MMA Business magazine - March 2013

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE: Celebrating Leaders & Innovators in MMA

MA R C H 2 0 1 3

Sweet

Science &

the cage Boxing & MMA Unite for Better Business Opportunities P.20

CENTER RING:

ComBAte extremo’s

Michael Shoffner

Profile: < Burn with Kearns Branding: < Studying Your Business Events: < MMA World Expo

FEATURES

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Boxing & MMA

24I

BRand-Building Reality

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AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Mixed Martial Arts and “The Sweet Science” pair up in the oldest and most revered boxing gym in the country – Gleason’s Gym in New York.

Should the two work more closely in your gym?

“What’s Your Deal?” We look closely at three emerging MMA brands to study the question of What Is A Brand, and How Do You Build One?

CONTENTS MMA Business honors industry leaders

Cove r photo b y Chastity Cor t ijo (www.figh tn igh tpics.com) at Gleason’s G ym , B rooklyn, N ew York.

MARCH 2013 • VOLUME 4 No. 1

DEPARTMENTS 4 I MIXED THOUGHTS After 100 Million iPads

6 I BUSINESS PLAN

Personnel and Your Plan

10 I THE BEAT

Success in South Dakota, Hanging On in New York, LA Boxing Acquired by UFC Gyms, Fox Announces new FS1 Channel

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12 I BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Event Planning For Success

14 I PROFILE

Burn with Kearns

16 I CENTER RING

Michael Shoffner of Combate Extremo

30 I ONLINE NOW

MMA, Digitally Speaking

32 I YOUR GYM

American Top Team, Indianapolis, Ind.

34 I ON THE MAT

Been There. Lifted That.

36 I EVENTS

MMA World Expo

38 I PRO SHOP

New Products and Services

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39 I OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON

Sponsor-Fighter Relations Revealed

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MIXED THOUGHTS from the Editor www.MMABusinessmag.com Vol. 4, No. 1, March 2013

After 100 Million iPads …

Three years ago, we were thrilled to print the first issue of MMA Business magazine. Today, we’re even more thrilled to NOT print the 19th issue. Still doing the work, just stopped printing. It’s not about saving trees – there are better ways to do that. We’re eliminating the paper trail for other reasons.

First, it’s cheaper, and we can pass the cost savings on to you. Oh wait, it’s still free to read MMA Business. We’ll pass the cost savings on to our advertisers.

Second, it’s quicker. We can cut a few weeks out of the time it takes to deliver this information to you. Of course, we’re more about highquality than high speed. But it’s still nice to be a bit faster today.

Third, now is the time. When we launched this magazine with the January 2010 issue, Apple’s iPad did not even exist – it was released in April 2010 (I personally recall mocking the name). Since then, Apple has sold more than 100 million iPads, and the little button-less gizmo has changed the distribution of magazines.

Finally, new owners. Same workers, just new owners. I’m still the editor. Richard Hendricks is still the publisher. Now we’re also the owners. Brett of Blink Visuals still dazzles you with the design. We still get amazing photography from Dale Shirley, and I would be completely helpless without the Advisory Board I call on for guidance.

So what’s new? Not much really. Well, except for this stuff: •

•

•

Dana White is mad at Randy Couture for signing a TV deal with Bellator.

Fox Sports finally announced its long-rumored challenge to ESPN. UFC Gyms will open nearly 100 locations this year, really!

But you knew that stuff already – good thing we didn’t waste any paper to print that “news.” What is valuable – we hope – is the rest of the content in these “pages.” On paper or not, we will strive to deliver the information that helps improve your business; information that no one else is delivering.

We honestly believe it’s better digitally. Lots of hyperlinks on ads and in stories will help you learn even more, or take you directly to products and services for purchase. If I can get out of my office once in a while, I will work to bring some more active content to you, including audio and video.

And all this new digital MMA Business info is easier for you to share.

Thanks for sticking with us. We will keep on our schedule of six issues per year. Look for the next one in early May. Richard Hendricks and I are proud that we get to work with so many great people in the MMA industry. We hope to get to know you better in 2013. To contact us, all you have to do now is click!

Talk to you soon.

Glenn Hansen – glenn@hansenhousecommunication.com Richard Hendricks – rh@HendricksBCS.com

Glenn

GLENN HANSEN

GLENN@HANSENHOUSECOMMUNICATION.COM

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MAGAZINE STAFF Publisher Richard Hendricks rh@HendricksBCS.com 612-306-1707 Editor Glenn Hansen glenn@hansenhousecommunication.com Editorial Contributors Tony Reid, Corey Beasley, Raphael Garcia, Nick Roach.

Photographers - Dale Shirley, Chastity Cortijo Art Director Brett Link, BlinkVisuals Brett@BlinkVisuals.com 612-741-3048 Advertising Sales Representatives Reed Wallace White Chocolate Management reed@whitecm.com Mike Marchand mmabusinesscanada@gmail.com 226-344-6MMA MMA ADVISORY BOARD John Bostick, Rodrigo Galvanosi, Jamie Gudell, Jeff and Barry Meyer, Kevin Kearns, Greg Nelson, Jimmy Pedro, Erik Paulson, Steve Pinado, Kekoa Quipotla

MMA Business is published 6 times annually

by MMA Business LLC, 21340 Lancaster Run, #1311, Estero, Florida 33928.

Subscription Information: Free to qualified members of the mixed martial arts industry.

To subscribe or renew your free subscription, go to: MMABusinessmag.com.

Editorial Submissions: return postage must accompany all manuscripts and photographs submitted to MMA Business if they are to be returned. MMA Business is not responsible for unsolicited materials. MMA Business makes no endorsements, representations, guarantees or warranties regarding products and services presented or advertised within the publication. © 2013 by MMA Business LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Produced in the U.S.A.

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BUSINESS PLAN Who’s Who in Your Business Plan?

Most people think about business plans as documents that describe a company mission, a sales strategy, and the competitive environment. But defining your company’s organizational structure is an essential part of your well-written business plan. When you use this document to describe the functions of your executive and management staff, you will: • Structure your company for faster growth • Better plan operating expenses • Improve decision-making efficiency

Define All Roles Too many business plans focus on tasks and growth goals without detailing who will be responsible for accomplishing the tasks and attaining that growth.

This is true for all companies, small ones as well as large, multi-layered ones. Managers and supervisors work best when they’re provided with clear directions and made aware of their individual responsibilities. By emphasizing each employee’s role in the company, you illustrate how the various functions

Plan Operating Expenses Outlining the organizational structure of your company will allow you to accurately project operating expenses. This is critical if you’ll use your business plan to acquire funding for growth plans or for possible acquisition. But it’s also important for short-term expense planning. Knowing these fixed costs and tracking them in your business plan with tasks and duties can help you plan for personnel changes, promotions, and the assignment of changing work duties.

