#392 The STL Outlaws: Can Jiu Jitsu Become a Team Sport? | Lloyd Wideman and Eric Longar

What happens when jiu-jitsu starts looking less like an individual sport and more like the NFL?I sit down with the St. Louis Outlaws management(Lloyd Wideman and Eric Longar) to talk about what PGF is actually trying to build: franchises, drafts, team strategy, scouting, sponsors, contracts, and a real pathway for grapplers to become professional athletes. We also get into what makes someone worth signing, why the Midwest may be sitting on a ton of overlooked talent, and whether team jiu-jitsu could actually be the future of the sportSign up for the Outlaws Qualifier: https://smoothcomp.com/en/event/34563?background=transparent&linktargets=inherit&embedView=1Check at our new Skool Jiu Jitsu Curriculum: https://www.skool.com/headnodFree Mental Models Course "Jiu Jitsu for imbeciles" : bjjmentalmodels.com/isuck Register for Grappler 4 Good: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mission-111/grapple-for-good0:00 Intro1:20 Why buy a jiu-jitsu franchise?8:49 Going all-in on the PGF vision12:50 How the St. Louis Outlaws were created17:45 What PGF feels like from the inside21:34 The ridiculous 10th Planet origin story23:47 What PGF is like for the athletes28:03 Why the PGF rules are different33:02 Money bags and rewarding exciting jiu-jitsu37:09 How team competition actually works39:05 Who are the Outlaws signing?47:31 How PGF qualifiers and the draft work53:44 Building a team without ruining the culture57:27 The perfect professional jiu-jitsu athlete1:06:39 Contracts, sponsors and athlete expectations1:07:45 Finding the Midwest’s hidden talent1:13:09 Where the Outlaws go from here1:15:07 PGF expanding to 16 franchises1:17:32 Why Midwest jiu-jitsu needs a bigger stage1:20:43 Final thoughts on the St. Louis Outlaws