OKLAHOMA CITY — The 2026 Continental Grappling Trials concluded Sunday after three days of competition involving 1,200 athletes across 14 weight classes. Organizers confirmed total entry fee revenue of $180,000. Prize money distributed to champions: $0.
Each weight class winner received a certificate, a bronze medal manufactured in bulk for $3.40 per unit, and the right to represent their region at the International Grappling Championship in São Paulo this October — pending an additional $200 registration fee, $1,200 in flights, $600 in lodging, and whatever meals cost in a city where the exchange rate is not on their side.
“The medal is really heavy,” said men’s middleweight champion Derek Stowell, 29, holding the certificate in his other hand. “You can feel the quality.”
Stowell won four matches over three days to earn his slot. His total competition time at the Trials was 22 minutes and 14 seconds. His projected competition time at the International Championship, based on his weight class’s historical data, is approximately 90 seconds — the average duration of a first-round loss for a Trials qualifier.
Event director Mariana Cabral addressed the $180,000 in collected fees during a press conference held in the venue’s auxiliary parking lot.
“That money goes back into the sport,” Cabral said, without elaborating. When pressed, she cited “operational costs, referee compensation, and administrative infrastructure” — a phrase that accounted for every dollar without identifying any specific dollar.
Asked whether any portion could fund travel stipends for champions, Cabral said the organization was “exploring conversations” and that athletes compete “for the love of the art.”
Last year’s middleweight Trials champion, Garrett Embry, 31, spent $2,340 traveling to the 2025 International Championship in Lisbon. He lost his first match by submission in one minute and forty-seven seconds. He used the remaining six days of his non-refundable hotel reservation to sightsee.
“Priceless,” Embry said of the experience. He has already registered for this year’s Trials. Entry fee: $150.
A financial breakdown of the average Trials champion’s journey:
Regional entry fee: $150 Training camp (12 weeks): $960 International registration: $200 Flights: $1,200 Hotel (3 nights): $600 Meals and transport: $275 Airport parking: $68 Total invested: $3,453 Prize money received: $0 Average international competition time: 94 seconds Cost per second of competition: $36.73
Stowell said he was not concerned about the math.
“You can’t put a price on competing at that level,” he said.
He then asked if the photographer knew whether the venue validated parking.