SuperfightThis episode covers a packed jiu-jitsu weekend with team competition on Saturday and Devin Stevens' superfight on Sunday. Derving and Devin break down what it takes to coach kids and adults through a chaotic tournament day, how the team performed, and what the weekend revealed about the team's growth.We discuss how the youth team finished second, how the adults placed third in no-gi and fourth overall without gi competitors, and why competition is used as a tool to build confidence, humility, and better decision-making.

Key topics

• In this episode, Devin Stevens explains why the Saturday tournament was meant to be a warm-up event, but became a much bigger team test when more youth and adult competitors signed up last minute.
• The team had about 20 youth competitors and 10 to 15 adults planned for an upcoming submission-only tournament in Boone, but the Naga event became an unexpected dress rehearsal.
• Devin shares how coaching tournament day becomes pure autopilot, with constant switching between youth, adult, no-gi, water, warmups, and bracket management.
• The kids' second-place finish stood out most because they used the same positions and sequences they drill in class, especially in bad positions like back control and armbar setups.
• Hallie, a 10-year-old student, hit four flying armbar style attacks across four matches and spent only about 25 seconds of mat time total.
• Another young student, only about five weeks into training, won double gold in the boys division and submitted everyone she faced.
• Devin describes using comp classes and positional sparring to humble overly confident kids, keep them safe, and reinforce that winning and losing are both part of learning.
• The adults placed third in no-gi and fourth overall out of 50 teams, despite having no adult gi competitors and fewer than seven adults total.
• Devin argues the team is especially strong in no-gi submission grappling and that the team environment is a major reason the group keeps improving.
• Sunday’s Toro Cup superfight became a personal test for Devin, who went in with a deliberate plan to avoid relying on his leglock game and instead work on upper-body attacks.
• After getting knee-picked and having his back taken early, Devin adjusted, re-entered leg entanglement, then won with a triangle-to-Kimura sequence.
• Devin reflects on how competition teaches things the gym cannot, including pressure, emotional control, adaptability, and what happens when the unexpected actually happens.
• The conversation returns often to the idea that competition is battle testing, not just scorekeeping, and that the lessons matter more than the medals.

• "Monday's still gonna be Monday. Win or lose."
• "Competition is the closest thing to a life or death situation."
• "Coaching is like my wife and competing is like my side chick."

• Build more well-rounded jiu-jitsu by regularly training both takedowns and guard work.
• Use positional sparring to address weak spots instead of only repeating favorite sequences.
• Encourage competitors to focus on process, not just placement.
• Keep coaching and competing aligned so students can see both sides of the game.
• Trust a plan A, B, C, and D before relying on reaction or improvisation.

Action items

• Build more well-rounded jiu-jitsu by regularly training both takedowns and guard work.
• Use positional sparring to address weak spots instead of only repeating favorite sequences.
• Encourage competitors to focus on process, not just placement.
• Keep coaching and competing aligned so students can see both sides of the game.
• Trust a plan A, B, C, and D before relying on reaction or improvisation.

Derving breaks down UFC 331 with former MMA fighter and teammate Sam “3rd Degree” Burns, using the card as a lens for pressure, adaptation, and what separates fighters who stay composed from those who fall apart. They cover Joshua Van’s title-level poise, Arman Tsarukyan’s ability to adjust when wrestling is shut down, Casey O’Neill’s submission reversal, Sean Sharaf’s career-changing upset, and the reality of losing streaks at the highest level.

Sam adds firsthand perspective from life inside the cage, including fight camps, injuries, weight cuts, and the mental grind of competing when every mistake can flip a fight in seconds.

Key topics

• In this episode, Derving and Sam Burns open with the biggest takeaway from UFC 331: a changing of the guard, with veterans getting tested and newer names taking over.

• Joshua Van’s win over Alexandre Pantoja is used to explain the pressure of being a champion and why defending a belt can be harder than winning it.

• Sam breaks down Van’s striking as some of the cleanest boxing in the division, with elite footwork, counters, and takedown defense.

