Introduction to this blog.
So, you want to be a fight promoter but don’t know where to begin? You have come to the right place, at least to learn the ins and outs of promotion. This guide has been written due to the number of calls and emails I receive from would be promoters eager to jump in an make millions.
Let me tell you, you won’t make millions in MMA promotion. At least, not in the current state of MMA and certainly not until you have built up some of your own stars on the national level.
Too many promoters look at MMA as throwing a cage in a building, getting a bunch of fighters to squab it out and charge the public for admission. MMA is not about the backyard Bob promotional efforts of trying to make a quick buck. It’s about passion for the sport, it’s about building up new fighters into celebrities and making people want to watch a particular fighter perform.
When you think of an MMA fight you liked on TV, what do you remember about the fighters? ….their names! You almost always make the extra effort to find out who that amazing fighter was that knocked a guy out due to a flying knee to the face. Then you do a little digging online and find out the guy help poor children in the slums of NY? Wow! This guy is mighty in body and heart! I love this guy! I’m his biggest fan! So what do you do the next time you see a promotion with this favorite fighter fighting another tough opponent? You go see the fight, or you buy the Pay Per View, right?
The fight game is about the fighters. Not the promoter. As the promoter it’s your job to tell the story of your fighters and get people excited about seeing them perform in the cage.
Now, another thing I want you to be thinking about when reading through this guide is this: Do you want to turn a quick and easy buck with a thrown together show nobody will care much about or respect, or do you want to build a brand name that fighters, managers, sponsors and even other promoters look up to?
You need to keep this in mind.
You may be able to take a smaller budget and turn a quick buck if you make all the right moves, but chances are, your show won’t grow as easily due to public perception and it will grow more difficult to find fighters because they all want the glory of winning in a major event. The choice is yours. It’s your job to pick and choose which parts of this guide you utilize. Best of luck to you.
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November 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Hey Jason,
I’m 18 years old and have a fight coming up in January. My boss and friend of mine were thinking about opening up an MMA facility and with my experience is sales, I wanted to be in charge of promoting fights and marketing. I was wondering if maybe I could get your email address or you could send me some info about the rules and regulations of Michigan. Things such as what I can and can’t do.
Thanks,
Jake