F2W 189 Denver
On 4 December I had the pleasure of shooting at the F2W (Fight 2 Win) event in Denver thanks to a friend and teammate that works for the organization. If you haven't heard of F2W, it is the premier professional BJJ and grappling organization in the US. Before the pandemic they did shows just about every weekend in various cities throughout the US. I am happy that they made it through the pandemic and are back to doing live shows. To me, F2W has the best rule-set as far as "sub only, pro grappling" is concerned. Legitimate submission attempts count more than grabbing a position and stalling, generally leading to more action on the F2W stage. If there isn't a submission, no one is gifted with a position that they couldn't achieve on their own during the fight/match (that's a debate for later. Leave a comment below on your thoughts....). Back to the original topic of this blog.
F2W 189 in Denver was headlined by 2 great world class grapplers in Michael Liera Jr, Logos/Atos Jiu-Jitsu, vs PJ Barch, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. Just about every match on the card was action packed, especially the main event. So action packed that I barely noticed I was standing the entire time.
I shot the majority of the show with my Sony a9 and new Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM lens. Great combo for sports and I'm looking forward to shooting more sports/combat sporting events. A few times I switched to the Sigma 35mm f/1.4, but that was just for shots of the t-shirt table and We Defy Foundation booth. Look into the veteran ran We Defy Foundation if you haven't heard of it. They do great work. I believe in their work so much that I became an ambassador for the organization during my time in California and I am looking to continue that work here in Colorado.
Again, F2W is an amazing show. I highly recommend attending one live. Its like Jiu-Jitsu meets a concert. Seth Daniels and the Team No Sleep crew are the best thing happening in professional grappling. They are actually putting money back into grappler's pockets instead of taking money and handing out a cheap medal.
The photos that I took can be found here, available for digital download and/or prints.
Big shout out to Sean "HBK" Joseph aka Fave Ref.
Devo Fields Shoot Proof Site Link
Devo Fields Photography Site Link