You can tie such fixed costs to specific job titles, or more broadly to assignments like sales, marketing, training and coaching, customer service, management, etc.

Decision-Making Aid Detailing the Who’s Who in your business plan doesn’t replace the need for job descriptions. But it can help you write them accurately and with the companies long-term goals in mind. When you do this, and when you communicate responsibilities to management staff, decisionmaking efficiency increases.

When business decisions – even relatively simple ones – are made more quickly and accurately, your business will operate more smoothly.

Be prepared to adapt your plan for changes in your business. Adding or removing class programming, new product offerings, distribution changes, new client acquisition – all these things and more can have immediate impact on personnel and job responsibilities. Even temporary workload changes may put stress on personnel, and you may need to make modifications to your business plan to reflect a new business environment.

But having a good plan in place before these changes happen will ease any business shift, and will help you return to normal or – better yet – grow to meet improving business demands.

“As the company leader, you need to be realistic about delegating duties – important duties – so your staff can grow and help build the business.” work together for the success of the company.

Start with a list of all existing staff positions, and add to that a schedule of necessary duties and job tasks. You should be able to assign all those tasks to the different roles – and they should not all point to you, the owner.

As the company leader, you need to be realistic about delegating duties – important duties – so your staff can grow and help build the business.

When your business is considering changes, the personnel section of your business plan will help you gauge what you can do now, and what might require additional personnel.

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TheBEAT

FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

SOUTH DAKOTA TO REGULATE MMA COMPETITION It was 1996 John McCain referred to MMA as “human cockfighting.” That was 17 years ago, and it’s time to put that quote to bed for good. Besides, the Arizona Senator also publically forgot once how many houses he owns.

Mixed Martial Arts has a new enemy in elected officials. South Dakota Senator Steve Hickey recently wrote, “MMA Cage Fighting is the child porn of sports,” as he attempted to block S.D. Senate Bill 84 that would create a state athletic commission to oversee combat sports and eventually regulate MMA. In the same written piece, + “It’s an art” said he compared MMA to using Senator Mark Johnston Meth. Hickey’s desire was in support of MMA. to ban the sport completely.

Hickey failed his first test, and the South Dakota House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 84 by a veto-proof vote of 50-20. The sponsor of SB84, Sen. Mark Johnston, said the goal was to eliminate unregulated MMA events.

“Mixed martial arts is just that: It’s an art,” said Johnston to the Argus Leader newspaper. “If we’re going to have (MMA), let’s regulate it,” Johnston said.

“Let’s do what’s right to protect athlete safety, as well as grab onto the opportunities that may come before us in respect to hosting a large event here in South Dakota.”

The South Dakota bill already passed through the Senate, and now needs simple re-approval of minor changes. Still, it will eventually need the approval signature of Gov. Dennis Daugaard, not exactly a fan of MMA. “I’m offended that the state would legitimize cage-fighting and the bloody violence that those kinds of spectacles create,” said the Governor earlier this year.

A rumored event in August could be a boon for the state, as well as UFC and sponsor Harley-Davidson. With tens of thousands of Harley riders at the state’s Sturgis motorcycle event every August, a well-timed UFC fight could draw the largest crowd in the sport’s history and further build a vital sponsor relationship.

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UFC Gyms Buys LA Boxing Three years after launching the first UFC Gym in Concord, Calif., the company has opened five other gyms averaging 35,000 square feet each, and it’s working on opening two more, one in New York and one in Australia.

The company’s expansion from there gets bigger and smaller at the same time. In January, UFC Gyms announced its acquisition of LA Boxing, including its 81 existing franchises and 50 more in development. Even though these gyms average just 5,000 square feet, the addition of more than 100 new facilities nationwide means rapid expansion for the UFC Gyms business and its “Train Different” theme.

“Our objective is to support current

franchise owners,” said UFC Gyms vice president Adam Sedlack, “and to improve their business. All that we’ve learned so far with UFC Gyms will transfer to these franchises.”

Sedlack praised LA Boxing founder

Anthony Geisler, who he said will continue as a leader. “It’s a really good model that’s doing well,” said Sedlack. “They’re impressive franchises.

LA Boxing locations will be renamed “UFC Gyms.”

TheBEAT

NewYork

update On Thursday, Feb. 28, the New York State Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation voted 11 to 3 in favor of approving S.2755, which would authorize the New York State Athletic Commission to add Mixed Martial Arts to the list of professional contact sports – including boxing – that may hold matches and exhibitions in New York.

Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of the UFC, thanked the committee members, and then said, “New York State’s time has come. We are confident that 2013 is the year that the Empire State joins 48 other states in legalizing MMA … On behalf of the millions of New York State UFC and MMA fans, I’m hoping that this year, finally, the Assembly will join the Senate in supporting this legislation to bring revenues to the state and to local governments across the state, produce desperately needed jobs, and allow New Yorkers to see UFC and professional MMA events live in their own communities. As the UFC commemorates its 20th anniversary this year, we would love to celebrate with the most exciting fight card in our history at Madison Square Garden this fall. Then we want to hit venues from Buffalo to Utica to Long Island.”

Sponsored by Senator Griffo (R-Utica) and eight bi-partisan co-sponsors, S.2755 will now head to the Senate Finance Committee, which has yet to set a date for a vote on the matter. Committee members are expected to vote in favor of the bill; similar bills passed the Senate in both 2012 and 2011, but were killed in the state Assembly. “The legalization

+ New York Senator Joseph Griffo supports MMA in the state.

enjoys widespread, bipartisan support from upstate and downstate members in both houses,” said Griffo.

Opposition to the legalization of MMA in New York is loud, and continues to be lead by Speaker Sheldon Silver. Several members of labor and faith-based organizations - including the Working Families Party, and the Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition – recently sent a letter to Silver urging him to continue his efforts to fight the passage

Never Miss A Detail Jiu Jitsu Wrestling

of such a bill.

The letter said, in part, “In the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., it is unthinkable that lawmakers in any jurisdiction would risk exposing our children to an activity that involves extreme violence and brutality.”

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TheBEAT

FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

Fox Finally Faces off with ESPN Fox Sports Media Group (FSMG) announced its new Fox Sports 1.

This national, multi-sport network will debut on Saturday, Aug. 17. Fox executives said FS1 will be available in more than 90 million homes, claiming this launch as “the biggest sports cable network launch in history, and one of the largest network launches ever” in a news release.

The long-rumored challenger to sports powerhouse ESPN, FS1 will showcase live events including college basketball, college football, NASCAR, soccer and UFC fights.

