JitsCast #11 features Brandon McCaghren, the founder of the Professional Grappling Federation. McCaghren has not only built the first major Jiu-Jitsu league, but he’s also constantly looked to refine and improve the format in order to produce the best possible product for fans of the sport. Over the course of 7 seasons at the time of writing, PGF has grown from n interesting experiment with fun grapplers to a powerhouse promotion featuring multiple ADCC veterans. Although the level of technical ability on display has skyrocketed, what has remained the same is the incredible volume of grappling on display condensed into a pretty short timeframe.
McCaghren did share how he actually started on his Jiu-Jitsu journey and what it was like to train under Eddie Bravo from a fair distance away from the 10th Planet headquarters, but most of the interview was focused on the PGF itself. McCaghren shed some light on why he decided to create a Jiu-Jitsu league rather than using a traditional knockout tournament format, and why he’s always had a focus on making changes to improve the promotion. He also reflected on the huge increase to their prize money that happened in 2024 and the exclusive streaming deal with UFC Fight Pass.
McCaghren was particularly excited to talk about the upcoming 8th Season at under 155lbs and the four stacked qualifier tournaments that will take place during the lead-up to it. He was also able to give us an exclusive revelation that reigning under 155lbs champion Reese LaFever was going to be returning to defend his title. Finally, McCaghren took a look toward the future of PGF and discussed how the next two seasons in 2025 are going to unfold. From international qualifiers to a potential PGF veterans season, the future looks very bright for PGF and there’s plenty for fans to look forward to this year.
JitsCast #11 with Brandon McCaghren is now available to watch on the official JitsMagazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
