Fight To WinDec 29, 2016 by Mike Calimbas
Fight To Win Pro, Year One: A Photographic Retrospective by Mike Calimbas
Fight To Win Pro, Year One: A Photographic Retrospective by Mike Calimbas
Each show has had its own character, mirroring the cities they were hosted in. It has been quite the experience. What a ride! Here is a retrospective of my experiences from each show I attended.
It seems like just yesterday when we were getting started with Fight to Win Pro, and here we are nearly a year later having concluded 20 events in 2016 with the promise of much more to come.
There have been plenty of successes and trying points along the way, but as far as our main mission goes, I think we've done pretty well with our goal of spreading and promoting jiu-jitsu across the country from the grassroots level on up.
To backtrack just a bit, I feel like I have to explain how F2WPRO came about in the first place. The owner and leader of F2WPRO, Seth Daniels, has actually been a promoter for some time -- the better part of the last 10 years. He's done everything from tournaments to MMA shows to rock concerts. Disillusioned by the rougher parts of promoting MMA and rock, Seth eventually decided to focus all his energies onto his main passion -- BJJ.
Together with about nine misfits he decided to bring on (me being one of them), #teamnosleep and F2WPRO were born.
Related: Fight To Win 2016 full gallery (136 photos)
For anyone who's been to our event, they should be able to tell you it's not your typical tournament or even superfight event experience.
While the experience for the athletes and those watching on FloGrappling are both important, we really focus on providing a live-entertainment experience to those who pay their hard-earned money for tickets and come to watch their loved ones/teammates compete and support our events in person.
With an elevated, well-lit mat space and all the pageantry and sounds that you would see at a rock concert, what it should amount to is a platform (literally) that elevates jiu-jitsu and how it is presented to the public -- hence our simple and literal catchphrase -- #showcasetheart.
Basically if going to one of our shows has caused someone who's never heard of BJJ to step into a gym and start training, then we consider that a success. And we know for sure that has happened many times over, so we're proud to say we're on track. And the marquee matchups we put on are just a bonus.
Back to our first year -- it's been pretty crazy. As Seth mentioned after our last show, we did 20 shows in 16 cities in 11 states. Over 30,000 people came to watch our shows live, and we raised over $63,000 for a children's hospital and helped some other charities along the way.
Oh, and we paid our competitors over $400,000 -- as soon as they step off the mats, every single time. Next year or soon thereafter, we're hoping that number hits a million dollars.
Each show has had its own character, mirroring the cities they were hosted in. It has been quite the experience. What a ride!
Here is a retrospective of my experiences from each show I attended.
All photos by Mike Calimbas unless otherwise stated.
Performance-wise, there were tons of highlights, but honestly the biggest of them all was the reaction from the crowd in attendance. It was at this point that I knew something special was born.
I can still vividly remember the pop Rossie got from the crowd upon walking out. As the hometown girl, she got some deafening cheers from the crowd but Mackenzie showed up in her world champion from. Despite being sick the entire week prior, Mackenzie came out and finished fast with an armbar. Aside from that, this event also featured what I consider the emergence of John Combs.
The card reflected that with Andre Galvao headlining against Bruno Bastos and many other stars including Joao Assis, Thomas Cronin, Richie Martinez, etc. also on. Aside from the names though, the performances also delivered, and I think we saw just about every type of BJJ game (style) showcased that night.
It was a good card, even though the venue couldn't handle our production needs as far as power, etc. I feel like SD only got about half of the F2WPRO experience, so we can't wait to back and show them what a real pro event should look and feel like.
He didn't get the sub, but his elation at his performance was visceral. I had just trained at his academy in OKC with him earlier that week, and I knew he wanted it bad. To see him accomplish that goal in front of many of his students along with his mother and father was really special.
Then the show itself also saw a ton of great matches including Dustin Akbari throwing Garry Tonon around for a few minutes before Garry calmly set up one of his signature heel hooks. That was a fun match. It was even more fun seeing those guys at an afterparty at like 3 AM, but we don't share those details in public. I will say however that Tonon's singing prowess might rival his leg locks, and Dean Lister might have more voice imitations than Jim Carrey.
That about sums up this show, and it was awesome. It was a close call too, considering we got out of the city like the day before massive floods hit the area. We already can't wait to go back there.
Still the highlight to me was the performances in the top two matchups. Rafael Lovato Jr.'s old-school-style dominance was on display against a game Tanner Rice with the cross choke finish from mount. Then in stark contrast, Jeff Glover and Justin Rader put on an absolute display of stylistic contrasts in the finale. Amazing show.
Somebody at the venue didn't take into account that our production team brings in over five tons of stage and equipment to put on our shows. They didn't want us to break their new raised basketball courts, so we had no other option at the 11th hour than to hold the show outside. That was how the first outdoor professional BJJ show was born. I won't mince words, that mat became a slip and slide. #Teamnosleep was not above trying to scrub it dry after every match, but it was still wild.