Fox also announced the UFC’s Fight Nights to air live on Wednesday nights through 2014, beginning with launch night on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Fox announced that, along with live events and studio programs, FS1 will include FOX SPORTS LIVE, a sports news franchise airing roundthe-clock coverage with “an information-rich ticker that provides a network agnostic sports

event television schedule.”

A new talk show called RUSH HOUR will be hosted by Regis Philbin and will air live weekdays (5:00-6:00 PM ET). Philbin will sit with a group of sports professionals, plus celebrity guests and fans. Viewers can also expect lots of football coverage with programs like FOX FOOTBALL DAILY (6:00-7:00 PM ET), and an extension of FOX NFL SUNDAY. Announced earlier this year, FSMG has a new documentary franchise titled BEING:, which it says gives “a deep look into today’s greatest athletes, teams and sports icons.”

The first subject to appear this fall on FS1 is BEING: MIKE TYSON. While FSMG may be a bit off with its categorization of Mike Tyson as one of “today’s greatest athletes,” the group might be on target with the launch of FOX Sports GO – a new mobile sports experience for iPhone,

iPad, Android devices, and web. FOX Sports Go will deliver live games and events from across FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks. It will also post scores, highlights, news, stats, and analysis. The live games and events will be available to subscribers of participating cable, satellite, and telco providers at no additional cost.

MMA World Series of Fighting World Series of Fighting (WSOF) and NBC Sports Network have entered into a three-year partnership to deliver live MMA fight programming, including a minimum of six live events annually on the NBC Sports national television platform that reaches over 80 million homes. This relationship begins with WSOF 2, the promotion’s second event scheduled Saturday, March 23 at Revel Resorts & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“We are thrilled to call NBC Sports Network the home of World Series of Fighting,” said World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion, Ray Sefo. “This partnership will allow us to build the World Series of Fighting brand of world-class MMA competition before a dedicated national audience of passionate sports fans and place our athletes on the big stage that they deserve.”

The main event in WSOF 2 will be a heavyweight battle between Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (19-9) of Minsk, Belarus and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-3) of Boca Raton, Fla. Both fighters scored convincing wins in WSOF held in November in Las Vegas.

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TheBEAT

Home – Competitor or Opportunity?

Les Mills Combat A growing category of Mixed Martial Arts DVD-based workouts is either your newest competitor or your biggest opportunity. Either way, gym owners, trainers and gear manufacturers need to be aware of home MMA market.

Well-known MMA fighters and brands have marketed their own home fitness programs for years – including Georges St Pierre’s

RushFit, and the Tapout XT program – the general fitness market is relatively new to the MMA DVD game. One of the newest to enter is Les Mills International and its BodyCombat DVD series. Mills is better known for fitness DVDs such as BodyPump and others.

The Les Mills programs are heavily marketed to both home fitness enthusiasts and to fitness gyms and health clubs through a network of some 90,000 Les Mills-certified fitness instructors teaching at 14,000 gyms in 80 countries. That reach means MMA-style training will be presented to thousands of fitness enthusiasts.

You should ask the following questions:

Once you’ve reduced the device shape to the required size, including 3mm bleed left or right, then make up the any deficit to 3mm bleed at the top, before making the clipping mask.

• •

• •

Is there a gym near me that uses Les Mills programming?

How can I present more serious MMA training opportunities to some of these people?

How can I show MMA gear and apparel to these fitness enthusiasts?

Should I consider a Les Mills BodyCombat certification and program to attract new customers to my gym?

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BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Sponsored

by

Member Solutions

Increase In-House Event Attendance In-house tournaments and seminars can help to create positive PR, strengthen retention, and generate a sizeable amount of incremental revenue. No matter the type of event you run, there are fundamental promotions and tools that, if put in place, will help accelerate sign-ups. Here are some basic, yet often overlooked, steps to promoting an in-house event:

flyers. Don’t promote the event once and expect sign-ups. Promote the event as many times as possible through various marketing outlets leading up to the event date to maximize sign-ups.

Create an event website Take your marketing up a notch by building a website dedicated to your event. Think of it as the online version of a printed brochure. How can you possibly “sell” your event (or anything) without describing its features and, more importantly, its benefits? When creating a website it’s key to incorporate video and pictures whenever possible to add credibility and visual interest. Integrate the online registration form with your website and your potential participants won’t ever have to leave your site.

If you do not create a website for your event, at the very least integrate your online event registration form with your school’s website. Again, most quality registration software systems enable you to customize the event page by adjusting font sizes, adding colors, and embedding videos and images to make the event promotion enticing.

Set up online registration Consumers are accustomed to navigating the web each and every day. They use the Internet for making purchases and for researching just about anything.

It’s imperative that your events are featured where your potential attendees are looking and that when you present an opportunity for them they are immediately able to act on it, register and pay. Online registration makes your events easy to share — students can easily forward an email to others, use social networks to notify friends of their participation, and share your social network posts with others. We’ve seen online registration increase sign-ups by 20% or more when compared to using traditional paper registration methods.

Most quality online registration systems also make management and marketing quick and simple for the Offer special incentives event organizer. Tasks like gathering necessary regCommon event incentives include two-for-one speistration information, reporting, collecting payments cials, added bonus gifts, and discounted tickets. The and checks and then depositing those funds at the key is to tie your incentives to an expiration date to bank, all happen automatically without involvement prompt sign-ups sooner than later. Setting a capacity from you or your staff. to your event, and promoting the limited availability,

can also persuade people to register right away. An Promote, then promote some more example: “Only 100 spots available – act now!”

The Internet provides so many avenues for marketing an event; it’s smart to leverage every outlet. Once you Bottom line: Leveraging today’s technology, and imhave online registration ready to go, 1) email your plementing tried-and-true event marketing practices, student base, 2) create an event on Facebook, 3) write will increase ticket sales for your in-house events. a press release about your event, 4) share the press It will also make your job coordinating the event a release on your social networks, 5) post the press whole lot easier. release on your website , 6) post the press release on your blog, 7) ask local businesses to share the press STEVEN PINADO release on their social networks, 8) create flyers to hang around your facility, 9) ask local businesses to Steven Pinado is the CEO for Member Solutions, a leading share the flyers with their customers, 10) share your provider of billing, servicing, and business support for Maronline registration page on your social networks … tial Arts schools, fitness clubs, and health-related membership the point is to drive potential attendees to a simple businesses. The company also offers web-based software for online registration process often and through diffront-desk member management and online event registration ferent marketing channels. Some people respond to that are fully integrated with its PCI-Compliant payment Facebook posts, some to emails, others to printed processing platform.

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PROFILE: Burn with Kearns It doesn’t take long to recognize three things about Kevin Kearns. First, he’s passionate about MMA. Second, he’s inspired to improve the world’s fitness.

Third, he thrives on chaos, MMA chaos. And he’s combined those three things into the increasingly successful and influential training business called Burn With Kearns.

