Company Description
My name is Kipp Kollar, and I am a Co-founder of NAGA Battleground, Inc. (NBG). My motivation to start NBG stemmed from my passion for submission grappling. Over 30 years ago, I was introduced to the highly effective martial art known today as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). After becoming a student, I observed that there were no BJJ competitions and decided to create opportunities for myself and others to compete. In 1995, I founded the North American Grappling Association, LLC (NAGA), which is now one of the largest grappling associations in the worldSince then, NAGA has hosted over 1,800 tournaments worldwide and created a competitive platform for more than one million individuals, aged 3 to 83.NBG is committed to spreading the sport and culture of BJJ globally, promoting and celebrating grappling sports, as I have done in the past with NAGA, but on a much larger scale to a broader audience. Our new company, NBG, plans to provide a platform for grappling arts athletes of all ages and skill levels to compete, grow, and achieve excellence. NBG ignites a passion for martial arts in individuals and builds a community united by the sport. This shared passion fosters discipline, resilience, camaraderie, and personal growth among participants, which is a high-grade purpose for your products and services. NBG aims to make a significant impact on the world by bringing BJJ and Submission Grappling to a global television audience. This can increase the sport’s visibility and accessibility, inspiring a larger audience to embrace its values and benefits. This exposure has the potential to transform martial arts from a niche interest into a mainstream sport, enriching lives through fitness, competition, and cultural exchange. I hope that my journey from a personal passion to a global enterprise exemplifies my commitment to fostering a thriving community and leaving a lasting legacy in the world of martial arts. Through strategic growth and media expansion, NBG aims to positively influence more people, promoting a lifestyle that values discipline, respect, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
Kipp Kollar
Co-Founder | President & COO
Kipp Kollar is the founder, CEO, and owner of the North American Grappling Association (NAGA). Since its establishment in 1995, NAGA has hosted over 1,800 events across the United States and ten other countries, serving more than 1,000,000 competitors, making it the largest mixed grappling promotion on the planet.
The idea for NAGA was conceived when Kipp participated in the precursor to the UFC, the $100,000 Gracie Challenge, where he faced Rickson Gracie- considered the greatest Jiu-Jitsu practitioner of all time. Rickson never lost a match and submitted everyone he ever faced, including Kipp. But in the loss, Kipp realized that the form of Jiu-Jitsu developed over generations in Brazil represented a paradigm shift in martial arts.
Kipp graduated from Bryant University with a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems, and possessed a strong background in project management and sales. Realizing there were no Jiu-Jitsu competitions anywhere, he decided to introduce one to his taekwondo tournament.
NAGA also owns Reality Fighting, the leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the Northeast. The transition to MMA was seamless, thanks to Kipp’s experience with NAGA, resulting in over 120 MMA events. Throughout the years, the accolades and achievements accumulated; in 2009, Kipp graced the cover of Gladiator Magazine, which named him “The Father of Grappling.” He has served as a referee and judge for the UFC and remains an undefeated MMA fighter, providing television commentary and conducting fighter interviews for networks such as Madison Square Garden and Fox Sports Net. In 2024 Kipp earned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from world champion Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa. And the best is yet to come.
Mike Risley
Co-Founder & CEO
HD Baumer -NYSE Head Floor Trader, Partner of Tandem Associates Private Equity firm.
Founder of Caribbean Cigar Company (1993-1999) #1 IPO by Investors Business Daily for 1996, Largest Cigar Manufacturer in the U.S.
VP of Finance for Segmentz Inc- $20m raised-5 key acquisitions completed now trading under symbol XPO (NYSE), one of the largest US logistics providers.
Assisted the Gries Investment Fund with $100m IPO of Public Power (Crius Energy-TSE).
Quarter Century Member of the New York Athletic Club.
NYAC-Olympic Wrestling Program.
NYAC BJJ Board member.
3x All-American wrestler.
Mike Roth
Head of Production
Mike produced the in-house feed for UFC for several seasons in the early days and will use that experience to help build the NAGA Battleground brand and make it a leader in the space. With over 35+ years in sports broadcasting, Mike has worked on Olympics, Stanley Cup Finals, NCAA Final Fours,NFL, MLS and WUSA Championship games, Indy 500’s, Daytona 500’s, the Monaco Grand Prix, Men’s and Women’s Soccer World Cups and a litany of events, large and small, all over the world. Mike has won multiple sports Emmy Awards over his career.
At the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, Mike produced the first ever Virtual Reality feed of a Winter Olympics for Intel and Olympic Broadcasting Services. He started working with CrossFit in 2011 and helped them make the jump from garage gyms to ESPN and then CBS. He is currently producing all CrossFit events for television worldwide. Mike has won multiple Emmy Awards for his work in sports television.
Mike Cohen
Executive Media Consultant
Mike is considered one of the Foremost Sports television “packagers” in the world. He has won multiple Emmy Awards for his work over the years working on and building some of the top sports media properties. They include the National Women's Soccer League who recently completed a $240m media contract with CBS,ESPN,Prime Video and Scripps Sports. Michael began his career at ESPN and helped lay the groundwork for the company now celebrated as the WorldWide Leader in Sports and one of the most well known global media brands. He was the first employee to move to ABC Sports following the Capital Cities purchase of ESPN and was involved in the first phase of the merger of the two divisions under the Disney Corporation. As President of Bizzy Signals Entertainment, he has produced entertainment shows, pay-per-view concerts, commercial and corporate production, publishing, international television, Internet and program development. He served as a sports consultant and segment producer for the CBS primetime sitcom "Good Sports" starring Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. He has also consulted for companies including Brillstein-Grey Productions, New Line Cinemas, Dreamworks-SKG, HBO, and Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting on shows such as Seinfeld, Roc and the Larry Sanders show. Michael was a consultant for the start up of Small World Sports (later purchased by Vulcan Ventures), which was one of the pioneers in the Fantasy sports industry.Recently Mike completed 2 major Network TV contracts: