Professional Grappling Federation Secures Four New Franchises, Doubles to Eight Teams for Season 10

Four new seven-figure franchise agreements bring PGF halfway to its planned 16-team cap

LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Professional Grappling Federation (PGF) today announced the completion of four additional seven-figure franchise agreements, doubling the league from four to eight teams for Season 10. The expansion brings PGF halfway to its planned 16-franchise cap, creates 40 additional professional roster positions and provides the strongest commercial validation to date for its market-based, season-long approach to professional Jiu-Jitsu.

The four new franchises, the St. Louis Outlaws, Carolina Copperheads, Houston Wranglers and Dallas Mustangs, join the Las Vegas Kings, Philadelphia Phenoms, Alabama Twisters and Colorado Wolverines. Together, the eight teams establish PGF’s largest national footprint to date and create regional identities fans can follow from draft night through the championship.

“Every major sport became truly scalable when it stopped being a collection of individual events and became a league,” said Zoltan Bathory, co-owner of PGF. “That is what PGF is building for Jiu-Jitsu. Four teams proved the model. Eight teams establish the league. We will expand to 12 and ultimately cap PGF at 16 franchises. Every major league, including the NFL and NHL, once had a ground-floor stage when the structure was still being built and a limited number of franchises were still available.”

Much of professional grappling has traditionally been organized around individual athletes competing in disconnected events. PGF is building a different model: privately owned franchises, recurring seasons, team rivalries, athlete contracts, standings, live broadcasts and a championship fans can follow as one continuing story.

That structure gives franchise owners something designed to grow beyond a single event. Each team can develop its own identity, audience, sponsorship relationships, community programs and regional media presence while participating in one unified national league. PGF, meanwhile, provides the centralized competition format, live production, league-wide distribution and expanding content library.

Season 10 will feature five weight classes, 145, 155, 170, 185 and 205 pounds, and 10 athletes per team, creating 80 professional roster positions. Each franchise will preselect one athlete in each weight class before drafting five additional competitors from PGF’s national qualifier pool.
The PGF Season 10 Draft is scheduled for January 17, 2027.
“Most grappling events give an athlete a match and a moment,” said Brandon McCaghren, founder and commissioner of PGF. “PGF gives athletes a team, a season, recurring exposure and the opportunity to build a recognizable professional career. It also gives fans a reason to remain invested, from the qualifiers and the draft through the regular season and championship.”

For broadcast and streaming partners, PGF’s league structure creates a repeatable live property rather than a one-night event. Season 10 is scheduled across ten regular-season competition dates from March 2 through March 30, 2027, followed by the playoffs on April 7. PGF also offers more than 60 hours of fully produced previous-season competition for replay, marathon and on-demand use.
The competition is only one part of the media platform. Qualifiers, athlete signings, the draft, team preparation, personality-driven storytelling, regional rivalries, highlights and the championship create year-round programming opportunities across live broadcasts, long-form features, short-form video and sponsor-integrated content.

Across its media network, PGF has recorded more than 72 million aggregate platform-reported views. That total includes 55.2 million views across PGF-owned YouTube, Instagram and Facebook channels and 16.8 million views through creator-led distribution.
PGF’s submission-only format delivers the intensity, skill and competitive stakes of combat sports without striking, creating a distinctive proposition for established Jiu-Jitsu fans, broader sports audiences, networks and brand partners.
Season 10’s eight-team field is complete, but PGF’s franchise expansion is only halfway finished. Under its current expansion plan, the league will next select four additional markets and ownership groups to reach 12 teams, followed by a final four franchises bringing PGF to its permanent 16-team cap.
Ownership groups, media platforms and commercial partners interested in PGF’s next phase may contact marketing@pgf.world.

About the Professional Grappling Federation
The Professional Grappling Federation is a team-based professional Jiu-Jitsu and submission-grappling league built to transform grappling from a fragmented tournament circuit into a recurring spectator sport and viable career path for athletes. Through privately owned franchises, seasonal competition, rankings, live broadcasts and story-driven digital content, PGF showcases elite athletes in a fast-paced, submission-focused format for established Jiu-Jitsu fans and broader sports audiences.
PGF leadership includes co-owner Zoltan Bathory; founder and commissioner Brandon McCaghren; Subconscious Studios founder Keelan Lawyer; and Gracie Fight Management CEO Heather Grace Gracie. For schedules, teams, athlete rosters, live streams and partnership information, visit https://www.pgf.world/.

Media Contact: Erik Reynolds | erik@studiostrategic.com Ownership and Partnerships: marketing@pgf.world

Erik Reynolds
Strategic Entertainment
erik@studiostrategic.com
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