The Rounds | July 9th, 2025

·49 min·4 clips

Christos Papadakis explains why getting a microphone in his face after 15 high-level submission attempts is the real game in PGF.

The episode opens with host TJ DeSantis and commissioner Brandon 'BMAC' McCaghren introducing guests Matt Elkins and Christos Papadakis, both PGF veterans. Christos shares his excitement for Season 8, highlighting the opportunity to compete in 15 matches and use post-fight interviews to build his career. BMAC passionately argues that PGF is not a tournament but a sports league like the NFL, designed to dominate the grappling scene through fast iteration and a startup mindset. The conversation shifts to rule debates, specifically whether the 'Kosovo Cradle' submission should score 3 or 6 points, illustrating PGF's unique scoring system. Christos details his preparation, training with PGF champion Andy Varela and qualifier winners like Landon Elmore and Dominic Mejia. Matt Elkins reflects on his PGF legacy, noting he has 31 kills, the most in history. Landon Elmore joins later, discussing his underdog mentality after being drafted for $1600 and his confidence in performing under pressure. The episode closes with TJ and BMAC expressing mutual appreciation for their roles in building PGF, with TJ emphasizing the broadcast challenges and opportunities. Throughout, themes include the psychological aspects of week-to-week competition, the value of eyeballs over prize money, and PGF's evolution from a compressed format to a full season.

As heard by us

A pre-PGF case for giving the sport more time to build points, kills, matchups, and what-ifs.

The Rounds frames the lead-up to PGF as a practical question about scale: can a competition keep its urgency when it stretches from a one-week rush into a five-week season?

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get five-week PGF stakes, preseason nerves, and a commissioner openly losing his mind.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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