Kinektic to debut August 16th on UFC Fight Pass; Paige VanZant to do commentary

UFC FIGHT PASS today announced that it will exclusively stream the first-ever submission grappling event produced by Kinektic, a new team-formatted grappling promotion. This event will be streamed live from the Anaheim Business Expo Center on Friday, August 16th at 10 pm EST.

Co-founded by UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, Las Vegas entrepreneur Keith Veltre and award-winning combat sports announcer Sean Wheelock, Kinektic is a unique tournament-style promotion that will feature athletes from various combat sports disciplines, including mixed martial arts, grappling, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and more.

All Kinektic events will feature four competing teams, each comprising five world-class grapplers, in a tournament consisting of semifinals and a championship final. Additionally, all events will feature a grappling "Super Fight," which will feature additional participants not already competing in the tournament.

The captains of the four star-powered teams are UFC veteran and MMA media personality Chael Sonnen, world-class grappler Craig Jones, UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith, and former UFC welterweight Chris Lytle.

Said UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber in a prepared statement: “Being a lifetime mixed martial artist and dedicating more than 27 years to the world of grappling, I’m excited and honoured to be a founder of the new Kinektic promotion." Continued Faber: “We want to bring the technique, fierce competitiveness, and star power of the world’s best grappling talent to the masses, and UFC FIGHT PASS is allowing us to do exactly that by showcasing our event to their subscribers.”

Faber, who was named Kinektic’s Vice President of Business Development, will also serve as a mat-side and backstage interviewer. Joining Faber will be UFC women’s flyweight Paige VanZant, who will serve as the lead colour commentator, and Sean Wheelock, who will provide play-by-play commentary.

This one-night tournament consists of bouts with eight-minute time limits. Losers of the semifinal matches are eliminated, while draws result in the elimination of both athletes. The first team with five members eliminated will be out of the competition. Meanwhile, the surviving team will be declared the winner.

A feature unique to Kinektic Grappling is that the order in which athletes compete is not predetermined. There are 30 seconds between each bout and each team captain will be responsible for strategically deciding which team member will participate next. All members of each team must compete at least once. Captains will also have the option to compete for their team.

Ticket information, full team rosters, and Super Fight competitors will be announced soon. More information can and will be found online at www.ufcfightpass.com.