The Midlands
Organized by Subspectrum
September 12, 2026 in Des Moines, IA brings The Midlands, a Subspectrum grappling tournament open to competitors of all skill levels.
Event Description
The Midlands is billed by its organizer, Sub Spectrum, as the Midwest's greatest grappling tournament — the season finale of Sub Spectrum's regular-season circuit, which runs Kids, Teens, and Adult divisions in a round-robin format capped at five competitors per bracket, guaranteeing multiple matches regardless of a single loss. Winners of Sub Spectrum's August "Meltdown" regular-season finale earn their spot at The Midlands, making this the marquee event of the promotion's year. The Midlands runs September 12, 2026 in Des Moines, IA, alongside Sub Spectrum's youth Future Stars division. It's open to gi and no-gi competitors across belt levels. Register through Subspectrum's Smoothcomp event page — check the listing for the current qualification and open-registration rules for this year's edition.
Divisions
Registration deadline: September 8, 2026
Community results
No results logged yet. Results show up here once competitors log them after the event.
Frequently asked questions
- When and where is The Midlands?
- September 12, 2026 in Des Moines, IA.
- How do I register?
- Through Subspectrum's Smoothcomp event page at subspectrum.smoothcomp.com/en/event/33817.
- What's Sub Spectrum's tournament format?
- A round-robin format capped at five competitors per bracket for Kids, Teens, and Adult divisions, guaranteeing multiple matches per competitor.
- Is The Midlands only for regular-season qualifiers?
- The Midlands has historically served as the season finale for Sub Spectrum's regular-season winners; check the current listing to see if open registration is also available.
- Is this gi or no-gi?
- Both gi and no-gi divisions are offered.
- Is there a youth division?
- Yes, Sub Spectrum runs a Future Stars youth division alongside its main brackets.
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