Professional Grappling Federation is a fledgeling grappling promotion making waves after presenting an entirely unique competition format and are already 2 weeks in to their second season of it. Time and time again, the unusual ruleset has produced fireworks and several highlight-reel finishes. The rules that PGF competitors follow during the match are actually really straightforward as all submissions are legal and there are no point-scoring or decisions in the match, with all of them being 6 minutes in length.
The real unique aspect comes after the match has actually finished however as the grapplers are actually competing in a league format, with 6 points being awarded for a finish by choke, 3 points for a finish by joint-lock, and a single bonus point for a finish under a minute. A match that goes the regulation length of time will then result in neither competitor being awarded any points for their performance. The competitors are also split into a blue and red team, so that another bonus point can be awarded to all members of the winning team each week. At the end of the season, the top 8 ranked grapplers will all enter the play-offs where they will compete in a submission-only, no time-limit knockout tournament with all matches contested on the same day.
For a promotion and format as new as this, you’d expect them to start out slow with colored belts or teenage competitors just starting to cut their teeth on the professional circuit. PGF however have gone all-in and have a number of elite grapplers represented in their league tables, including Submission Underground and Combat Jiu-Jitsu veteran Hunter Colvin. He’s joined by one of 10th Planet’s Amateur MMA fighters Samuel Barbosa, along with ex-professional MMA fighter and Fight 2 Win competitor Stephen Eakin.
The fact that PGF have managed to mix it up and attract a number of experienced grapplers to compete alongside a handful of BJJ blue belts like Grayson Webster and Evan Stapler is part of the intrigue of the promotion. This has the double-effect of producing nice highlights when an experienced grappler can outclass his opponent, alongside some amazing upsets when the underdog can rise up. Brandon McCaghren also streams all of their events live on his official YouTube channel, with week 2 already available for replay below:
Another unique aspect to PGF is something that the promotion has borrowed from much more popular sports; the use of a fantasy league. It’s a fun addition that serves as a nice way to engage fans in watching the promotion’s events, especially seeing as the fantasy league actually offers a cash prize to the eventual winner of $1,000.
For more information and the up-to-date league table for Season 2 of the Professional Grappling Federation, click here.
Or to sign up for the promotion’s fantasy league for your chance at the $1,000 grand prize, click here.
