Unknown Pressures – A Jiu-Jitsu Podcast

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | Jiu-jitsu’s most generous patron teased a return earlier this year, but it seems that Craig Jones really will bring back CJI in 2027 and he’s shown he has the money ready to go.  After disrupting the grappling landscape by giving away the biggest cash prize the sport has ever seen, Australia’s deadliest mammal has said he will go back to the 16-man bracket that made CJI 1 so successful.  So far, we don’t know the weight class or the athletes he plans to invite, but you can be sure that he’s planning something different. Craig wouldn’t have it any other way. The fantasy brackets fans have started to create are pretty enticing, and if Craig can secure even half of the names people are suggesting, it could be one of the best events of all time.  There’s a lot to talk about in this week’s episode as we cover everything from a former UFC champ’s return to grappling, a brand new pro judo league, and why Pawel Jaworski might just be the best leglocker in the world right now.  Check out Matt's awesome Spotify playlist here!  In episode 54:  Khamzat Chimaev signs with ACB BJJ  Pawel Jaworski cruises to victory at No-Gi Euros The lore behind Andrew Tackett vs Chris Wojcik CJI 3 will return in 2027  Patreon exclusive topics:  Tye Ruotolo’s MMA title shot PGF announces pro judo tournament  RAF Wrestling continue expansion  Could European grappling come together?  How to Support Unknown Pressures Podcast Thanks for listening! Please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify Podcasts. Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures/ Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | Mica Galvao and Tainan Dalpra are the two best middleweights in the world of gi jiu-jitsu, but it's the match that just can't seem to happen. They faced off once way back in 2021. Tainan was a young black belt and Mica was still a brown belt, and the match was disappointingly inconclusive as time ran out with Tainan locked in a triangle. It's the match that needs to happen, but never might – in this episode, Matt and Hywel break down the reasons why. Also, Matt is back from Japan and has some funny stories to share, including people lining up to get ankle-locked by Matheusz Szczecinski. He also reveals his preferred karaoke song, which surprised Hywel. Also in this episode: Matt is back from Leglock Camp in Japan IBJJF No-Gi Europeans showcases best up-and-coming talent IBJJF Crown: but why no Tainan? Why won't people compete for $10k? AIGA fails to draw grapplers for U.S. event Grappling industry insider claims superfights are dead (long live superfights) UFC BJJ 13 recap & results: Tackett smokes Jay Rod UFC BJJ 14 preview Support us for full access to our podcast and newsletter Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Patreon Supporters get early access to the extended episode, with an extra 30 minutes of discussion not available on YouTube or Podcast platforms.  By signing up to the free membership tier, you also get complete access to this weekly newsletter which contains everything we talk about in this episode.  How to Support Unknown Pressures Podcast Thanks for listening! Please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify Podcasts. Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures/ Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | What’s wrong with UFC BJJ? A LOT. At the risk of going full “they’re turning the frogs gay” tinfoil-hat-wearing cuckoo, there are too many signs to ignore that something – something – is not right. From dodgy decisions to a Brazilian mafia and an inability to keep their champions, something is going on and can’t be ignored.  Of course we’re joking. There’s no conspiracy, but there are way too many things that leave room for doubt, and they need to be addressed if UFC BJJ wants to be taken seriously. If UFC BJJ truly wants to be the leading grappling organization in the world, they’ve got a lot of work to do.  That’s a big focus in this week’s episode, which we managed to record despite Matt being in South Korea for Leglock Camp with the Polish knee-wrecking crew. Next week he’s off to Japan to continue their mission of bringing high level lower-body submissions to the masses. What a life.  In this week’s episode:  The return of the world’s most exciting grappler to Polaris  UFC BJJ’s judging needs an overhaul  Why can’t UFC BJJ fill a tiny arena?  UFC BJJ champs don’t stick around for some reason  PLUS: Old school coaching persists, and it sucks Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | If we asked you to write a list of companies looking to sponsor grapplers, there is little chance you would have thought of who just signed a major deal with jiu-jitsu / MMA crossover stars the Ruotolo brothers. The happy-go-lucky surf-skate-fight loving twins just landed a sponsorship from a major, major MAJOR corporate company: we're talking a blue-chip, globally-known, decades-old megacorp. If it's not the biggest sponsorship deal we've ever seen, we'd be very surprised indeed. Also in this episode: Polaris 39 recap, results and behind the scenes Sportsmanship is not dead! IBJJF No-Gi Pans: the return of Andre Galvao Why are people turning down big money paydays? Smoothcomp announces Gymdesk partnership and new apps (sponsored section) Ruotolo bros score MASSIVE mind-blowing sponsorship deal Jiu-jitsu designer collabs with a world-famous rock band Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify Podcasts.  Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures/  Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | We are not squeamish here at Unknown Pressures, we’ve had our fair share of serious injuries (and even dealt a few out, but that’s another story). The recent arm break at UFC BJJ left us saddened, not just for the injury itself, but for what happened after.  A 16-year-old making his UFC BJJ debut had his arm snapped in a nasty kimura, and the resulting clip of his injury went viral with over 5million views on the UFC BJJ page alone. It raises questions about sportsmanship in jiu-jitsu – or, more correctly, the lack of. We tackle this issue and much more in today’s episode.  In Episode 50 of Unknown Pressures:  Matt calls in from a mansion just hours ahead of Polaris 39 UFC BJJ recap: We analyze Mikey vs Bryce Mitchell and Mason Fowler vs Nicky Rod  The arm break and what’s wrong with jiu-jitsu right now  Why titles don’t guarantee you a shot on professional events  Whipping people at promotions: harmless ritual or outdated tradition?  Episode 50 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else. Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures/ Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague  