• The conversation digs into why Van’s five-round performance mattered more than the first result and why finishing pressure builds on champions.

• Arman Tsarukyan’s win over Charles Oliveira is framed as a lesson in patience and adaptation when the A game is being defended well.

• Sam explains how a fighter has to keep working the original game plan long enough for the opening to appear, rather than forcing a bad adjustment too early.

• Sean Sharaf’s knockout of Gable Steveson is discussed as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, and Sam shares how one big win can transform a fighter’s career.

• The panel also covers the reality of losing streaks, especially for fighters like Tai Tuivasa, where confidence, identity, and future opportunities all get squeezed at once.

• Casey O’Neill’s submission recovery becomes a jiu-jitsu example of staying calm under pressure and turning defense into offense.

• Patricio Pitbull’s callout of Jean Silva is treated as a smart matchmaking move that could create a real dogfight and boost Pitbull’s standing in the division.

• Watch how champions handle pressure, not just how they win.

• Pay attention to mid-fight adjustments, especially when plan A gets denied.

• Study how elite fighters manage pace, cardio, and composure over five rounds.

• Remember that big upsets can reshape an entire division overnight.

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Action items

• • Watch how champions handle pressure, not just how they win.
  • Pay attention to mid-fight adjustments, especially when plan A gets denied.
  • Study how elite fighters manage pace, cardio, and composure over five rounds.
  • Remember that big upsets can reshape an entire division overnight.

This episode looks at how emotional control shapes outcomes in grappling, competition, and everyday pressure situations. Derving and Devin Stevens connect that theme to the biggest stories from ADCC Worlds, UFC BJJ moving behind Fight Pass, and Tom Aspinall vacating the UFC heavyweight title.

We discuss how composure, pacing, and adaptability separate champions from frustrated athletes, and how the same ideas apply on the mat and in business or life.

Key topics

• In this episode, Derving and Devin Stevens break down the idea of “redlining” in competition, when fatigue and frustration cause decision making to fall apart.
• Devin explains how overly aggressive movement, losing the game plan, and skipping steps are the clearest signs that an athlete is no longer thinking clearly.
• The conversation distinguishes mental discomfort from technical collapse, with a strong focus on training from bad positions so competition feels familiar under stress.
• They revisit the 60/40 and 50/50 training balance between offense and defense, and how practice should include both slower technical reps and high pace, high pressure rounds.
• They react to UFC BJJ moving upcoming events behind Fire Pass, arguing that the paywall may create a bigger barrier for casual fans than it does a stronger professional ecosystem.
• They compare UFC BJJ to ADCC, wrestling, and other combat sports platforms, with Devin saying ADCC still carries more prestige and bigger dream matchups.
• The episode covers Tom Aspinall vacating the UFC heavyweight title because of ongoing eye complications, framing it as a long-term career decision rather than a failure.
• Derving and Devin discuss the psychological cost of giving up a championship and separating identity from a title.
• ADCC Worlds in Krakow gets a full breakdown, including standout runs from Luke Griffith, Victor Hugo, Magomed Survive, Felipe Pena, Kennedy Maciel Cobrinha Jr., and others.
• They highlight Luke Griffith’s improved composure and pacing, Victor Hugo’s elite guard at heavyweight, and Magomed Survive’s pressure-based wrestling as major signs of where elite grappling is heading.
• Felipe Pena’s absolute title run gets major praise, especially his ability to recover after a tough weight-class outing and keep competing with patience and confidence.

• • The episode closes with a deep dive into emotional control after provocation, using examples from competition, coaching, and a real-world business meeting scenario.

Action items

• Build a three-second reset into your pre-match or pre-meeting routine.
• Train from bad positions so discomfort feels familiar instead of panicked.
• Practice both offense and defense in the gym, not just one side.
• Review losses for lessons, then move on quickly instead of replaying them emotionally.
• Ignore crowd noise and focus only on your coach and teammates when it matters.