People who follow the submission-only circuit may have heard the name Jordan Peitzman tossed around. The tough purple belt has made a name for himself both as a competitor and as an event promoter.
This year, his promotion, Sub Spectrum, will be putting on their most ambitious event yet. Sub Spectrum 4 is drawing elite level North American grapplers to Iowa for what is sure to be an electrifying event.
I had a chance to chat a bit with Peitzman about his organization, this top level event, and his hopes for his contribution to the sport.
I thought it would be interesting to learn a bit about Peitzman as a grappler. Many event promoters are themselves also competitors, and Peitzman fits that mold as a high level competitor.
I am a purple belt competitor under Erik Paulson’s Combat Submission Wrestling and train at No Coast Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Urbandale, Iowa. My main accomplishments are: Jiu Jitsu Kumite 175 lbs Champion, Global Grappling League 170 lbs Champion, Ultimate Mat Warrior Super Fight Champion, Wanderlust Grappling Super Fight Champion, Blue Corner Super Fight Champion.
As a promoter, Peitzman experiences a whole different set of challenges and rewards than he does as a competitor. I was curious about what those challenges and rewards are for him.
The biggest challenge has been finding enough Fruit Gushers and Oreos to satisfy the bottomless sugar pit that is Keith Krikorian’s stomach.
The greatest reward has been being able to connect with so many awesome people. These athletes are incredibly talented and it’s an honor to have them in my event. Promoting is the business, but it doesn’t exist without them. These guys and girls dedicate weeks and weeks of their time to prepare themselves for my event and many of them end up traveling across the country. It is incredibly humbling and I am truly grateful for all the new friendships that I have acquired throughout the process.
Peitzman’s card, which will be live streamed tomorrow, is impressive and has a deep list of competitors:
Our main event super fight: Jared Dopp vs Matt Leighton…If you don’t know who Matt Leighton is, you will soon. Matt tore through the IBJJF scene as a brown belt collecting 1st place finishes at No-Gi Worlds, No-Gi Pans, and Europeans. He’s been on a tear since receiving his black belt, going 2-0 on the F2W stage and taking gold at the UAEJJF’s North American, Mexican, and Canadian Pros.
Our $2,000.00 155-pound tournament includes EBI vet and 10th Planet Freaks representative Keith Krikorian who returns to defend his 155-pound title. Alongside him will be Metamoris Challenger 155-pound Champion Aleksandar Rajacic, Sapateiro Champion and Tristar Gym representative Pierre-Olivier Leclerc, Submission Underground vet Shawn Weisenburgh, and more!
The full card:
Jared Dopp (Lovato) vs Matt Leighton (Tipping Point BJJ)
Nate Fenton (Breaking Point BJJ) vs Samuel Queen (Glory MMA)
Ben Thelke (No Coast BJJ) vs Tony Curry (Tipping Point BJJ)
Derrick Flaig (No Coast BJJ) vs Maurice Zakhem (10th Planet Chicago)
Kristine Campbell (10th Planet Omaha) vs Alana Ray (The Darkside)
Caelan Hester (10th Planet Omaha) vs Colby Heller (Pinnacle Jiu Jitsu)
155 lbs tournament:
Keith Krikorian (10th Planet Freaks)
Shawn Weisenburgh (Mat Chess MMA)
Jordan Holy (The Darkside)
Damion Shehan (10th Planet Altoona)
Aleksandar Rajacic (Chicago MMA)
Pierre-Olivier Leclerc (Tristar Gym)
Troy Edmond Russell (Oklahoma Martial Arts)
Justin Fabac (Kansas City BJJ)
Alex Hernandez (Tennessee BJJ)
Corey Brokaw (Rising Phoenix)
Kirk Huff (St. Charles MMA)
Doug Williams (Alliance Ames)
Sean French (American Top Team – KC)
Ryan Yamada (10th Planet Omaha)
Kyle Perkins (Team Curran MMA)
Damon Morgan (Unified Jiu Jitsu)
Many may wonder what the matchups to watch are. This is afterall a stacked event. But many readers may not know these names. Here are Peitzman’s expectations
For obvious reasons, our main event, Jared Dopp vs Matt Leighton, likely proves to be the highlight of the night. An established world class competitor in Jared Dopp takes on a rising star in Matt Leighton who believes he has the skills to defeat the ADCC runner-up.
In the 155-pound tournament, a potential rematch between Keith Krikorian and Pierre-Olivier Leclerc is one that I am particularly excited about. These two faced off at Bruce Sek’s Jiu Jitsu Kumite last year. Early in the match Keith locked in a beautiful armbar from the bottom of side control forcing Pierre to make noises that some would have considered a verbal tap. Pierre eventually went on to win by heel hook. I think both of these guys will look forward to playing that one back.
A potential final between either one of those two and Metamoris Challenger 155-pound Champion Aleksandar Rajacic is a match that ALL fans should be looking forward to! Also Shawn Weisenburgh won the recent SUG 8-man Brown Belt tournament. However, this field is full of hungry killers and I would not be surprised to see a few of them rise to the occasion and take upset victories over the favorites.
Peitzman’s shout outs and final words for this interview
Just a huge thank you to everybody who has helped with planning this event. I have a team of about 30 people and I’d love to mention them all but I would forget somebody. You know who you are and I love you. Another thank you to all of our sponsors: Des Moines’ own Beef Cake Fuel and Superhuman Lab, Datsusara, Newaza Apparel, Defense Soap, Cannabody, Savage Essentials, and Papa’s Pizzeria.
The event will be streamed in HD – LIVE and FREE on the Sub Spectrum Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch Channel. The show starts at 6 PM Central with the 155 lbs tournament followed by our main event Sub Spectrum 4: Dopp vs Leighton.
