PODCAST · sports
Grappling Hour
by Raf Esparza
A show hosted by Verbal Tap's Raf Esparza, featuring a mix of athlete interviews, on-site coverage, and commentary.
Episodes
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Adrian Segovia
Lights Out Xtreme Fighting stand out, Adrian Segovia, dropped by MAMMA this week to do an interview with me. You’ll hear all about our impromptu 30-minute roll (spoiler: he kept things intense even just days after his last fight!) and the hilarious beef I thought we had before realizing he…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Byron Valle
I got the chance sit down in person with UNF champ Byron Valle. We talk about everything from childhood fights in bounce houses to starting Muay Thai at 18. Byron opens up about how his roots and family, especially his late grandfather, have motivated him to stay on a positive path and inspire...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Nathan Hawthorne
Nate shares his journey from being a childhood pro wrestling superfan (complete with homemade matches, sibling rivalries, ER visits, and decked-out living rooms), to competing in MMA, kickboxing, jiu jitsu, and even teaching striking at 10th Planet Beaumont. The two dive into grappling for MMA…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Dylan Morales
In our latest episode, we sit down with Sparstar MMA champ Dylan Morales. Dive into Dylan's unique journey, where his love for mathematics meets the art of grappling. Learn about his training techniques, his aspirations beyond the cage, and how he balances his athletic career with academic goals....
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GRAPPLING HOUR wtih Dory Aoun
Dory Aoun made an amazing comeback at the PGF qualifiers. One of his early matches ended in controversy, but he managed to fight his way through the consolidation bracket to secure a spot in the highly anticipated seventh season of the PGF. We're stoked to share that he pulled it off. In this...
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BULLPEN COURT: WHAT IS THE BEST HALLOWEEN CANDY? (Episode 32 - The Bullpen)
As Halloween approaches, the age-old question arises: Which candy reigns supreme? In our latest episode, we dive into a spirited debate between Snickers and Sour Patch Kids. On a recent episode of THE BULLPEN, our hosts KEVIN SHERRILL and TIM FREEMAN passionately argue their cases, bringing humor...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Noah Chen
This week, our buddy NOAH CHEN is back on the show. After snagging the win at Subversiv XI, we'll catch up with Noah about his training routine and what's next on his martial arts journey. We'll also discuss how he earned the chance to represent the US and his exciting plans beyond Southern...
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CLIP: Bullpen Court - Do We Really Need to do Gordon vs. Downey... Again? (Bullpen - Episode 31)
Gordon Ryan is a big deal in jiu-jitsu, and there might be a rematch in the works with Pat Downey after his recent performance at the Craig Jones Invitational. The big question is: Do we really need to see Gordon vs. Downey again? Tim Freeman and Kevin Sherrill are debating this on BULLPEN COURT,...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Jared Fekete
This week, we sit down with Jared Fekete, a Marine Corps veteran and accomplished wrestler, to delve into his captivating journey. From his early days on the wrestling mat to his transition to jiu-jitsu, Jared's story is one of resilience and determination. From his epic bear suit walkout at the...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Sebastian Attard
Your first PGF Season 7 qualifier winner, SEBASTIAN ATTARD, joins us to talk about the spectacular performance that saw him go unbeaten at the first trials for the highly anticipated season of PGF. We chart his progress from his early days of playing the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme song to…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Kody Steele
NOTE: We’re re-releasing a remastered version of this episode in honor of our pal Kody Steele earning his contract in the UFC. This episode — recorded in May of 2024 — was released just after we discovered he would be fighting at the DWCS. Hear all about how it happened. Did you hear the big…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with John Evans
JOHN EVANS makes his GRAPPLING HOUR debut. Wait, that can't be right? He's been on the show before as an analyst and commentator, but – believe it or not – he's never actually been interviewed. In this episode, we delve into John Evans' unique journey in the jiu-jitsu community, his…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Abraham La Montagne
Today we chat with Abraham La Montagne — namesake of "the Abe Lock" — a move that has a growing list of victims (myself included). In this episode, Abraham shares his journey from his early days in football and wrestling to becoming a professional grappler under the guidance of John Danaher at…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Bryan Peterson
Welcome back to RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where BJJ and pop culture intersect. On today's show, we've got our pal BRYAN PETERSON joining us to take on the following topics: • FIRE • DOG • SUMMER • DOT • ASK • REBOOT —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to https://www.rafesparza.com/merch…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Travis Thomas (6/25/24)
Welcome back to RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where BJJ and pop culture intersect. On today's show, we've got our pal TRAVIS THOMAS joining us to take on the following topics: • EASY • GO TO • PITCH • HELP • SIGN UP • PUMPS —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Joshua Brown
Meet Joshua Brown – a rising star in the world of MMA! In this episode, Joshua shares his incredible journey from Division One wrestling to mixed martial arts and training at King's MMA in Anaheim. His dedication to the sport is truly inspiring. We talk about Joshua's wrestling background and how...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Sean Applegate
In this episode, SEAN APPLEGATE shares invaluable insights into the importance of tape study, managing diverse personalities in the gym, and high-level competition strategies. This episode is a treasure trove of knowledge, providing essential guidance for athletes, coaches, and jiu-jitsu...
