Qualifier Recap
Travis Haven Wins a Third Title in Seven Days as Chase Sosa Rallies in St. Louis
Haven adds 170-pound gold to his 185 and 205 titles. Sosa wins at 145 with late back-take finishes in the semifinal and final as the Outlaws debut delivers 19 submissions in 21 matches.
Travis Haven finishes his third qualifier title in seven calendar days with a 52-second heel hook. Frame from the October 2 St. Louis Outlaws broadcast.
TRUESDALE, MO — Three weight classes. Three qualifier titles. Seven calendar days. Travis Haven added the 170-pound championship at the St. Louis Outlaws’ first PGF qualifier on October 2, following his 185-pound win in Doylestown on September 26 and his 205-pound title in West Reading the next day. Every opponent he actually faced Friday night tapped in less than a minute.
Chase Sosa took a more dramatic route to the 145-pound title. Twice, with the match still in doubt, he found the back and finished a rear-naked choke. His semifinal turned in the final minute. His championship match ended with 70 seconds left. Together, Sosa and Haven closed an Outlaws debut that produced 19 submissions in 21 contested matches.
Haven makes his case at a third weight
Haven’s first exchange with John Heo showed why preparing for his leg locks is only part of the problem. When Heo cleared the early attacks and worked on top, Haven climbed into an armbar from closed guard. The finish came in 49 seconds.
After an unplayed advancement in the next round, Haven met Noah Roland in the semifinal. Roland had already submitted two opponents and was finding angles to pass. Haven caught the head and arm, trapped Roland in a triangle position and extended the arm for the submission at 52 seconds.
Josiah Triezenberg arrived in the final with an 11-second Achilles lock over Justin Fabac and a heel hook over Jack Lunardi. Against Haven, the leg exchanges went both ways before Haven secured the decisive heel hook. Another 52-second finish gave him the title and a combined 2:33 of contested match time for the night.
Haven’s September run had already established that he could win above 170. In his post-event interview, he explained that this trip had another purpose: showing teams he could make the lighter weight. He identified 170 and 185 as weights he would be comfortable competing at in the season and said he was working toward a pre-signing. Friday added evidence to that pitch; it did not announce a team agreement.
Haven’s three titles
| Date | Qualifier | Title |
|---|---|---|
| September 26 | Philadelphia Phenoms — Doylestown | 185 lbs |
| September 27 | Philadelphia Phenoms — West Reading | 205 lbs |
| October 2 | St. Louis Outlaws — Truesdale | 170 lbs |
Sosa finds the back when it matters most
Sosa opened with an ankle lock over Anthony Coronel at 1:00. The semifinal against Naataani Biggoose demanded something different. Biggoose repeatedly put him under pressure, passing low, keeping his legs clear and returning to the neck whenever Sosa tried to recover.
Sosa stayed in the match through those attacks. Then, inside the final minute, he turned an opening into back control and locked a body triangle. The rear-naked choke ended the match at 5:32, with just 28 seconds remaining. A bout Biggoose had driven for long stretches was suddenly Sosa’s route to the final.
Jason Roberts had earned the other place with three submissions of his own: an armbar over Jaden Sosa, a rear-naked choke at the buzzer against Jackson Busier and an Achilles lock over Timothy King. The championship paired two athletes who had already shown they could finish a match in its closing moments.
Chase changed his approach for Roberts. He spent more time wrestling on the feet, then pushed the pace once he secured top position. Persistent passing finally carried him through mount to the back. He trapped an arm and finished another rear-naked choke at 4:50.
Afterward, Sosa credited his younger brother Jaden with helping shape that final-match strategy. He described feeling an opportunity open as his passing began to work and choosing to keep the pressure on. The result was a title won with three submissions, including two back-take finishes under late-match pressure.
Two champions, a night full of finishes
Biggoose returned to take bronze at 145 with a D’Arce choke over King. Roland took third at 170 by submitting Lunardi with a rear-naked choke. The only matches that reached decisions were Wyatt Chapman’s win over Juan Martinez V and Lunardi’s win over Mario Gaor.
St. Louis podium
| Division | Champion | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 145 lbs | Chase Sosa | Jason Roberts | Naataani Biggoose |
| 170 lbs | Travis Haven | Josiah Triezenberg | Noah Roland |
Sosa earns his place in the Season 10 Draft pool at 145. Haven adds the St. Louis 170-pound title to his record while remaining listed at 185 in the league’s draft pool. Neither result assigns a champion to the host franchise.
For the Outlaws, the first qualifier put the new franchise in front of its local grappling community with two very different championship runs: Haven’s quick finishes across a third weight class, and Sosa’s ability to stay dangerous deep into a difficult match.