The athletes were all good sports though and put on an amazing display of jiu-jitsu despite the conditions. Andre Leite vs. Brick Welch, Mark Vives vs. Joel Blanton...some great matches. And who can forget Steve Patterson's entrance slide. That was epic!
Featuring some of the region's top black belts was fun, but kids like Cole Abate also stole the show.
Aside from that match, another highlight was when Lucas Pinheiro took on former Checkmat teammate Joao Pedro Somalia in a black belt no-gi matchup. It was pretty intense!
Taking on rising star John Combs, DJ showed out and won by guillotine. Likewise, Easton Denver owner and UFC vet Eliot Marshall also showed his own skills in submitting highly-respected Bruno Bastos.
Luckily for me, my good friend Mac Warren stepped in and did as good a job as I could hope to do and got some good shots for us. It was cool to watch F2WPRO on FloGrappling as well, since I never get to do that when I'm working live.
Bruno Frazatto and the legendary Roberto Traven were the highlights on this one, but competitors like Anna Salome showed that there are many other young athletes out in the ATL that are on the come up as well.
Photos by Mac Warren
That's it for 2016! Fight to Win PRO returns for our new season starting Friday, Jan. 13, in Houston, and that show is going to be insane! Thanks for all the support guys! Keep training and we'll see you soon. #F2WPRO #SHOWCASETHEART
There have been plenty of successes and trying points along the way, but as far as our main mission goes, I think we've done pretty well with our goal of spreading and promoting jiu-jitsu across the country from the grassroots level on up.
To backtrack just a bit, I feel like I have to explain how F2WPRO came about in the first place. The owner and leader of F2WPRO, Seth Daniels, has actually been a promoter for some time -- the better part of the last 10 years. He's done everything from tournaments to MMA shows to rock concerts. Disillusioned by the rougher parts of promoting MMA and rock, Seth eventually decided to focus all his energies onto his main passion -- BJJ.
Together with about nine misfits he decided to bring on (me being one of them), #teamnosleep and F2WPRO were born.
Related: Fight To Win 2016 full gallery (136 photos)
For anyone who's been to our event, they should be able to tell you it's not your typical tournament or even superfight event experience.
While the experience for the athletes and those watching on FloGrappling are both important, we really focus on providing a live-entertainment experience to those who pay their hard-earned money for tickets and come to watch their loved ones/teammates compete and support our events in person.
With an elevated, well-lit mat space and all the pageantry and sounds that you would see at a rock concert, what it should amount to is a platform (literally) that elevates jiu-jitsu and how it is presented to the public -- hence our simple and literal catchphrase -- #showcasetheart.
Basically if going to one of our shows has caused someone who's never heard of BJJ to step into a gym and start training, then we consider that a success. And we know for sure that has happened many times over, so we're proud to say we're on track. And the marquee matchups we put on are just a bonus.
Back to our first year -- it's been pretty crazy. As Seth mentioned after our last show, we did 20 shows in 16 cities in 11 states. Over 30,000 people came to watch our shows live, and we raised over $63,000 for a children's hospital and helped some other charities along the way.
Oh, and we paid our competitors over $400,000 -- as soon as they step off the mats, every single time. Next year or soon thereafter, we're hoping that number hits a million dollars.
Each show has had its own character, mirroring the cities they were hosted in. It has been quite the experience. What a ride!
Here is a retrospective of my experiences from each show I attended.
All photos by Mike Calimbas unless otherwise stated.
F2WPRO 2 (Houston, TX)
The second show after the initial launch event was the first event I covered in person. Held at the Revention Center right dab in the heart of Houston on Jan. 9, this show featured many of the city's top black belts along with out-of-towners like Francisco "Sinistro" Iturralde.Performance-wise, there were tons of highlights, but honestly the biggest of them all was the reaction from the crowd in attendance. It was at this point that I knew something special was born.
F2W PRO 3 (Austin, TX)
Taking place at the Delco Center on March 4, this event featured Rafael Lovato Jr. making his F2WPRO debut against UFC vet Ricardo "Demente" Abreu. Lovato was in championship form that night, but the undercard brought some heat as well!
F2W PRO 4 (Denver, CO)
Back in Denver, F2W PRO 4 featured the first women's black belt match to headline a professional BJJ event - Mackenzie Dern vs Rossie Snow.I can still vividly remember the pop Rossie got from the crowd upon walking out. As the hometown girl, she got some deafening cheers from the crowd but Mackenzie showed up in her world champion from. Despite being sick the entire week prior, Mackenzie came out and finished fast with an armbar. Aside from that, this event also featured what I consider the emergence of John Combs.
F2W PRO 5 (San Diego, CA)
Ahh, our first time in California. F2WPRO5 was really special in that it brought us to what many consider the mecca of BJJ in the United States.The card reflected that with Andre Galvao headlining against Bruno Bastos and many other stars including Joao Assis, Thomas Cronin, Richie Martinez, etc. also on. Aside from the names though, the performances also delivered, and I think we saw just about every type of BJJ game (style) showcased that night.
It was a good card, even though the venue couldn't handle our production needs as far as power, etc. I feel like SD only got about half of the F2WPRO experience, so we can't wait to back and show them what a real pro event should look and feel like.
