Five athletes left Carrollton, Texas, with more than a qualifier medal on October 11. Each earned a place in the Professional Grappling Federation’s Season 10 draft pool.
The Dallas Mustangs qualifier produced winners across PGF’s five men’s no-gi weight classes:
- 145 pounds: James Ortiz
- 155 pounds: Tristan Caballero
- 170 pounds: Richar Nogueira
- 185 pounds: Dominic DuCharme
- 205 pounds: Brandon George
Their next step is not a conventional tournament bracket. It is a draft.
Winning Opens the Door
PGF is building Season 10 around eight teams and ten athletes per roster. Each franchise preselects five competitors, one at each weight, then drafts five more from the qualified field.
That distinction is important. Winning an official qualifier earns an athlete access to the draft pool. It does not guarantee that one of the eight teams will select that athlete.
Dallas raised the confirmed pool to 25 competitors across the five divisions. The group already includes winners from qualifiers in Colorado, Brisbane, North Carolina, Houston, Philadelphia and St. Louis.
For Ortiz, Caballero, Nogueira, DuCharme and George, the Dallas result means their names now sit in front of every PGF franchise preparing for the draft. What happens next will depend on how teams value style, weight-class needs and roster fit.
A Different Kind of Local Opportunity
The qualifier structure gives smaller events a direct connection to a professional league. An athlete does not need an invitation based only on reputation or social reach. The clearest route into the selection process is to enter an official qualifier and win.
That makes a regional weekend in Texas matter beyond the building where it happened.
The five Dallas champions are not yet Season 10 roster members. They have earned the right to be considered alongside every other qualifier winner, while teams retain control of the final selections.
For developing professional grapplers, that is a meaningful distinction. It is also a transparent one. The result creates an opportunity, but the athlete still has another threshold to cross.
The Pool Is Still Growing
PGF’s next official qualifier is scheduled for October 17 in Las Vegas. The event will again offer divisions at 145, 155, 170, 185 and 205 pounds, with each winner entering the Season 10 draft pool.
Additional qualifiers are scheduled to follow, including events in Colorado and Alabama. As those winners are added, the competition for the final roster spots will become clearer.
Dallas supplied the latest five names.
Now they wait to hear which teams believe they belong in Season 10.
View the official PGF Season 10 qualifier results and draft pool