World-class black belts PJ Barch and Dante Leon will run it back Friday, July 14, at 247 Fighting Championships: Sprawl in the Burgh.

247 Fighting Championships, a combat sports promotion based in Pittsburgh, PA, will host its inaugural cage grappling super fights event Friday, July 14, inside the Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, PA. 

The event, named “Sprawl in the Burgh,” features Barch (10th Planet Team) and Leon (Adamas Jiu-Jitsu) in the main event. The bout will take place at a weight of 170 pounds.

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“We’re coming off our 18th MMA show since we began in April of 2019, and we continue to grow in the Greater Pittsburgh region with each and every event,” 247 Fighting Championships General Manager Hunter Homistek said. “The timing felt right to dive into the world of submission grappling, and we’re beyond excited to kick things off with Barch vs. Leon atop the Sprawl in the Burgh card.

“This isn’t just a big matchup for Pittsburgh. This a big matchup anywhere in the world.” 

Barch and Leon faced each other twice in 2022, with Barch winning via decision in May at GrappleFest 12 and Leon winning via submission (armbar) at the 2022 ADCC World Championships in September. 

Now, at Sprawl in the Burgh, both men will have a chance to settle the score in a 10-minute, submission-only, no-gi super fight inside the 247 Fighting Championships cage. 

“These guys are as evenly matched as it gets,” 247 Fighting Championships owner Ryan Middleton said. “Besides being a match between two of the very best in the world in their weight class, it’s just a flat-out fun stylistic matchup. Skill for skill, these two stack up perfectly, as we’ve seen. It’s a promoter’s and a fan’s dream.” 

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Sprawl in the Burgh will also feature some of Western Pennsylvania’s top black and brown belts during the main card as well as more novice belts during the undercard portion of the show. 

“Our goal as a promotion has been the same since Day 1: Grow the combat sports community in Western Pennsylvania,” Homistek said. “There is such a rich history of grappling, wrestling, and boxing excellence in Pittsburgh, and Sprawl in the Burgh represents the next step toward cultivating, developing, and showcasing that talent on a larger scale.” 

All matches aside from Barch vs. Leon will be six minutes and will utilize the same submission-only format. In the event that neither fighter secures a submission at the end of six minutes, the referee will declare a victor. 

Tickets to Sprawl in the Burgh begin at $45 and can be purchased online at 247fighting.com.

The all-ages event is also available to purchase via PPV on 247 Fighting Championships’ exclusive streaming platform, 247 Live (stream247live.com on the web; 247 Live app for iOS, Roku, and Apple TV). 

The PPV features an early-bird price of $19.99.

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The event will cost $29.99 the week of the show (beginning July 9, 2023). Viewers can also access the live Sprawl in the Burgh PPV and all of 247 Fighting Championships’ live events as well as all past events with an all-access annual subscription ($89.99/year). 

For media opportunities, sponsorship opportunities, or general information, contact Hunter Homistek at hunter@247fighting.com.