Kearns was one of the original Advisory Board members for MMA Business, and he’s written several training columns for this magazine.

We’ve also watched him train martial arts coaches and fitness instructors at events in Nevada and California.

But to say that Kearns is merely a personal trainer or fitness coach is short-sighted.

MMA Business: Define the Burn With Kearns business for us.

Kevin Kearns: Burn With Kearns is a fitness entrepreneurship. I create fitness products including instructional and training DVDs, and I consult and advise fitness product companies, including Bosu and Purmotion. I conduct live training and certification sessions, around the world – roughly one or two per month.

I still train clients personally, about 25 hours a week. This helps keep me grounded and working at the consumer level in fitness training. All of this has its base in MMA. Besides my own DVDs, I write training columns for a few different MMA and fitness magazines. (Editor’s note, beginning with the next issue, Kearns will create several “On The Mat” training columns for MMA Business, including written and video training.)

MMA: When did you start the business?

And how did you get involved in MMA? 14

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Kearns: I started as a personal trainer in 1987.

It was more body build+ Kevin Kearns (right, front) trains attendees at the MA ing than anything else.

Super Show in his MMA Fighter Fit program.

I was working for other trainers, and then in 1992 I started my own business.

I ran a gym for 10 years, and decided I didn’t want to do that anymore. I got connected with Mark Dellagrotte (Sityodtong Boston) and trained with him for a while.

Originally, my company was called “The Fitness Connection” because everything connects with everything else.

That was the name of my gym, too, in Brookline, Massachusetts. And my marketing guy at the time told me we needed to get rid of that name.

I was doing a circuit at the time called Burn with Vern, and I was addicted to it. So I called it Burn With Kearns.

Canada, and the United Kingdom.

“More fitness, less time, better results” MMA: Why did you want to do inwas my tagline, and that’s still an imstructor certifications? portant theme in my business.

When Kenny Florian lost to Sean Kearns: To be honest, I got pissed Sherk in October 2006 (UFC 64), I be- off. It just seemed like anybody came Kenny’s strength coach. He lost could do certifications. Lots of other the fight and then hired me. The first certifications – kettlebells, crossfit, MMA training DVDs we did – “Exetc. – that had questionable quality plosive Power” and “Gas in the Tank” and background. Is mine the best?

– came from that experience with Not necessarily, but is it one of the Florian. (Note: Florian won his next six best? Absolutely. consecutive fights, and eight of nine, It’s no longer just me training with a loss to BJ Penn at UFC 101.) fighters, it’s me training the world.

Then in 2009, I launched certificaAnd my MMA Fitness Trainer Certitions. I have done 350 seminars and fication program is approved by ACE, certifications in four years. I have conthe American Council on Exercise. ducted certification courses in the U.S., Burn With Kearns also has an Af-

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+ Kevin Kearns is now working with the makers of the Bosu Ball to create MMA training programs centered around this fitness gym staple.

filiate program now, with 35 affiliates around the world. They get a team call every two weeks, discounts from equipment partners, lesson plans every month, new video content regularly, and they are all licensed Burn With Kearns training facilities.

Yes, there are a lot of – maybe too many – affiliate programs out there. A lot of trainers like to go with me now because I’m accessible, and because people get and understand the training.

MMA: So are you an MMA trainer, or a fitness trainer with some MMA skills and connections?

Kearns: Both. It’s all about MMA fitness for me. My goal continues to be – and you’ve heard me say this at training seminars – to end obesity one step and one person at a time.

The other fitness training out there ain’t working. Getting on a treadmill

ain’t working. Everyone has a fight within them, and I want to inspire people to find their fight and to use that to make a difference in their lives.

I love MMA training – it’s the chaos of combat. Just like life, MMA training and fighting is chaotic. It’s not perfect like sitting on a weight machine or running on a treadmill.

Muscularly, skeletally, spiritually and mentally. You’re stronger than you think you are, but most people need a coaching push to discover this, and MMA is the perfect vehicle to propel this fitness program.

My MMA fitness training program is effective, it’s efficient and it’s safe. And all three of those are important to clients, so they’re important business elements in my training. I tell my training students, “You need to be Educator, Motivator, Inspirator and Entertainer all in the same package.”

MMA: We observed one of your training classes at a national fitness (nonMMA) convention. How has the traditional fitness trainer accepted this?

Kearns: I work well with both MMA gyms and with general fitness gyms.

They like my high-energy training style, and the MMA training program I have created is well received here. I am the only MMA trainer who regularly works with the IDEA Conference events.

I recently began working with Bosu Balls to help them market MMA training programs with the use of that product. I just finished filming two new videos for Bosu under my brand “MMA Fighter Fit.” The new Bosu program has people striking the Bosu Ball, and it’s fun. I play both sides, MMA and fitness. Like Johnny Cash, I walk the line.

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CenterRing MICHAEL SHOFFNER

BY TONY REID Combate Extremo has become the leading MMA promotion in Mexico, and is growing to include more fighters and events. We spoke with leader Michael Shoffner to learn more.

MMA Business: Tell us about starting this company and making Vale Tudo Mexico a reality.

Michael Shoffner: I like to say that my partner and I were promoters before we even knew it. I think the industry chose us; we didn’t choose to be promoters. We are actually first cousins and when we were kids we used to put on little wrestling shows at family gatherings.

We would sell tickets to family members to purchase ahead of time and we would get $40 or $50 and put on a nice little show on a trampoline.

As we got a little older we were real rambunctious and in Mexico youth drinking isn’t really frowned upon, so when we were 14 or 15 we would throw elaborate house parties. We charged $20 U.S. to get into the party. We would have an open bar, go-go dancers and so forth. I think we outgrew my house when we had 500 or 600 kids show up.

The philosophy was as long as we show people a good time they will go out of their way to be with us. That’s been our philosophy even to this day.

It was about 1999 that we decided to pursue sports and entertainment. I was a FIFA (soccer’s international governing body) recognized player agent and Hector was working in the music industry; we had both been involved in 16

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martial arts all our lives. It just felt like a natural fit, especially after we attended a UFC event in 2000. We drove up to Lake Charles and when we left we were like “This is crap. We can put together something better and show people a better time with local fighters.” Little did I know, there were no local fighters available. I convinced a Muay Thai fighter and a local boxer to be in our first show. A couple months later we had our first show in a bull ring and had a little over 6,000 people show up.

We made every mistake in the book, it was our first event, we started an hour and a half late, logistics was a problem with the fighters, everything that could go wrong went wrong but we still got through it and showed people a good time and gained a lot of new fans.

MMA: You opened an office in Florida.

Is that an attempt to get your foot in the door and expand from there?

