Chael Sonnen set out on a path to “Make Grappling Great Again,” and while that slogan may not sit well with everyone, Sonnen’s Submission Underground promotion is two events in and already building a large fan base. With rumblings of Submission Underground 3 starting even before Sunday’s event; Sonnen seems to have carved out the perfect place in the developing realm of professional grappling.

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Submission Underground 2 featured a main and co-main event that brought together some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts. Miesha Tate defeated Jessica Eye and Jon Jones submitted Dan Henderson. In recent days the growing conversation between grappling purists and those attune to the interests of mainstream martial arts has grown louder; presenting an interesting dichotomy within the sport. Still, the success found to draw interest in Submission Underground 2 shows that there is space for this type of promotion within combat sports.

The promotion of Submission Underground 2 was more akin to that of a major UFC event. As more grappling organizations leverage this type of marketing to grow their viewership; Sonnen’s ability to bring in big names that have value with mixed martial arts fans and the media that covers them has brought in early success. Damon Martin on Fox Sports brought the scoop that a potential fight between grappling stars Dean Lister and Garry Tonon is set for Submission Underground 3, immediately attracting the hardcore fans ready to watch matches that matter to them.

Chael Sonnen tells me Garry Tonon vs. Dean Lister happening at Submission Underground 3 on Jan. 29#SUG @FloCombat — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) December 9, 2016

The current metamorphosis going on within competitive grappling is an interesting story to watch. As some call for a return to what was considered “respectful,” others are pushing the sport in a direction of self-promotion and calling out foes. In the end, neither side will be “right” or “wrong,” but as promotions such as Submission Underground continue to bring together compelling matchups the fans of these athletes and these martial arts stand to win the most.