Name

Professional Grappling Federation

Legal name

Professional Grappling Federation

Website

https://pgf.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Combat Sports League

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Combat Sports Sanctioning Bodies & Commissions (Boxing/MMA/Kickboxing) (MPAKAFAI)

Keywords

• Professional grappling league
• Martial arts competition
• Jiu-jitsu tournaments
• Combat sports broadcasting
• Athlete performance ratings

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: PGF sells professional grappling franchise rights to team owners. Each franchise deal is valued at seven figures. As of March 2026, five seven-figure franchise deals have been closed, including the St. Louis Outlaws owned by Confluence Combat Group.
2. Merchandise Sales: PGF generates revenue through official merchandise including apparel (tee shirts, hoodies, rash guards, shorts), hats, gear bags, and lifestyle items (mugs). Sold through the PGF Shop powered by Epic Roll.
3. Streaming Content & Sponsorships: PGF streams live content through Kick.com as premier destination for exclusive live content unavailable on other platforms. Additional distribution through Creator TV and YouTube. Content archive available on PGF Plus subscription hub.
4. Qualifier & Event Registration: Athletes pay to enter official qualifiers to earn spots in the Season Draft pool. Qualifier events held across multiple cities (Denver, Brisbane, Durham, Bethlehem, West Reading).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PGF operates a professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling league structured around franchised teams. The league hosts live qualifier and season tournaments, broadcasts matches on a streaming platform, and sells consumer memberships, merchandise, and fantasy contests. It also licenses franchises and integrates athlete performance metrics through a proprietary rating system.

Product overview

The Professional Grappling Federation (PGF) operates as a professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu league with a multi-platform product portfolio centered around live sports broadcasting and digital content delivery. The core offering is the weekly two-night live broadcast season featuring franchise team competitions across eight teams and five weight classes. Supporting the broadcasts are PGF Plus (replay hub with VOD content, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes material), PGF Fantasy (fantasy sports engagement), and an official merchandise shop. The league also provides qualification pathways through regional qualifiers, tracks athlete performance via the XP Leaderboard system, and publishes an official rulebook. Distribution spans multiple streaming platforms including Kick.com, Creator TV, and YouTube, with Discord community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PGF Plus: Subscription replay hub hosting Season 9 replays, team cuts, best submissions, and film room content.
• PGF Fantasy