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Shoffner: The Florida office is primarily a management office, more of a talent relations office for the fighters we represent. It’s no coincidence that this office is in Florida. It has a big Spanishspeaking Latino community from Orlando down to Miami. There are a lot of potential fighters in that area as well. Univision and other Spanish-speaking networks are in Florida. We will be pursuing TV deals with the Spanishspeaking world. Latinos in the US, when they want content they look to their home country to provide sports, entertainment, etc. Most Mexican soccer fans watch Mexican television and watch their favorite soccer teams even though they live in the U.S. MMA: Will you schedule an event in the U.S., perhaps in Florida? If so, when? If not, why not?

Shoffner: Yes, we plan to have events in the United States within the next 12 months. We are currently analyzing proposals from potential Spanish language broadcast partners in the United States. We plan to have a network of exclusive local promoters in different markets that will benefit from our brand name and television exposure.

We evaluated the market environment and MMA’s product life cycle in the United States. Like every other sport, MMA is a product that changes over time and must be managed as it moves through its succession of stages. I believe the sport has approached market

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CenterRing Shoffner: I sponsor local gyms with Combate Extremo branded equipment. I have grappling tournaments, boxing and amatuer MMA tournaments to grow the sport and the brand’s visibility. To build a fan base, I’ll often have a public workout and weigh-ins (free attendance) at high-traffic areas. I’ll put out a few kiosks at these events with MMA video games for my demographic to play. I reward fighters for their efforts to promote the brand, the event and themselves.

maturity in the U.S. and the UFC has certainly been and will continue to be the market leader. The UFC has managed its brand life cycle by seeking to duplicate state-side achievements in foreign markets where the sport is still in the introduction stage. The understanding of my target market and my competitors, both direct and indirect, has allowed me to identify and create opportunities for my brand in the United States that may be too small a niche for the UFC to pursue.

MMA: With more than 100 events under its belt, Combate Extremo is the longest-running MMA promotion in Mexico and one of the longest-running promotions in the world. What is the secret to this longevity and staying power?

Shoffner: We realize that one bad apple can ruin the batch. One promoter can do something stupid and ruin the growth of the sport in Mexico and ruin our reputation and everything we worked for. So early on, we established the relationships that were necessary for us to create a sanctioning body. In 2003, we were appointed by the federal government as the national commission 18

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in all of Mexico. We issue all promoters licenses and permits. We issue them to whoever can abide by the rules and regulations, and we shut down promoters that don’t. It has protected our interest and investment over the long term. I think any company that wants to promote internationally should posture themselves in that way, with the local government. My family has ties with the federal government dating back 50-60 years and that is the only reason we are able to do that.

Another way I would say is through sustainable growth. We have never gotten in over our heads on a promotion. At the end of the day it has to make sense. We know our capabilities.

We have been more about slow, sustainable growth than about making our mark on the sport being the next Don King. We have seen promoters come and go because they think they are the next Don King.

MMA: How do you work with local gym owners and coaches in Mexico to help build a fighter base? And to build a market of fans?

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MMA: How affordable is it for your fans to attend, compared to soccer, for example, or other events? How about the affordability for sponsors to get involved? Probably more cost effective for them to sponsor your event than a soccer match?

Shoffner: I cannot afford to target everyone so I target the growing middle class in Mexico’s large urban areas.

The cost of my tickets are comparable to soccer games however, since space is limited at our events relative to soccer stadiums, prices for ringside tickets are similar to those you may find in the U.S. I provide great value for sponsors, especially because they are hesitant at first to support a new sport.

At the end of the day, I provide a platform for them to reach their target market and achieve their promotional objectives.

“SWEET SCIENCE“

“The Cage“ If

CAN LIVE WITH S t o r y

B y

Glenn Hansen

This is not the story of who is a tougher fighter, a boxer or an MMA fighter. That’s junior high playground stuff. This is not the story of MMA replacing boxing as a pro sport. That’s like saying the newly popular lacrosse craze will knock off NFL football.

This is about opportunities for business in boxing and MMA. And it’s kick-started by a 20

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It’s Not About Which is Better.

It’s About Business Opportunities.

new partnership that put an MMA cage inside the world’s most famous boxing gym – some thought it would never happen.

IF ONLY ...

When a business wants to grow, it has to honestly look at what’s good and what’s bad, and find opportunities in that analysis.

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What’s good and bad about boxing? As a plus, boxing has history on its side. The combat sport has held a celebrated image since British journalist Pierce Egan dubbed it “the sweet science” back in the early 1800s. Famed American author Ernest Hemingway wrote glowingly of boxing throughout his esteemed career. But that history may be boxing’s big-

“MMA gyms make money,” said Marco Trejo, ... “Most boxing gyms typically don’t make money; that’s the stereotype.”

gest weakness, too. The sport hasn’t changed or adapted its marketing to the times. If only boxing had a connection to a youthful and energetic combat sport. If only …

What’s good and bad about MMA? While the sport is based on a variety of traditional and historical martial arts, the strength of MMA is its freshness. Its young energy is appealing to a range of combat sports fans and participants, as well as a huge fitness crowd that longs to train MMA without ever getting punched, kicked or choked. Still, the sport’s image is a weakness, causing problems in both public affairs and public policy. If only MMA could connect with any already-honored combat sport, it might earn the respect of the mainstream press, a broader sporting audience, and legislators everywhere. If only …

institution of sweet science recently added MMA programming.

“Gleason’s doesn’t need MMA from a business perspective,” said Rodrigo Galvanosi, Gleason’s new leader of MMA training, and owner of Fearless Fighting, a North Carolina MMA gym. “Gleason’s has about 1,500 members right now,” he said, “without me ever walking in the door and before we ever put in the new MMA cage.” The cage was installed in Gleason’s in January. It sits confidently in a space with three boxing rings.

Photo by Chastity Cortijo

+ Gleason’s Gym (top right) has served New York area boxers since 1937, and it recently added an MMA cage.

Sweet Science Boxing & MMA (left and below) trains Los Angeles area fighters and amateur athletes looking to experience in both combat sports.

“Take Advantage of the Opportunity” Boxing is winning the historical image contest, and there are some successful boxing businesses in the U.S., but in a professional battle of the businesses, MMA is the current champ; that’s a unanimous decision. I’m not going to get into the pay-scale differences between professional boxers and professional MMA fighters. The more interesting and more meaningful contest – for MMA Business – is waged not on the Las Vegas Strip but on Main Street U.S.A. On Main Street, far more MMA training businesses are flourishing, especially when compared to gyms focused on boxing – not “kickboxing,” that’s more aerobics and traditional fitness than boxing.

“MMA gyms make money,” said Marco Trejo, owner of Sweet Science Boxing & MMA in Los Angeles. “Most boxing gyms typically don’t make money; that’s the stereotype.”

