We're taking on a tough topic in today's episode and to be honest we need your opinions on this. Exclusivity is currently one of the dirtiest words in jiu-jitsu as fans are complaining that contracts are holding back the sport and preventing us from seeing the best possible matches.

Matt and Hywel discuss the UFC BJJ's recent signing spree and how the exclusive terms will even go so far as to prevent athletes from competing on ADCC, which has always been seen as one of the biggest and most important events in the sport.

Speaking of ADCC, they recently announced they would finally be changing their prize structure, doubling the cash prizes for champions and podium finishers. The women are still getting short changed though, and good old Craig Jones has stepped in and said he'll make up the difference to ensure they're equally paid. Common Craig win.

We also discuss the possibility of Grappling (capital G) ever making it into the Olympics. This follows the recent news that UWW, the global governing body for Olympic wrestling, has partnered with AIGA to develop their presence in the jiu-jitsu world, but with a clear eye on and path to Olympic inclusion. Matt's suspicious, Hywel's cautiously interested.

Matt opens up about his first Quintet experience in Tokyo, where he took a now-legendary team to compete in Sakuraba's first grappling event. He gives us an inside look at what it was like to be in Japan with Craig and co, it's fun stuff.

Episode 21 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/id183800158

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:20 Exclusive contracts in jiu-jitsu

24:36 UFC BJJ vs ADCC

42:58 ADCC prize money

Love them or hate them, you're always going to tune in to see the "heel". From Gordon to Dillon Danis, bad guys bring the heat. Even UFC BJJ knows the value of a bad boy gatekeeper, as we discuss in the latest episode of Unknown Pressures.

It's a bumper episode for you today. There were two big no-gi events to recap, namely the wild 2nd ADCC European Trials in Serbia, and the return of Nicholas Meregali at the most recent UFC BJJ.

We also discuss the announcements that Gordon is retiring, Craig Jones may face or may not face Dillon Danis in a grappling match at CJI 3, and that Netflix is getting into the MMA business by booking a weird yet wonderful fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano (it's not really about jiu-jitsu but it's too crazy to ignore).

We also look ahead to Polaris 36 (Match 7th), and Matt shares some of the inner workings of what it's like to be Creative Director of Scramble – be warned, he nerds out about Japanese fightwear brands but does reveal his biggest sources for inspiration.

Episode 20 of @UnknownPressures 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 Matt went on holiday without telling anybody

2:21 Gordon Ryan is retiring

12:50 Craig Jones vs Dillon Danis is legit?

19:03 Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano

23:56 What can jiu-jitsu promotions learn from the Netflix model?

26:00 A look ahead to Polaris 36

32:09 Matt still doesn't love UFC BJJ

34:38 UFC BJJ's biggest draw was Meregali

37:25 Why Mikey Musumeci vs Arman Tsarukyan would be sick

43:46 Why bad guys can lose and still get called back to pro BJJ events

45:53 ADCC Trials: a real moment for the European no-gi scene

54:24 Standout non-winners from Trials

1:03:25 The ethics of charging media for coverage

Even in a sprawling family of world-class fighters, there are some who stand apart from the rest. Through their titles and accomplishments they have earned the right to be included on this list of The Five Greatest Gracie Family Fighters of All Time. And nope, Rickson doesn't make it onto the list! 

Support us on Patreon for uncut, extended episodes, early access, bonus content and more! We also include some honourable mentions of Gracies who didn't quite make the list but still deserve to be included. 

Episode 19 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/

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It was a rollercoaster weekend for jiu-jitsu: Matt and Hywel were in Wales for the excellent Polaris Squads event that saw Team Polaris take a close win against Team WNO, while on the other side of the world a major shockwave rocked one of the biggest and most successful teams in the world of jiu-jitsu.

A female member of the Atos team levelled accusations of sexual assault and misconduct toward Andre Galvao and the Atos leadership team, which provoked a swift and serious response from leading figures in the community.

In this episode Hywel and Matt recap their experience of Polaris 35 and tackle the pressing topic of safe guarding (or lack of) in jiu-jitsu.

Patreon supporters get access to the full extended episode which includes a Q&A with our supporters and social media followers.

Please remember if you or somebody you know has been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode, there are ways to seek help. We urge any and all victims to go to the relevant authorities and denounce transgressions.

Episode 18 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/

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Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague 

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UnknownPressures | Matt and Hywel are reunited at Polaris 35 for the Squads event between Team WNO and Team Polaris. We managed to catch up quickly backstage between matches and discussed how ADCC is going to influence the sport in 2026, the expansion polans for Polaris over the coming months and we try to figure out how much money the IBJJF are making each year.

Episode 17 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else.

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 

Metamoris exploded onto the jiu-jitsu scene in 2012 and immediately set a new standard for what pro grappling could (and should) look like. It started off strong, but quickly gained a controversial reputation for questionable business practices before spectacularly imploding as they left a string of unpaid bills behind them. Even still, it was an iconic event that had a huge impact on the grappling world and the complicated legacy acts as both inspiration and caution to others.

From Ralek Gracie's noble yet ultimately disastrous attempt to professionalise grappling, to Rickson's one-and-done kumite-style jiu-jitsu event, to obscure Japanese submission wrestling and more – this episode sees us discuss some of the weirdest, wildest and most memorable jiu-jitsu and grappling events from years past.

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:

Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon

Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague 

Gordon Ryan and Marcelo Garcia are obvious choices, but who else shaped the development of the modern no-gi game? We list the Top 5 most influential no-gi grapplers whose impact on jiu-jitsu changed the art forever.

We're now live on Patreon! Early releases, extended episodes, and exclusive community discussion for members, plus more perks to be announced soon. Check us out: https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures 

Episode 15 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else.

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 

Hello people, we're back and bigger and better than ever. This is the free version of the podcast – over at the full-length Patreon exclusive episode, you'll get access to over 30 minutes of extra content unavailable anywhere else.

https://patreon.com/UnknownPressures

Hywel has some strong opinions on what's going to happen to the gi this year, Matt questions everything we've been told to believe about ADCC, and Patreon supporters will hear us dive into one of jiu-jitsu's most controversial topics when we take on the eco debate.

Episode 14 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else.

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 

After a short interruption to our schedule (thanks, jiu-jitsu flu) we are back and we recap the major topics and best performances from the world of jiu-jitsu in 2025. 

Topics of discussion include: 

Episode 13 of Unknown Pressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else. 

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:

Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthew.benyon

Follow Hywel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hywelteague 

Hollywood has made some great films about fighting, but few about MMA and none at all about jiu-jitsu. In this episode Hywel and Matt discuss 2025 movie The Smashing Machine, which stars The Rock and Emily Blunt and tells the story of the infamous Mark Kerr, former UFC and ADCC champion.

We question why Hollywood hasn't embraced jiu-jitsu despite it's popularity, how a series of influential BJJ documentaries inspired a generation of grapplers, and Hywel gives an update on the controversial Red Belts documentary.

Episode 12 of @UnknownPressures is out now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else.

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