Products and services

• PGF Plus
• PGF Fantasy
• PGF Qualifiers Open-entry qualification tournaments where aspiring grapplers can earn a place in the league's professional season. Targeted at amateur and semi-professional grapplers.
• PGF Season Broadcast Professionally produced multi-match broadcast of the league's marquee season events, featuring team-based matchups under standardized rules. Targeted at sports viewers and PGF Plus subscribers.
• PGF Merchandise Shop Direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling official PGF-branded apparel, accessories, and team merchandise. Targeted at fans and athletes of the league.
• PGF Documentary Series Long-form original documentary series covering PGF athletes, teams, and season storylines. Targeted at fans who follow the league behind the scenes.
• Official PGF Rulebook Published standardized rulebook that defines the format, scoring, weight classes, and conduct of PGF competitions. Targeted at athletes, coaches, and officials.
• XP Leaderboard Public-facing athlete ranking driven by PGF's proprietary XP Rating system, displaying standings across divisions. Targeted at fans, athletes, and scouts.
• Franchise Team Licenses Licensed franchise rights sold to operators/owners to field branded teams that compete in the PGF season. Targeted at investors, gym owners, and combat-sports entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five seven-figure franchise deals closed as of March 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Confluence Combat GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2026Confluence Combat Group, led by Managing Director Lloyd Wideman with over two decades of sponsorship and brand experience, acquired the St. Louis Outlaws franchise as PGF's fifth seven-figure franchise deal. Confluence Combat Group operates the Midwest franchise bringing a major market into the PGF team era.
• Creator TVflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 March 2026Creator TV joined PGF's live streaming distribution network entering Week 3 of Season 9. Partnership expanded the league's domestic and international reach alongside existing Kick.com and YouTube channels.
• Kick.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 March 2026Streaming partnership with Kick.com for Season 9. Kick serves as the premier destination for exclusive live PGF content unavailable on other platforms. Partnership kicked off March 4, 2026 at 4pm Pacific for Season 9 launch.
• Epic RollcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEpic Roll produces official PGF merchandise including apparel, hats, gear bags, and lifestyle items. Merchandise sold through pgf.world/shop with each item opening in a new tab on epicrollbjj.com.
• SubCulture Jiu JitsuflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional federation partner based in Nashville, TN. Flagship Middle Tennessee federation feeding Vegas prospects with monthly cards featuring walk-on prospects and overtime competition. Monthly federation cards hammering out walk-on prospects.
• Grapple WorldsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational federation featuring PGF overtime infusions. Global showcase with international brackets featuring PGF rulesets and international talent testing league pace.
• Chewjitsu OpenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGatlinburg, TN federation. December 6 qualifier complete with Travis Haven punching ticket to Vegas. Premier open mat delivers deep purple and brown belt brackets alongside PGF qualifier action.
• King of SubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern California federation. December 13 qualifier complete with highlights on PGF Plus. California's submission-first invitational crowns overtime snipers and surfaces regional talent.
• Johnny Hernandez InvitationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonterrey, MX federation. Regional showcases building Mexico-to-Vegas talent pipeline. Mexico's signature invitational surfacing talent for PGF qualifier grind.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ONE Championship: Asia-based combat sports league with significant grappling content (submission grappling events featuring Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and other elite BJJ athletes). ONE is a broad incumbent in combat sports that has been actively recruiting top grapplers, directly competing with PGF for elite talent and international fan attention.
• International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF): The largest and longest-running BJJ tournament circuit globally. IBJJF operates the traditional points-based tournament format that PGF explicitly contrasts with its submission-only franchise model. Directly comparable as the dominant incumbent organizing professional-level BJJ competition and athlete rankings.
• UFC Fight Pass / UFC BJJ: The dominant combat sports streaming platform and UFC's recent push into professional grappling content. As a broad incumbent with massive distribution and audience, UFC Fight Pass represents both a competitor for grappling viewership and a potential acquirer/distribution partner for PGF content.

Emerging players

• Professional Fighters League (PFL): League-format combat sports organization with a season-based, playoff-driven model and franchise-style structure. PFL shares PGF's playbook of converting individual combat sports into a team/franchise-based league with regular season and playoffs, making it a strong business-model comparable despite the MMA focus.
• Karate Combat: League-format professional combat sports organization with a franchise/investor model, cinematic broadcast production, and direct-to-consumer streaming. Closely comparable to PGF in business model (league with franchise investors, broadcast-driven revenue, niche combat sport).

Direct peers

• FloGrappling: Primary dedicated streaming/media platform for competitive grappling. FloGrappling carries IBJJF, ADCC, and other grappling content, making it a direct competitor for grappling-specific viewership and the go-to subscription service for BJJ fans that PGF Plus is trying to replace.
• Who's Number One (WNO) / FloGrappling events: Submission grappling event series produced by FloGrappling featuring elite superfights. WNO is one of the most-watched professional grappling properties and directly competes with PGF for top-tier athletes and the limited professional grappling broadcast calendar.
• Polaris: Professional submission grappling promotion featuring elite BJJ competitors in superfight and tournament formats. Polaris is one of the most well-known grappling-only promotions alongside PGF, EBI, and ADCC, directly competing for the same athlete and viewer audience.
• Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI): Submission-only invitational grappling tournament founded by Eddie Bravo (who sits on PGF's advisory board). EBI pioneered the submission-only overtime format that PGF has built upon. Directly comparable as a professional submission-grappling event with similar ruleset DNA.
• ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship): The most prestigious submission grappling invitational, held biennially. ADCC is the closest direct peer to PGF in format (submission-focused elite grappling) and target athlete pool (same top-tier BJJ and no-gi competitors). Both organizations compete for the same elite grapplers and fan attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pgfworld
• Instagraminstagram.com/pgfworld
• Xx.com/PGFworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professional-grappling-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Grappling Federation