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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's ZOLTAN BATHORY Signs With UFC For PGF To Be Broadcast On UFC Fight Pass

March 19, 2024

According to BJJEE.com, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory and his partners Brandon McCraghen, Heather Gracie and Keelan Lawyer of PGF (Professional Grappling Federation) have inked a deal with the UFC for their BJJ competition league to be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass.

UFC Fight Pass is a digital streaming service which was launched in December 2014. The platform offers subscribers thousands of hours of combat sports content, live events, features, behind the scenes and more. As well as being the home to UFC content, UFC Fight Pass offers subscribers boxing, muay thai, grappling and kickboxing content.

Bathory said in a statement to BJJEE.com: "It's a true underdog story for the PGF. They held and broadcasted the previous seasons from a small church in Alabama… Shoe string budgets. Athletes would travel there and sleep on the mats they were competing on by day. Now we moved it all to Vegas and offer the biggest grand prize in BJJ."

He added in a social media post: "Pairing up with UFC Fight Pass is gonna give us an opportunity to turn our vision into a reality, and we couldn't possibly ask for a better partner to help us accomplish that mission. And what better place to do it than in the combat capital of the world, Las Vegas!

"Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far. This is just the beginning of something really special."

The Professional Grappling Federation is set to launch its most thrilling season yet in Las Vegas on April 21, 2024. Season 6 elevates the competition to new heights with a record-breaking $100,000 grand prize and the involvement of some of the most legendary names in the sport, including Roger Gracie, Andre Galvao, Eddie Bravo and Jeff Glover as team captains.

PGF founders Brandon McCaghren and Keelan Lawyer welcomed two new partners to the ownership group by joining forces with Bathory, founder and guitarist of globally renowned rock band FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, an actively competing jiu-jitsu black belt and celebrity ambassador for the sport, and his partner Heather Grace Gracie, president of Gracie Fight Management. Heather is the granddaughter of Carlos Gracie, one of jiu-jitsu's founding fathers and a prominent member of the Gracie fight dynasty. The newly enhanced PGF leadership team is committed to creating a lasting legacy and establishing PGF as a pivotal platform for showcasing the sport in a league format.

Bathory says about the partnership: "As one of the owners of Epic Roll, a popular jiu-jitsu gear manufacturer, and also as a competing jiu-jitsu black belt, I have been deeply immersed in the jiu-jitsu culture, striving to be the best ambassador I can be for the sport. Probably for this reason, I was invited to be one of the team captains in PGF's Season 5.

"I have been training in martial arts since I was nine years old, so I have seen my share of competitions, but the format of PGF really impressed me. It was fast-paced, gentlemanly violent and very entertaining. I fell in love with the organization and wanted to become more involved because I knew Heather (Gracie) and I could really help them to change the face of jiu-jitsu for both competitors and the audience. We aspire to build a path for grapplers to become paid professionals, while embracing a format that's entertaining for everyone, not just the grappling connoisseurs."

Las Vegas is set to be the perfect stage for this groundbreaking season of high-stakes jiu-jitsu tournament. PGF introduces some new formats and enhanced fan engagement opportunities, making the competition even more dynamic and accessible to a broader audience. Athletic performance combine, live auction draft picks, a gauntlet of matches each day, and a season finale featuring the top eight performing athletes round out the full week of non-stop action.

The season begins on April 21, 2024, in Las Vegas, promising a five-day live-streaming marathon of an electrifying mix of sportsmanship and showmanship. With a legendary lineup of Team Captains and twenty elite competitors, PGF Season 6 is not to be missed.

For more information, visit www.PGF.world.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

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