F2W PRO 6 (Dallas, TX)
As a marquee part of the Europa Fitness Expo at the Dallas Convention Center, this event was pretty massive. Rafael Lovato's second appearance ended in a submission and DFW's finest came out in full force to see it.
F2W PRO 7 (Denver, CO)
Our third show in Denver was a pretty big one because of all the usual reasons but mostly so due to the main event pitting Rafael Lovato Jr. versus Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu. Everyone came out from far and wide to see that one -- a match dominated by Lovato from the onset.He didn't get the sub, but his elation at his performance was visceral. I had just trained at his academy in OKC with him earlier that week, and I knew he wanted it bad. To see him accomplish that goal in front of many of his students along with his mother and father was really special.
F2W PRO 8 (San Francisco, CA)
One of my favorite events of the year, the San Francisco show brought out some of NorCal's best as we held the show in the Haight-Ashbury section of San Franciso. The excitement started early at weigh-ins with Yuri Simoes and Dean Lister arguing over some FloGrappling article comments, so that was fun.Then the show itself also saw a ton of great matches including Dustin Akbari throwing Garry Tonon around for a few minutes before Garry calmly set up one of his signature heel hooks. That was a fun match. It was even more fun seeing those guys at an afterparty at like 3 AM, but we don't share those details in public. I will say however that Tonon's singing prowess might rival his leg locks, and Dean Lister might have more voice imitations than Jim Carrey.
F2W PRO 10 (New Orleans, LA)
You don't quite get the vibe of Louisiana BJJ until you hear Lil Wayne bumpin' loud on 10 while running a pro BJJ show in NOLA.That about sums up this show, and it was awesome. It was a close call too, considering we got out of the city like the day before massive floods hit the area. We already can't wait to go back there.
F2W PRO 11 (Oklahoma City, OK)
You don't go into OKC without talking about Lovato's BJJ. A whole lot of their team were on the show but what surprised me more was that there is also much more than Rafael's squad holding up Oklahoma. Plenty of great competitors and schools out that way!Still the highlight to me was the performances in the top two matchups. Rafael Lovato Jr.'s old-school-style dominance was on display against a game Tanner Rice with the cross choke finish from mount. Then in stark contrast, Jeff Glover and Justin Rader put on an absolute display of stylistic contrasts in the finale. Amazing show.
F2W PRO 13 (Chicago, IL)
Sometimes in life, you have to make the best of what you've got. Such was the case with this show.Somebody at the venue didn't take into account that our production team brings in over five tons of stage and equipment to put on our shows. They didn't want us to break their new raised basketball courts, so we had no other option at the 11th hour than to hold the show outside. That was how the first outdoor professional BJJ show was born. I won't mince words, that mat became a slip and slide. #Teamnosleep was not above trying to scrub it dry after every match, but it was still wild.
The athletes were all good sports though and put on an amazing display of jiu-jitsu despite the conditions. Andre Leite vs. Brick Welch, Mark Vives vs. Joel Blanton...some great matches. And who can forget Steve Patterson's entrance slide. That was epic!
F2W PRO 15 (San Antonio, TX)
Back in the Lone Star State, we took this show to Mission Conception Park and had some barbacoa and Big Red along the way!Featuring some of the region's top black belts was fun, but kids like Cole Abate also stole the show.
F2W PRO 17 (Dallas, TX)
Our second trip to Dallas featured Joao Gabriel Rocha vs James Puopolo in the main event. Rocha recently moved to Texas along with Manny Diaz and more Soul Fighters are on the way, so they'll be a mainstay on our shows for a while.Aside from that match, another highlight was when Lucas Pinheiro took on former Checkmat teammate Joao Pedro Somalia in a black belt no-gi matchup. It was pretty intense!
F2W PRO 18 (Denver, CO)
Back in Denver, our 18th show featured the F2WPRO debut of "The Kimura Kid" aka "Ram Man" aka "Mr. Steal Yo Girl" aka "I'm not very good at fantasy football" DJ Jackson.Taking on rising star John Combs, DJ showed out and won by guillotine. Likewise, Easton Denver owner and UFC vet Eliot Marshall also showed his own skills in submitting highly-respected Bruno Bastos.
F2W PRO 20 (Atlanta, GA)
The highlight of this show for me was at the airport. After getting up at 4am and waiting 5+ hours, my flight was cancelled and I never made it to Atlanta.Luckily for me, my good friend Mac Warren stepped in and did as good a job as I could hope to do and got some good shots for us. It was cool to watch F2WPRO on FloGrappling as well, since I never get to do that when I'm working live.
Bruno Frazatto and the legendary Roberto Traven were the highlights on this one, but competitors like Anna Salome showed that there are many other young athletes out in the ATL that are on the come up as well.
Photos by Mac Warren
That's it for 2016! Fight to Win PRO returns for our new season starting Friday, Jan. 13, in Houston, and that show is going to be insane! Thanks for all the support guys! Keep training and we'll see you soon. #F2WPRO #SHOWCASETHEART