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnknownPressures | Usually things would quieten down after a major event like ADCC – a few weeks of rest and reflection before things gear up again for the next wave of events. That hasn't been the case this time around, with breaking news stories about PEDs, felony arrests and controversies. It's not all bad though – we also found out that one of the biggest names in the game will return to action very soon, we got to see the continued incursion of top Russian athletes into the upper echelons of jiu-jitsu, and we discuss some of the best and most exciting superfights to take place on European soil. In this episode: The return of Mica Galvao to high-level competition Rider Zuchi pops for PEDs (shock) AJ Agazarm kicked out of Gracie Barra and arrested for serious alleged crime Polaris preview: Eoghan O'Flanagan vs Tommy Langaker! UFC BJJ keeps leaving us unfulfilled In the Patreon exclusive episode: Russian grapplers obliterate Brazilians at AIGA Hywel's story of meeting Khabib's cousin The current problem with pro grappling Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a   Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures  Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon  Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague   

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | Hello dear listeners, and welcome to our monster ADCC recap episode. Hywel was in Poland, Matt was watching from home, and in this week’s show we break down the biggest moments, the standout grapplers and yes, talk about the altercation that saw a division favourite ejected from the tournament.  In short, this year’s ADCC more than lived up to the hype. If there were any doubts that this ADCC would somehow lack in quality, excitement or anything else compared to previous editions, theyn were laid to rest the moment the opening ceremony started. The Tauron Arena in Krakow looked incredible, the organizers went all out on production and hosted an event comparable to anything we’ve seen in the last few years.  This year’s ADCC saw first time champions crowned in every men’s division and two of the three women’s divisions, living up to our prediction that we would see a generational shift.  Records were set and history was made:  Felipe Pena won the absolute division and became the only person in ADCC history to have won it twice. He was absolute champ in 2017 and decided last second to enter the openweight after taking 4th place in the +99kg division, making him a three-time ADCC gold medalist.  Kennedy Maciel followed in his father's footsteps to become -66kg champion, the only time a father and son have both won ADCC gold medals. 20-year-old Helena Crevar became the youngest female champion after she won the +65kg division (with a 100% submission rate, no less)  We saw an all-European final when Pawel Jaworski and Marlon Tajik faced off for 88kg gold. That’s never happened before.  Joslyn Medina competed and placed 3rd in the women’s -65kg division at only 14 years of age.  There is a lot to unpack from this year’s ADCC, so let’s jump into it. Timestamps are below.  ___ Episode 48 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else.  Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more!  Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst.  Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a  Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures  Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon  Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague   

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | We are days away from the 2026 ADCC World Championships, so Matt and Hywel predict who they think are the grapplers with the strongest chance of winning each division. We broke down every single division, highlighting the favourites, the front runners and the dark horses. Exciting!  Also in this episode: Failed doping test: Tayane Porfirio makes history for the wrong reasons Repercussions of the neck break incident UFC BJJ moves to Fight Pass, and fans are pissed Felipe Pena vs Meregali: not the match we were hoping for  Pavel boosts ADCC chances with submission win vs Lovato Jr.  and full breakdown and predictions for every ADCC division!  Scroll to the bottom of this post for timestamps for this episode. Episode 47 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else.  Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more!  Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst.  Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a      Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon   Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | In this episode of Unknown Pressures we discuss the tragic and horrifying case of a black belt who was paralysed as the result of an illegal move in a tournament, the war of words between Andrew Tackett and Mateusz Szczecinski, and the recent changes to the ADCC 2026 line-up that could signal the true start of the war of grappling promotions. Scroll to the bottom of this post for timestamps for this episode. Episode 46 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else. Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a   Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures  Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon  Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague    Timestamps 0:00 Black belt breaks neck in Brazil 19:26 UFC BJJ 10: Good matches, meh event 29:17 Tackett vs Szczecinski's war of words 31:52 A quick Paddy Pimblett story 33:09 Can Tackett vs Szczecinski ever happen? 43:46 The political sponsor of UFC BJJ

Patreon: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures | Nicholas Meregali is one of the greatest grapplers in the world, but his social media game leaves a lot to be desired. When he's not posting selfies, he's talking trash to his opponents and taunting them ahead of their matches. Case in point: his upcoming bout with Felipe Pena. Meregali pulled off a strange stunt that left many people shocked and confused by announcing only 10 days out from the match that he was withdrawing for personal reasons, only to recant his statement less than 24 hours later and reveal it was all a prank. Genius promotion for a match that was otherwise getting little traction outside of the Portuguese-speaking community, or ill-advised stunt that probably had the promoters in a twist? We discuss this and more in this week's episode of Unknown Pressures. Also in this episode: Jiu-jitsu has a TRT problem, and it's worse than you think Can a professional grappler completely ignore posting to social media? UFC BJJ's Open tournaments are shaping up very differently to how we expected Q&A time! We opened our inboxes and respond to your questions... Scroll to the bottom of this post for timestamps for this episode. Episode 45 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else. Support us on Patreon for extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! Unknown Pressures is a jiu-jitsu podcast brought to you by two long-time industry insiders: Matt Benyon, the co-founder of Scramble and Polaris, and Hywel Teague, jiu-jitsu / grappling commentator and analyst. Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unknown-pressures-a-jiu-jitsu-podcast/id1838001583   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/61hk0ul9sltg2sKJyPNnjo?si=480898a6fb244b8a   Follow Unknown Pressures on IG: https://www.instagram.com/unknownpressures  Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon  Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague    Timestamps 0:00 Nicholas Meregali tried to rug pull the jiu-jitsu world 11:06 Let’s be honest here, TRT is a PED 24:39 How NOT to do social media as a pro athlete 33:48 UFC BJJ Opens: a success with the kids 41:25 Q&A: Sakuraba vs Aoki, who has the better legacy?