Hywel Teague

Hywel Teague built his reputation in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world through a deliberate and committed transition — leaving journalism behind to immerse himself in the heart of the sport's culture. He relocated to Rio de Janeiro to train jiu-jitsu and pursue BJJ media work full-time, placing himself among the practitioners and legends who define the art at its source. It was there that he founded BJJ Hacks, a platform dedicated to documenting jiu-jitsu culture, its practitioners, and the technical depth that distinguishes the sport from other martial arts.

BJJ Hacks established Teague as one of the most recognized English-language voices in BJJ journalism. The platform earned widespread respect within the global BJJ community for its in-depth interviews with elite practitioners and its thoughtful approach to showcasing technical content. By embedding himself in Rio's training culture while simultaneously producing media, Teague carved out a rare position as both practitioner and chronicler — giving his work an authenticity that resonated with audiences worldwide.

Teague eventually moved into a senior leadership role at FloGrappling, the major grappling media and streaming platform, where he served as head and General Manager. His tenure placed him at the center of some of the most consequential and contested decisions in BJJ media during that period.

Media Rights Enforcement and Community Criticism

Under his leadership, FloGrappling pursued aggressive media-rights enforcement policies that drew sharp criticism from segments of the BJJ community. Critics characterized these policies — along with other platform decisions — as anti-community in nature, arguing they prioritized proprietary control over the open, fan-driven content sharing that had long defined grassroots BJJ media culture. A particularly controversial moment arose in connection with the passing of Leandro Lo, drawing sustained public attention and criticism toward the platform's conduct.

Editorial Independence and Departure

FloGrappling's role as an official media partner of ADCC raised pointed questions about editorial independence — questions Teague himself would later acknowledge publicly. He departed FloGrappling prior to 2026 and subsequently turned his focus toward independent media work.

Among the most ambitious projects of Teague's career is a documentary film titled Red Belts, inspired directly by his time working on BJJ Hacks in Rio de Janeiro. During that period, he encountered two 9th-degree red belts — holders of the sport's most senior and rarest rank — an experience that sparked the vision for a dedicated film exploring their lives and legacies.

Crowdfunding and Production Challenges

To fund the project, Teague launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $17,000 from supporters within the BJJ community. Despite that backing and his stated commitment to the film, the project faced prolonged delays driven by a combination of logistical, technical, and financial challenges. Over the course of the extended timeline, Teague accumulated over 3TB of footage — a testament to the scope of material gathered, even as a completed film remained unrealized.

In an effort to demonstrate progress to supporters, Teague released a trailer and pledged to share available footage with backers. As of February 2026, no full public release of the documentary had occurred. Teague acknowledged the criticism and frustration the delays generated, expressing regret over what he described as insufficient communication with supporters about the project's status. Despite the extended timeline, he maintained a stated commitment to completing the film.

Following his departure from FloGrappling, Teague relaunched as an independent media voice through a podcast co-hosted with the operator of the Polaris tournament and owner of the Scramble brand — a notable pairing given that Polaris is distributed through FloGrappling. As of February 2026, the podcast averaged approximately 100 views per episode.

Allegations of Paid Coverage in BJJ Media

On the podcast, Teague made pointed allegations about the state of BJJ media and its independence. He claimed that UFC BJJ pays Brazilian social media accounts to cover their events, specifically naming BJJ Cria and Vitor Freitas Comunica as examples. In his words: "Something curious that I've learned over the last couple of years is that some of these independent agencies, media outlets, guys like BJJ Cria or Vitor Freitas Comunica, these guys will actually charge the events… I will cover your event but you have to pay me to go."

Teague expanded his critique to question the editorial independence of such outlets: "Are you really media? No. You're a sort of content creation agency, like a spokesperson… there is no truly independent media, because those guys can't afford to be critical of the event in any way, because that's their client." He also turned the lens on his former employer, stating plainly: "FloGrappling is a media partner of ADCC. They can't be critical."

The Independence Paradox

The commentary drew attention not only for its directness but for the contradictions it surfaced. Critics pointed to an apparent tension between Teague's public framing as an independent voice and his continued freelance work for FloGrappling, as well as his involvement with promotions such as ADXC and others. Budget constraints were cited as a factor limiting the scope of his freelance assignments — including, according to reporting from February 2026, coverage of the IBJJF European Championships. The dual role of independence advocate and continuing industry participant became a recurring point of scrutiny in discussions surrounding his commentary.