The Pro Grappling Federation is a league that is trying to do something no one else is doing, with teams, playoffs, fantasy leagues, and more. After a record breaking eighth season, they are back at it again this Wednesday February 4th with their draft - live and free on YouTube.

We talked to the PGF head commissioner Brandon McCaghren ahead of this crucial draft to catch up about what fans should be expecting as things heat up for season nine.

Catch all of season nine here, live and free, on the PGF YouTube channel.

Q: Welcome back, Brandon. PGF is coming back soon, before we talk about next season though - how would you rate the most recent season that saw Jett Thompson become champion?

A: I think last season was really a turning point for us. We expanded into that weekly model and it allowed us to open up the storylines in a big way. And Jett was actually a perfect example of that. Comes in as the #1 draft pick, highest paid athlete on the roster last season, and honestly got off to a slow start. But that’s one of the coolest things about a season — the cream always rises to the top, and Jett battled through a jagged start and ended up taking the title. It’s crazy to me that he is still so young, and already a champion in the toughest format in our sport. I can’t even imagine what he’s gonna be able to do in his career. Could legit end up going down as one of the heroes of the sport before it’s all said and done. And with him coming back to the Vegas Kings this season, you gotta think it puts them right at the top of the contention for team champs this season.

Q: PGF is a league that’s always evolving. What’s new for you guys behind the scenes this season?

A: The biggest thing that’s new for this season is that all four of these teams are owned now, not just held up by a sponsor. There is real skin in the game and the results actually matter and the stakes are real. In a lot of ways, I feel like this will be the very first season where we have actually had an opportunity to execute on our vision of what could be possible for jiu-jitsu. With all of the teams staking claim to actual cities, there’s just automatically a built-in sense of team pride. And the Kings are really looking to establish themselves as the first dynasty in PGF history. They won the Season 7 team title. They won the Season 8 individual title with Jett, and if they can strike gold again this season, it’ll basically be a three-peat. The teams offer real, not manufactured, drama and story. All of the things that people love about “real” sports, but for the first time with jiu-jitsu. It’s an exciting time.

Q: There’s been some early PGF action going on with these qualifier events. Tell me about these events and how useful they have been for you guys to bring in unknown talents.

A: The qualifiers have been huge for us. We ran events all over the country — Dallas, Pasadena, Gatlinburg, Vegas, Philly — and what it does is open the door for guys who might not have the name yet but have the game. We’ve had 169 qualifier matches this season already, and six athletes punched their ticket to the big show.

A guy like Travis Haven — five fights, five finishes, all submissions. Mikey Lock, armlock, heel hook, Woj Lock, ankle lock. He’s finishing everybody with something different. Then you’ve got Austin Oranday, who people might recognize from the UFC’s BJJ reality show — he’s a known commodity and he came in and handled business. And on the flip side, you’ve got Jayden Groner. Nineteen years old, wiped out the Philly qualifier in dominant fashion — five fights, five finishes. Kosovo Cradle, heel hook, Woj Lock, ankle lock, arm triangle. This kid is 19 and submitting grown men with everything in the book. These are the kinds of stories that only happen because the qualifiers exist. PGF gives them a stage. By the time the season’s over, you’ll know their names.

And I gotta talk about the pace, because PGF is the fastest event in jiu-jitsu — we’ve proven that time and time again — but the qualifiers really took it to another level this season. 82% submission rate. Out of 169 matches, 139 ended in submission. Only 12% even went to a decision. And of those 139 subs, 42% of them came in under 60 seconds. That’s 58 matches that didn’t even last a minute. You’re not gonna find numbers like that anywhere else in the sport. The intensity is just on a completely different level.

Q: Every season there’s going to be some breakout athletes no one saw coming, but who are some of the people you have your eye on pre-season? Who are some early favorites to at least make the playoffs?

A: I mean, you can’t talk about this season without mentioning Derek Rayfield. He made the playoff finals last season and the Phenoms locked him down. At 175, he’s going to be dangerous. Jett Thompson’s coming back as the defending champ with the Kings, so you know he’s got a target on his back. On the qualifier side, I’m watching Travis Haven and Austin Oranday closely. Undefeated, all finishes — that’s hard to argue with. And the draft pool has some real sleepers. Brett Moyer’s been putting in work, Jake Straus is a problem, Eric Allen can surprise people. That’s what makes the draft so exciting — which team is going to find the diamond in the rough? But honestly, if I could predict it, it wouldn’t be as fun. Every single season, somebody comes out of nowhere and shocks everybody. That’s the beauty of PGF.

Q: Team-based BJJ keeps growing. How do you think the team aspect changes the way these athletes think about their matches?

A: It changes everything. In an individual tournament, you’re out there for yourself. In PGF, your match matters to your teammates, your coach, your franchise. When you’re down on points and you hear your team behind you, that changes how you fight. You dig deeper because it’s not just your name on the line.

And the thing that separates PGF from anything else out there is that these are real teams. The results really matter to these owners. Every other event that does teams, they just throw it together and then the team doesn’t exist at all once the event is over. Our teams want to build identity and legacy. It matters to the Twisters if they represent. It matters to the Phenoms if they beat the Kings. That’s real.

And it goes the other way too — the strategy piece. Coaches are studying film, game-planning for specific opponents, figuring out which matchups give their team the best shot at winning that week. That doesn’t exist anywhere else in jiu-jitsu. We’ve basically created a coaching position in a sport that never had one at this level.

The athletes feel it. You see guys celebrating their teammate’s wins like it was their own. That energy, that brotherhood — that’s what sports are supposed to feel like. Jiu-jitsu has always been individual. PGF is showing people there’s another way, and I think it’s better.

Q: That PGF room looks really fun, with people close to the action, coaches going crazy, bags of money getting thrown out. What’s it like there live for people who have never been?

A: It’s unlike anything else in the sport. Our events are invitation-only, so the room is curated. Every person in there either belongs to a franchise, is part of the production, or is a guest we specifically invited. That keeps the energy right. There’s no casual spectators — everybody in that room cares.

You’re sitting right on top of the action. You can hear the grips breaking, coaches screaming instructions, athletes breathing. When somebody hits a submission, the place erupts. And yeah, we throw bags of cash to the athletes after big wins — because we want everyone in that room to feel the stakes. This isn’t a local tournament in a convention center. This is the major league.

We’ve got rockstars in the building. We’ve got Royce Gracie, Roger Gracie, Eddie Bravo. When you walk into a PGF event, you feel like you’re somewhere special. And if you’re not there? You’re missing out.

Q: If someone reading this is interested in becoming more of a part of PGF’s growth, potentially even owning a team, what should they do? 

A: Just reach out to me directly — I would love to have that conversation. We’re expecting to expand by adding four more teams for next season, and we already have 15 other cities that have started the process of organizing their team. But only four of them will get there.

This is ground floor. We’re in Season 9, and the people who get in now are the ones who are going to look back in five years and say they were there when this thing took off. If you love jiu-jitsu, you believe in the sport, and you want to be part of something that’s never been done before — let’s talk.