Five Finger Death Punch have turned a portion of their concert ticket sales into a $200,000 donation for USA Judo and USA Cycling’s BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle programs. The contribution supports athletes preparing for Los Angeles 2028, with the beneficiaries reflecting interests that guitarist Zoltan Bathory and singer Ivan Moody developed long before their music careers.
The band presented the donation on October 23, 2026, at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia, during the final show of the North American leg of their 20th anniversary world tour. The presentation followed a campaign announced in January, when the group pledged $1 from every ticket sold to support the two sports.
Bathory chose USA Judo, bringing his own experience on the mat to the initiative. He holds a fourth degree black belt in the sport, according to the organization, and remains an active competitor.
“I started judo at nine years old, and I still compete today,” Bathory said in the band’s announcement. He credited judo with teaching him discipline and how to handle adversity, lessons he carried into his career. His support also has a practical aim: giving athletes the resources to keep progressing in a sport that shaped his own life.
Moody’s choice came from his childhood on a bike. He remembered wanting to ride alongside BMX’s leading names and described his bike as “my key to freedom.” Music became his career, but he said watching riders develop still connects him to those early ambitions. Supporting the racing and freestyle programs gives him a way to help athletes pursuing the path he once imagined for himself.
There’s a fan connection on the receiving end, too. When USA Cycling announced the partnership in January, BMX Freestyle Olympian Marcus Christopher said he had listened to Five Finger Death Punch for years. He welcomed the band’s recognition of the work required to compete, with a home Olympics bringing added attention to American riders.
That work depends on funding well before athletes reach the Games. Team USA identifies media partnerships, corporate sponsorships and public donations as sources of support. The band’s contributions go through the national governing bodies responsible for developing athletes in the selected sports.
USA Judo CEO Corinne Shigemoto said when the initiative launched that Bathory’s contribution would support athlete performance programs ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The campaign’s stated uses include coaching, travel, equipment and training, putting the money toward the daily costs of preparing to compete.
