulled a little Khabib-style opposite wrist pin to allow him to start striking undefended, then got his hooks in and won by TKO due to punches.

He has too many matches to watch. He’s the real deal. He’s been up against the best. He’s going to be hard to beat.

UFC Fight Pass

• SUG 20 – Gabriel Gonzaga v Hunter Colvin – Gonzaga (290 lb) wins by arm bar submission in EBI overtime rules against Hunter Colvin (210). Colvin threatened with heelhooks throughout.
• CCJ Fight Night – Kyle Boehm vs Hunter Colvin – Colvin defeats Boehm via triangle arm bar.
• CJJ Worlds 3 – the Welterweights – Hunter Colvin v Nathan Orchard – Orchard wins in EBI overtime with RNC in 12 seconds.
• CJJ Words Female Flyweights (Super fight) – Tye Ruotolo v Hunter Colvin – Colvin lost by ride time in EBI overtime

Flograppling

• SUBVERSIV 3 – Giancarlo Silvio Bodoni (Alliance Black) vs Hunter Colvin (Triton Fight Center) – Gi match loss via ref decision
• WNO: Ryan v Boehm – Hunter Colvin vs Andre Gomes Reis – win by decision. Started butt scooting. Went after legs, but showed athleticism.

Youtube

• SUG 16 – Hunter Colvin vs Andy Varela – win via darce off front headlock.

15. Kemoy “RatedR/the Bully” Anderson – @ratedr10p; professional athlete, Originally from New York City, Anderson is a 10th Planet Brown Belt out of 10th Planet El Paso where he teaches a competition class. He is a veteran of multiple F2W competitions. A 10th Planet Team duels veteran, we saw him get wins via kimura, kimura (as a counter to a single leg), another kimura (from reverse triangle position)—there’s a fair chance he tries to rip someone’s arm off.  Anderson is very aggressive, explosive grappler. One commentator described Anderson’s heavy pressure, aggressive style as a “bullying” style. Maybe Anderson will prove to be the bully of PGF Season 2.

UFC Fight Pass – 10th Planet Team Duel – Kemoy’s matches start at 01:01:13 – 01:02:07 (first kimura), 1:10:30 (second kimura, this time off the reverse triangle), showed strong submission defense in third match before him and his opponent both being eliminated (Quintet rules).

Flograppling (all of these have been in the last year – WOW!)     

• Kemoy Anderson vs Bradley Schneider Fight To Win 164 – Loss, but not exciting.
• Kemoy Anderson vs David Altgelt Fight to Win 152 – Most of the match in opponent’s guard. But, got that kimura finish with 1:26 left in the match. He could default to that break if matches get close.
• Kemoy Anderson vs Lewi Gault Fight To Win 150 – Scarf hold arm lock! What?
• Kemoy Anderson vs Bronson Hansen Fight To Win 148 – Sweet single leg with a little sweep action to the finish. Even when Bronson thought he had something, Kemoy was a step ahead. Kemoy didn’t get the finish (so maybe we should be a little concerned) but he definitely showed some stuff here.
• Kemoy Anderson vs Alex Asad Fight to Win 146 – A nice single leg takedown. Backstep guard pass. Let himself get reversed (c’mon). Very nice butterfly. Likes the rolling kimura, the flying triangle attempt, he’s athletic and aggressive. Nice double leg.
• Jorge Valladares vs Kemoy Anderson Fight to Win 144 – Long fight, JV finally got the leg lock.

YouTube

• Kyle Chambers vs Kemoy Anderson at Bullpen Submission Series Jiu Jitsu – Chambers is awesome. That’s why he has been in Quintets. Kemoy is great for bringing folks into his playground, but in this match Chambers took Kemoy into his home advantage area (leg entanglements) and got the tap. Freaks gonna freak.
• Marco De Souza vs Kemoy Anderson Bullpen Submission Series Duels Qualifiers – win in EBI overtime via submission
• Kemoy Anderson from wanting to get in shape to becoming a pro fighter – Nice background piece on Kemoy.
• Submission Hunter Pro 58 Kemoy Anderson vs Musab Raza – big belief in his butterfly guard allows him to take flying triangle attempts. Seems to do a bit of a back-step/twister pass/side control. MULTIPLE flying triangle attempts – he really believes in it.

16. Randy Roden – Out of Scramble American Jiu Jitsu (Scramble BJJ & Wrestling) in Rome, Georgia. He is a Rome High School 4A State Champion 2009-10 & 2010-11 Seasons (Back-to-Back Undefeated Seasons), Virginia Beach Senior Nationals All-American (4th Place), and Division 1 Wrestler for Duke University 2011-2016.  Roden has a great little instructional on the ankle pick on Duke’s facebook page. In high school, he was 44-0 as a junior and senior and was a member of the national honor society. Duke’s a pretty highfalutin school. If I’m not careful he may try to steal my moniker as the egghead warrior (j/k I have five degrees, was a member of NHS, and a member of a handful of honor societies in college – take that blue blood!). Blue Belt.

UFC Fight Pass – none

Flograppling – none

Youtube –

• USA Wrestling – 2017 – #1 – Randy Roden (Blue Blood WC) vs. Cameron Caldarelli (Buffalo RTC) – Hit a double leg. Shows good takedown defense. Looks like fell prey to a lateral drop and a resultant pin.
• USA Wrestling – 2017 – Rowdy Miller (U.S. WC) vs. Randy Roden (Blue Blood WC) –  He likes the heel pick (also has a video explanation on Duke’s wrestling FaceBook page) as he hit two of them.
• USA Wrestling – 2017 – Randy Roden (Blue Blood WC) vs. Kaleb Young (University of Iowa) – Iowans are tough wrestlers.