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CLIP - STRESS TEST - How BJJ Struggles as its seeks mainstream acceptance (Bullpen - Episode 13)
In one of the wildest BJJ weeks in recent memory, I took some time to address two issues that came up in the community that identify the struggles we have as a sport as we court mainstream acceptance. You can find the full episode of this week's episode of THE BULLPEN with myself and TIM FREEMAN...
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CLIP - The Worst Takes on the Craig Jones Invitational, Part 2 (CLIP: Bullpen - Episode 12)
We spent some time going over some of the worst takes about the CJI/ADCC situation -- and wouldn't you know it, some of the takes in the comment section somehow managed to get worse. As such, I took a few minutes on our latest episode of The Bullpen to address those silly arguments. Bring your...
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Alec Baulding (6/18/24)
Welcome back to RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where BJJ and pop culture intersect. On today's show, we've got our pal ALEC BAULDING joining us to take on the following topics: • RULE • EDIT • BETTER • RID • CONFUSE • QUOTE —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to…
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CLIP - The Worst Takes on the Craig Jones Invitational... so far (Bullpen - Episode 11)
In just a few days, the CJI has ignited some buzz. After hearing a handful of terrible arguments about the situation (and the implications it might have on ADCC), I decided to address a few of the worst takes we’ve heard so far on the most recent episode of THE BULLPEN. You can also catch the…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Ryan Aitken
RYAN AITKEN is a two-time Combat Jiu Jitsu champ, but he knew he was in for an epic tournament at the EBI ABSOLUTES. Not only was he out there to continue showing out for his 10th Planet Atlanta crew, but he knew there would be eyeballs on his performance from major promotions that are taking…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with JB Bechtloff (6/12/24)
Welcome back to RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where BJJ and pop culture intersect. On today's show, we've got B-Team coach and competitor JB BECHTLOFF joining us to take on the following topics: • PITCH • MESSAGE • CREATIVE • FIRE • DON'T • RANK —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Eddie Bernal
EDDIE BERNAL shocked audiences back at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting in May when he announced that he was retiring from MMA. At just 25, the announcement came as a shock to many of his family and friends. So in this interview, I wanted to give Eddie the opportunity to fully explain his reasoning for...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Rick Zelada
I had the pleasure of catching RICK ZELADA's recent fight at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting back in May. Rick and I have run into each other here and there at some local open mats here in Southern California. And while I was rooting for my guy to come back with a W (spoiler: he did), I had no idea of...
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Musab Raza (5/7/24)
We're finally back with RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where Jiu-Jitsu and pop culture mix. Our buddy MUSAB RAZA makes his Grappling Hour debut. Here are the topics for today’s show: • MET • DEFLATE • SACRIFICE • MIGHTY • LIST • SHUT UP —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Sean Yadimarco
SEAN YADIMARCO has been a lowkey assassin on the East Coast, stringing together some impressive performances at ADCC trials, IBJJF, and Finishers Sub Only tournaments. After his last Finishers performance, we got in touch with the reigning and defending champ to ask about his time in the Blue...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Mike John
Fresh off his win at the PGF qualifier, MIKE JOHN returns to the show to discuss his journey to the epic sixth season of the sub only showcase. Mike is a longtime friend of the show, so it was great to compare notes on what he's been up to lately, how he dialed in his flawless performance at the...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Jake Babian
JAKE BABIAN has been building steam out here in the SoCal fight scene, so it only made sense that when the folks over at Subversiv were putting together a card filled with some of the most intense athletes in combat sports, they put an offer out to this young up-and-comer. On April 13th, Jake…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Elijah Dorsey (4/2/24)
ADCC Trials Winner ELIJAH DORSEY joins us today to take on the board on RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where jiu-jitsu intersects with pop culture. On the board today: - BIG - POWER - WORST - SCANDAL - FAST - SUPER —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to https://www.rafesparza.com/merch You can...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Eddie Bernal
Eddie Bernal was nice enough to make the trek up to Milton Arguello's Mixed Martial Arts Academy to talk about his epic 1st round KO at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. This interview was an excellent discussion of how we bounce back from a performance that haunts us. We discussed how the impacts from...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Lyzz Mitrovic
I have to say, this was one of our nerdiest episodes. A few days after punching her ticket to ADCC, we got the chance to speak with LYZZ MITROVIC about her ADCC trials experience, comparing notes on everything from preparation, game faces, and (yes) even Whoop scores and rankings. This is also…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Gabriel Daffron
We got the chance to speak with the CJJ Worlds featherweight champ, GABRIEL DAFFRON, shortly after his big win. We talk about his run at CJJ, the build up to it, how it felt to accomplish that major goal, as well as what is coming up next for this longtime friend of the show. Additionally, we get...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Joseph Rodriguez
I've often said it is hardest to get an interview with me if you are one of my friends. I tend to hold our local pals to a higher standard. That's why it made me so happy to see the performance given by our pal, JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ, at the last UP NEXT FIGHTING a couple weeks ago. Here, we talk to...