One boxing gym that is doing well is Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, New York.

Often considered the best boxing gym in the country – and certainly the best known – Gleason’s opened in 1937 and has trained every great American boxer you’ve ever heard of, as well as actors like Hillary Swank and others needing fight training for important film roles. Gleason’s is boxing. But even this W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S M A G . C O M

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Photo by Chastity Cortijo

So why do it? Why would this historic boxing gym add MMA? “Boxing is still my love,” said Bruce Silverglade, who has owned Gleason’s for 31 years. “If I had my choice to watch boxing or MMA, I’m going to watch boxing. But I know that the younger generation chooses MMA. And I think that MMA will be approved and legalized in New York. When that happens, I want to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Can We Get Along?

All MMA fighters use boxing skills, to different degrees, and they respect the need to learn the art. But how do boxers generally feel about MMA? How do the trainers at Gleason’s feel about the cage-focused training?

“There were questions,” said Galvanosi, “and a handful of people had concerns. But that’s normal with change. I was teaching an MMA class recently. It was intense, and the boxers ended up watching – with respect – and they saw MMA in a different way, one they had not seen before. They saw the discipline in the training.”

Devon Cormack has been a boxing coach at Gleason’s for 22 years. “I haven’t heard other coaches say anything negative (about MMA),” he said. “And I’m here with all the coaches.” Granted, Cormack started in karate and was a champion in American Kickboxing before becoming a professional boxer.

“I got accepted here, because I was training in their art. And I was doing more than they 22

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+ Rodrigo Galvanosi (top left) owns Fearless Fighting in North Carolina, and is now the lead MMA trainer at Gleason’s Gym. Galvanosi and Bruce Silverglade, Gleason’s owner, share a love combat sports and the related business opportunities.

“We can all learn something from each other,” said Galvanosi. were, kicking as well as boxing. Sometimes I would be training with a boxer and I would swing a leg out, and they would be impressed.”

Galvanosi admits that many boxers don’t like MMA. But Cormack is living proof that most boxers do respect those who respect the martial arts.

Your Opportunity?

“Mixed Martial Arts has helped make boxing more relevant,” said Trejo, of Sweet Science.

“That’s how I feel about it. And I’m a boxing purist. I love boxing. But at the same time, I get a lot of MMA fighters who need to improve their hands and their striking.” Sweet Science has been open for three years in Los Angeles, and now has a member mix that’s about 70 percent boxing and 30 percent MMA. “We can all learn something from each other,” said Galvanosi. “I have already seen some old-school boxing techniques that most

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Photo by Chastity Cortijo

MMA fighters don’t recognize because they don’t pay attention to boxing. And that’s true ‘Mixed Martial Arts,’ dusting off a variety of combat skills to use for training and fighting.”

A business doesn’t have to change what it is to do things differently; that’s always a fear for traditionalists who hesitate to add new programming. But it should consider expanding and updating its services. “Having MMA makes us a well-rounded gym,” said coach Cormack. “We are known for what we are known for. But now you can come to Gleason’s Gym and learn anything. We totally accept that the cage is in the center of the gym. We still have three boxing rings.”

WHAT’S YOUR

DEAL?

We Ask 3 Young Companies About Building An MMA Brand.

S t o r y

B y

Glenn Hansen

“

What’s your deal?” I was just out of college and at a party when someone asked me that question. It was an odd way to say “Tell me about yourself.” Strange that the question stuck with me, but I like it today as a unique inquiry into a company’s brand.

If you’re tired of the somewhat trendy discussion about “branding,” you’re either doing it perfectly with your business, or you’re completely missing the single most important part of business building. Most of you are somewhere in between – MMA Business magazine included – and can benefit from another brandbuilding study.

It’s not a stretch for us to say that branding should be a main focus for any new and growing company. But first, we should define “branding.” Your brand is your promise to your customer. Spoken or un, carefully crafted or not, your company makes such a promise and has a brand. And that brand – that promise – is shown in the delivery of your products and services. Your brand is also defined by the public’s perception of your company’s products and services.

That means you do have control of your brand, but it can also get away from you if you’re not careful.

The best example of this? Tapout. Four or five years ago, the iconic Tapout brand helped define MMA. Today, it’s fair to say the Tapout brand is far less powerful. The company quit delivering on its original promise, and the public perception – even within MMA – has changed drastically. That happens to companies. Even great brands – Apple, Harley-Davidson and Starbucks – wander from their original brand promise. But the best ones – Apple, Harley-Davidson and Starbucks – return to the brand that defined them and made people love them.

The greatest threat to branding is not that a company might shift from its brand strength; Tapout can come back. No, the biggest problem with branding is ignoring your brand, or thinking that it’s not important, and that it only applies to big companies. Branding is vital whether you own a neighborhood MMA gym or a nationwide product distribution business.

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How To Define Yours

‘

We asked three relatively young companies the same group of questions to decipher their brand identities in the MMA industry. The three companies – I’m A Beast apparel, Golden Gear, TufMed. We edited their answers down to fit here. You can read each complete interview on www.mmabusinessmag.com

Why did you start this business?

(Note: This “reason for being” question is vital in determining a brand’s vision and purpose.)

firsthand knowledge to develop the kind of equipment that fighters need to keep their bodies in top condition during training.

I’m A Beast: We hear many fighters and athletes themselves chant the phrase, “I’m A Beast!” So, we felt that fighters and athletes alike would want a brand that described them. That’s when the “I’m A Beast” brand was born!

TufMed: I believe that fighters and serious athletes need better products to treat their injuries.

1

Golden Gear: Muay Thai fighting has been my obsession ever since I threw my first jab at 12 years old. I was kept out of a lot of fights due to training injuries like bruised shins. I knew I could turn those experiences into something positive, so I used my

‘

2 It’s a competitive market. What makes your business better? (Note: Good brands overcome competition with seemingly little thought. But the awareness of differentiation is crucial).

I’m A Beast: We respect all brands and their products and we feel our products are equally of good quality.

Our customers constantly tell us our

brand name and cool logo give us that competitive edge.

Golden Gear: We’ve worked closely with manufacturers and fighters to ensure our products are comfortable, yet tough enough to outlast even the most intense training sessions. Our gear is handmade and hand-stitched by expert craftsmen to ensure every product receives the utmost personal attention.

TufMed: We’ve spent 2.5 years building a company and product line for the specific goal of achieving our mission of serving fighters and serious athletes better than any other brand on the planet. Every person involved in this

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YOUR BRAND IS NOT: Your logo – that just gives people a picture to remember Your annual sales – that is just a measure of your worth An advertising tagline – those change like the wind A color – see logo above Your product – that is just something to sell

project, every decision we make, everything comes down to achievement of that mission.

