With their rock concert look and feel, Fight to Win Pro offers a very different look on competitive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The organization is looking to not only change the presentation of competitive grappling, but looking to build the sport in which it’s based. When talking to owner, Seth Daniels, about the past, present and future of Fight to Win Pro, it’s clear that this organization is imbued with nothing more than love for the sport.

“We just want to help grown the sport,” Daniels said in an interview with Bloody Elbow. “I want everyone to be able to train and live their life. This is a lifestyle and that’s what this is about for us.”

Fight to Win Pro, started ten years ago and featured a combination of mixed martial arts, tournaments, and rock concerts. The experience of mixing those three productions created a promotion that has a very different appeal than many other organizations looking to find their feet in the space of competitive grappling. The large stage, lighting, and music bring a different feel to the sport that fans and competitors alike have embraced.

“My wife and I came up with an idea to do something similar to MMA but with concert type lighting,” Daniels said. “We threw the first one and it was pretty successful. We started in Texas and Colorado, but when we went to San Diego and had an event where we could break even, that’s the moment that we knew we had something special. I was able to talk my wife into liquidating everything we had and purchasing the stuff we needed to rent and going for it on a whim that it would work. I believed in what we were doing and I’ve had 10 gut feelings; thank God this one was finally right.”

Fight to Win Pro has become arguably one of the most important outlets in pro grappling today. Their events feature some of the biggest names in the sport, and they remain active throughout the year. With a goal of doing 3 shows per month and 40 a year. F2W pro is looking to create as many opportunities possible for people to embrace a different form of competitive grappling. The events bring out names such as Yuri Simoes, DJ Jackson, Garry Tonon, Andre Galvao, Gordon Ryan, and Mackenzie Dern, but it also gives local competitors the opportunity to compete in front of family and friends. Fight to Win Pro isn’t just building the opportunity for these fighters to showcase these skills, the promotion is putting money in their pockets.

“That was the idea from day one,” Daniels said. “I fought in MMA and I sucked at it. After success in Judo and wrestling, I thought that MMA couldn’t be the only next step for me and knew that others felt the same way. People want to show their friends and family what they can do other than some tournament. Our goal is to create a platform for people so not only the fighters feel like superstars, but they can get paid like low-level fighters.”

Mike Calimbas

Daniels has a goal to pay fighters one million dollars in 2017. Fighters are paid for their performances, along with the opportunity to make money through sponsorship and ticket sales. The organization has a partnership with FloGrappling, which broadcasts their events through iPPV streaming; widening the viewing range of each show. Using that model Daniels has been able to bring some of the best competitive grapplers in the world to compete on their stage.

Fight to Win Pro doesn’t just want to impact the lives of those stepping onto the mat to fight, but also the people watching in the crowd and watching online. It’s a major goal for Daniels and the crew.

“I want the people watching to realize that this is something they can do,” Daniels said. “We are increasing the overall participation in the sport. Everywhere we go I hear about people coming to one of our shows, enjoying themselves and then joining a BJJ gym. It helps create a pyramid effect that gets people interested and gets them involved. BJJ can be difficult to watch if you don’t know what’s going on, but once you get involved you know that you can love this sport.”

Still, as with any other sport, competitors are beginning to pop up in the grappling world. The Eddie Bravo Invitational, Submission Underground, Polaris and others are putting on their own shows throughout the year. But even with more competition, Fight to Win Pro is staying true to the model that has created a successful venture for a decade strong.

“I don’t think we have any competitors,” Daniels said. “The model that we created, traveling the country and putting on shows. At one point it was hard to get people to even apply; now we get more than 400 applications for each show! We are hoping to take our show overseas at some point.”

Competitive grappling is a niche sport, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an appetite worth feeding for those interested. Seth Daniels and the Fight to Win Pro family is not only tapping into that interest and creating income for fighters, but growing the foundation of the sport at the same time.

“The way that we grow this sport is through growing white belts, growing interest in local gyms,” Daniels said. “I don’t want to have to get a real job and sit behind a desk. This is what I want to do. I want to help fighters earn money, make a living competing and getting more people involved in the sport. That’s what this is all about.”