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Alex Enriquez (3/25/24)
Welcome to Running the Gauntlet with Alex Enriquez -- the show where jiu-jitsu meets pop culture. On the board today: - MARK - MIDDLE - DISAGREE - PREDICT - ROADHOME - LIST —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to https://www.rafesparza.com/merch You can purchase our BRAND NEW Grappling Hour…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Roberto Arias
Back at SPARSTAR 59, I made some errors with this young man's name. He put on a spectacular performance, and somehow, my commentary made him less inclined to want to watch that fight. Yet, he graciously agreed to come up to my gym for an interview and I somehow messed up on giving him directions...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Christian Dighero
Back at Sparstar 59, I had the pleasure of commentating CHRISTIAN DIGHERO's fight against (our good friend) Eleno Almanza. I was excited to see this fight play out and was very impressed with the way that Christian carried himself in that fight. After years of watching him grind out some…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Bryan Peterson (3/18/24)
Had a fun one today with our good pal Bryan Peterson on Running the Gauntlet — the show where jiu-jitsu meets pop culture. On the board today: - THANK U - RSVP - RANK - POWER - IRON - REVIVE —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to https://www.rafesparza.com/merch You can purchase our BRAND NEW...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Garry Tonon
"The Lion Killer" returns to the show to talk about his latest win at ONE FC, his thoughts about Gordon's stolen truck, and how John Danaher expresses his disappointment. We catch up with our longtime nemesis, GARRY TONON, and find out what he plans to do with the extra 50k bonus he received from...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Julian Espinosa
We were finally able to track down Mr. Money in the Bank, Julián Espinosa, and get him to do a proper interview with us. Back in December, Julián competed at No Gi worlds and then immediately hopped a red eye to go compete at Finishers Sub Only Jiu Jitsu on the East Coast on just two hours of…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with David Garmo (3/12/24)
On this week's post-UFC 299 and Oscars episode, we've got DAVID GARMO joining us for this installment of RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where pop culture and jiu-jitsu meet. This week's board: • DIAMOND • UNION • BEST • LIST • WHERE • STYLE —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on over to...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Anthony Ruiz
We got the chance to sit down and chat with ANTHONY RUIZ, a.k.a. "Sideshow Jiu Jitsu," the man behind some of the funniest jiu-jitsu videos you've seen on Instagram and TikTok. We talk about his early days in jiu-jitsu, how he started to come up with jiu-jitsu comedy videos and discuss his...
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Alex Grandy
Subversiv and ADCC Trials stand out ALEX GRANDY came on the show today to talk about his incredible 2023 competitive run. We talk about his beginnings in wrestling, how his older brother got him involved in the gentle art, and where he plans to go in the near future. —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Chris Wojcik (3/4/24)
Hey gang, we've got our pal CHRIS WOJECK joining us for this installment of RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where pop culture and jiu-jitsu meet. This week's board: • 99 • FORWARD • NOMINATED • DIVA • MISTAKE • LAZY
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Kevin Sherrill (2/26/24)
Today, our new pal KEVIN SHERRILL joins us for an episode of RUNNING THE GAUNTLET -- the show where jiu-jitsu and pop culture intersect. On today's board: • VIVA • ACAI • MUSICAL • POKEMON • LEAP • VAYCAY
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Jonathan Patrick Wilson ("Officer Grimy")
Today, we've got OFFICER GRIMY himself, JONATHAN PATRICK WILSON, joining us for a chat about his jiu-jitsu beginnings. We get into his competition mindset, the grappling scene in Colorado, and try to get to the bottom of the most unconventional EBI OT there is. —— WE'VE GOT NEW MERCH: Head on…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Taylor Pearman
The winner of the 88kg European Trials, TAYLOR PEARMAN, makes his Grappling Hour debut. We've gone from years of talking trash to one another online to now getting the chance to talk trash in the form of an interview. Here, you'll hear all about his triumphant run last week and the way he was…
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GRAPPLING HOUR with Mark Elliott
Jiu-Jitsu Brown belt and Subversiv vet Mark Elliott joins the show today for a lengthy discussion about pro wrestling in jiu-jitsu, heavy metal, and how competitions have brought out some of his favorite BJJ memories. Be sure to check this one out and go support Mark as he chases a very busy…
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RUNNING THE GAUNTLET with Paul Ardila (2/19/24)
This week on RUNNING THE GAUNTLET, we brought on our very first guest: The best lawyer on the competitive circuit: Paul Ardila. On the board this week: • HYPE • RETIRE • PENALTY • RETIRE • ROBOT • SEQUEL
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A show hosted by Verbal Tap's Raf Esparza, featuring a mix of athlete interviews, on-site coverage, and commentary.
HOSTED BY
Raf Esparza
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Grappling Hour have?
Grappling Hour currently has 137 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Grappling Hour about?
A show hosted by Verbal Tap's Raf Esparza, featuring a mix of athlete interviews, on-site coverage, and commentary.
How often does Grappling Hour release new episodes?
Grappling Hour publishes regularly with 137 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Grappling Hour?
You can listen to Grappling Hour on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Grappling Hour?
Grappling Hour is created and hosted by Raf Esparza.
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