‘

Do you have a “favorite” brand that you look up to when thinking about running and building your business?

(Note: studying branding in general is a good exercise, not for copying but observational guidance.)

3

I’m A Beast: We were taught to analyze the leading brands and companies in our industry, and then use that as a guide or blueprint when running or building our business. What also helps build your business is speaking to as many professionals as possible. We spoke to many fighters to learn what kind of products they like, and what features they need in a product.

Golden Gear: Here are a few businesses I look up to. True Honor is becoming a major clothing brand in the MMA world. The CEO and Founder Bardia truly has drive and a vision for his brand and he has taken it to the top in just a few years. I like Hayabusa for its marketing efforts and I like how they are great with R & D. I also really like Grant Boxing; one thing they do right is truly create high quality products for the fighters. Another company I love is Apple because they really thought outside the box and reinvented the wheel. I would love to 26

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take qualities from all these businesses to help continue grow my company.

with a brand that actually cares about where you are going.

TufMed: I’ve spent years studying entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship and have accumulated a robust network of mentors, all of whom provide me learned, unique insight and strength in particular areas. They’re my “Brain Trust.” Over the years I’ve crafted my own style by taking from people and companies the traits I find most beneficial and admirable and applying them toward myself and my ventures.

TufMed: TUFMED products are 100% made in the USA (even our packaging) and everybody at TUFMED is a fighter and/or serious athlete so we know exactly what kind of products we need for our own injuries. Frankly, we are our customers and we absolutely won’t train or compete without our products nearby, which echoes the sentiment expressed to us by our customers.

‘

Why should someone buy products from you? (Note: I also like to ask, “What problem does your company solve for customers?”)

4

I’m A Beast: Not only do we have quality products, according to our customers and fighters, but they are very economical compared to the rest of the industry. We have this level of success because we didn’t compromise quality to make our products affordable.

Golden Gear: Golden Gear Corp. was designed by a fighter who is a connoisseur in the fight gear industry ensuring every product is handmade, handcrafted, and hand stitched by expert craftsmen to perfection allowing you to develop and become the best fighter you can be.

With Golden Gear products, you are ensuring you are a smart fighter sticking

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‘ 5

What two things are you doing right now to build your company’s brand, and to make the name known, liked, respected? (Note: brands need to be built and maintained throughout their existence.)

I’m A Beast: We sponsor fighters who are fighting in televised fights, which amounts to exposure into millions of homes, and gives us a national and international presence. We also sponsor MMA events, locally and around the United States which is constantly and rapidly building our domestic presence.

To make our name liked and respected, we simply respect all people –fighters, customers, other brands, all companies and professionals in this industry-just any and everyone!

Golden Gear: I am a college student and I plan on taking this company

full throttle once I graduate in two years. I currently have a northeast distributor, West Coast Distributor, and am working on getting a Canadian Distributor and European Distributor.

I just relaunched my brand with a whole new marketing plan creating the Collection Series, a line of gear handmade in Thailand providing maximum protection, comfort, and durability. I am currently working on different marketing tactics such as SEO, magazine advertising, and just getting fighters and trainers in the gear to help promote it. It is all about getting fighters and trainers in the gear.

TufMed: Social media is big for us and TUFMED’s analytics are off the chart.

Also, being present at events is very important to establishing the brand.

You can read the complete interviews – 10 questions in total – with these three companies on our website. These companies are doing it right now, and they’ve put their brands on display for this article and for your observation. Ask

Who, What, Where Golden Gear Daniel Goldberg 0Gloves, training equipment and

gear for MMA and boxing athletes

0www.goldengearboxing.com 0Born in New York in 2009 I’m A Beast Lorenzo Garnett 0Training and lifestyle apparel for MMA athletes

0www.imabeastapparel.net 0Launched in Chicago in 2010 yourself all the questions posed to these companies as part of a branding exercise.

After that, if you’re still confused about your brand, ask your customers what your company and your brand means to them. That will be a great reflection of your brand. And if you’re surprised by the responses, you have work to do.

TufMed Daniel Greene 0Injury-care products for MMA

fighters and other serious athletes

0www.tufmed.com 0Based in Tampa, TufMed will

make its public launch in 2013

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Celebrating

MMA’s Finest

MMA Business Awards of Excellence Emerging Enterprise:

Finalist: Cage Fitness

We continue to believe that the real growth of MMA will come via the merger of Mixed Martial Arts-style training with the world of general fitness. Cage Fitness is leading the way in that merger. By creating an effective programming system along with a great workout, Cage Fitness is winning over MMA trainers and others as a viable business builder.

Finalist: Gameness Fightwear Known first for high-quality Gis, Gameness is building a diverse product line that appeals to JiuJitsu athletes and MMA practitioners. And by remaining focused on superior products and strong service – not marketing imagery and promotional gimmicks – Gameness is positioning itself as a serious competitor in an increasingly crowded field.

2012 Award of Excellence Winner as Emerging Enterprise: UFC Gyms The UFC itself has built an incredible entertainment and media empire, but the growth in MMA will be better sustained by participants, not just

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spectators. The UFC Gyms are emerging to build that MMA enthusiast base of support. The company first built five massive fitness centers in the west – four in California and one in Hawaii – with a “Train Different” theme that merged traditional fitness programming with the creativity and dynamics of Mixed Martial Arts. The training and service presented to a growing list of members rivals that of any training center – this is not just well-timed fitness promotion.

Now it’s expanding to New York and Australia with similar 40,000-square foot UFC Gyms. And its recent acquisition of the LA Boxing, with 81 existing franchise locations and more in the works, will spread the UFC Gym’s MMA-inspired fitness lifestyle much more quickly.

UFC Gyms are emerging to do more than just take advantage of MMA’s rapid growth and business potential. This creative and well-run enterprise is helping propel that growth and potential.

Product Innovation:

Finalist: TRX Training

Randy Hetrick was a Navy Seal and Jiu-Jitsu athlete looking for a better way to train. Starting with a Jiu-Jitsu belt, he devised the first suspension trainer, and built it into the TRX Training system. Now, dozens of companies market similar devices, but the TRX continues to lead with products for pros and amateur trainers.

Finalist: Fuji Sports Fuji Sports proves that a company built on traditions can earn respect and credibility for innovation, too. The company delivered several new products in 2012, including a Gi made for women by women, the sales of which help raise funds for breast cancer research.

2012 Award of Excellence Winner for Product Innovation: Hayabusa Creative and effective training has been a big part of this industry’s growth, but

good products are always behind that training. Increased product demand has caused a flood of average products – sparring gloves, fight shorts, training pads and more – to fill retail pipelines from eBay to sporting goods chain stores. The MMA Business Product Innovation award recognizes the company that has created products apart from the crowd, products that better serve MMA enthusiasts, and that help raise the industry’s standards.

