# Heath Pedigo

> Black Belt

## Overview

**Name:** Heath Pedigo

**Belt Rank:** Black Belt

**Date of Birth:** August 16, 1983 (age 43)


## Bio

Heath Pedigo built Pedigo Submission Fighting out of a laundromat in Mount Vernon, Illinois, turning a self-taught, tape-study obsession into one of the most distinctive American gyms of the 2010s. Starting with his brother Randy, he learned grappling by rewinding old vale-tudo VHS tapes and mimicking moves, taking his first no-holds-barred fight at fifteen. After rolling with Minotauro Nogueira at a NAGA event, Pedigo followed advice to seek structured gi training, eventually moving to train under Rodrigo Vaghi in East St. Louis. Promoted to black belt by Vaghi in 2016, he housed full-time athletes like Andrew Wiltse at the Daisy Fresh facility, later chronicled in FloGrappling’s docuseries.

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/heath-pedigo)