Hayabusa fightwear is that company, and the Tokushu line of gloves and gear – introduced in 2012 – are those products. To develop this line, Hayabusa spent a lot of time and money testing the science behind combat training. The result is a line of gloves, pads and headgear created with the same ingenuity and dedication to superiority seen in champion fighters.

Event Marketing:

Finalist: Member Solutions

As a B2B service provider, Member Solutions should perhaps not be in the “event” business. But it is. The company’s annual Business Bootcamp is an outstanding event that extends its service offering to clients in a way that delivers a weekend full of learning from and networking with leading industry professionals. And it lacks the sales pressure that comes with other such events.

Finalist: Fight Summit More people have talked about Fight Summit over three years than have actually attended – too bad for those who didn’t attend. Nearly all the attendees left with business-boosting wisdom that will serve them well. Many industry professionals didn’t “get” Fight Summit, but that doesn’t detract from the importance and powerful execution of the event itself.

2012 Award of Excellence Winner for Event Marketing: MMA World Expo Creating successful and enduring MMA events has been an industry challenge, even for the UFC. Doing it in New York City, in a state that doesn’t even allow professional MMA fighting, is a bigger challenge still. Paul Paone, creator of the MMA World Expo, has built an event that serves a variety of interests in the martial arts community and industry. The recently held event, rescheduled due to SuperStorm Sandy, included a variety of competitive events, plus training seminars lead by the industry’s leading coaches, as well as many companies showcasing products and services to East Coast fans and industry professionals.

> Celebrating MMA’S Finest - Continued on page 40

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Cli ck!

ONLINE NOW Social Media Facebook for Learning Not just for food photos and cat videos, Facebook is a popular hangout for MMA fans and professionals. What’s hot in March?

• Century MMA and its March Madness product bracket challenge. Check it out, and vote every day for your favorite products.

• Invicta Fighting Championships is busy promoting its Invicta 5 battle scheduled for April 5 in Kansas City, Missouri. Check the Invicta page for information on fighter preparation, tickets, live viewing opportunities, and more.

• New York-based photographer Chastity Cortijo shows off her work for FightNightPics.com as she covers the MMA and combat sports scene in New York and New Jersey. Cortijo shot Gleason’s Gym for us as it expands to offer MMA. • We can keep up with overseas promotions like One Fight Championship, and regional promotions like the Las Vegas-based TuffNUff. • We can track the sponsorship activities of companies such as Gameness Fightwear, Fuji Sports, Everlast and others.

• And we follow business and entrepreneurial posts from media such as Fast Company, and others.

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How-To: LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social media site, that’s true. But it’s not Facebook; this is for business. As such, we should all probably use LinkedIn even more than we use Facebook. Okay, that won’t happen. But let’s at least follow a few simple guidelines for using LinkedIn so we engage and act professionally. To make the most of this important business tool, do this:

business name; there is plenty of room in your profile to talk about your business.

• Use your real name, and include a professional headshot. Don’t create a LinkedIn profile using your

• Complete your profile; it’s easy and will help increase your professional network with relevant connections.

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• Check the site once every three days, at least. If you don’t check it that often, don’t expect to get anything out of the site at all.

• Promote your professional knowledge with integrity.

Don’t just push your products.

• Follow company pages. Lots of them. And if you lead a company, create a company page – it’s easy.

• Explain your goals when requesting connections. Don’t just use the generic LinkedIn connection language when reaching out to people you’ve never met.

• Interact with groups you belong to; they’re perhaps the most important part of the LinkedIn engagement experience. You can adjust email notification settings easily to keep you aware of group activity.

Speaking of the MMA Business Group in LinkedIn, this group has nearly 2,000 members around the world, with interesting stats: • 36% of the group’s members are business owners • They are from every corner of the world, including Canada, Pakistan, Russia, Scandinavia, Brazil, United Kingdom, Europe, China, and all parts of the United States.

• Group discussion activity is monitored closely, and overtly promotional posts are deleted within 24 hours.

Discussions remain focused on the business of martial arts and MMA. Question For You, and a Confession: Are you on Google+? If so, do you use the site often? Here’s how you can answer: join the new MMA Business community on Google+.

Now the confession. I signed up for Google+ personally (Glenn Hansen) and professionally (MMA Business), and used the site often – for a little while. I like Google+ and think it has great potential, not just for professional social networking but also because it’s Google, and the company is making Google+ pages more search-friendly. But I just haven’t gotten into the habit of using Google+ yet.

How about you? If you’re on Google+, join the new MMA Business community, and we’ll connect there.

I would like to do video Hangouts and discuss MMA Business opportunities.

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YOURGYM NAME: American Top Team Indianapolis LOCATION: Indianapolis, Indiana OWNERS: Carlos Diaz, Head Trainer; Ramon Malave, Operations Director YEARS IN BUSINESS: 3 DISCIPLINES: Muay Thai for Adults and Kids, Self-Defense, MMA, Yoga, Fitness We travel often, and when on the road, we love to visit MMA and martial arts gyms and schools. On a recent trip to Indianapolis, we searched and found American Top Team Indianapolis. A quick call to the gym led us to a Friday night MMA class. Stay in touch with MMA Business on Facebook and LinkedIn, and we’ll let you know about our travel schedule.

Diaz opened American Top Team Indianapolis in 2010. The central downtown location is flanked by a Dunkin Donuts and a bar that serves a roasted bone marrow appetizer. It’s not exactly an MMA or fitness-oriented neighborhood, but it’s home, and is growing.

The ATT Indy location is on the small side, with a welcoming lobby

+ Carlos DIaz, wearing white

pants, helps one of his students with the stern coaching hand of a father in this family atmosphere.

Carlos Diaz is an American Top Team (ATT) veteran. “I’ve been with them since before they were American Top Team,” said Diaz. He was team manager for years out of the team’s Florida headquarters. “Then I moved out of Florida to pursue some other possibilities, and I ended up here in Indiana.”

Pursuing other opportunities often means “change,” but with Diaz, a change and move north ended up bringing him right back to the ATT affiliation – the family, really. “We’ll always remain a big family,” said Diaz.

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curbside opening to a long, narrow mat space. The gym has the necessary “functional” equipment, including a tractor tire, ropes, bags and more. And Diaz makes use of every inch of the space.

He’s hoping that soon he’ll be able to make use of that space more often.

An elementary school teacher by day, Diaz currently opens ATT Indy for training in the late afternoons and evening. “We are working hard to have a daytime schedule soon,” said Diaz. But he still loves teaching. And there are

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similarities between his two teaching professions – he saves the physical side, of course, for the gym.

“You invest your emotional and physical time,” said Diaz, and that applies to both teaching kids in school and training fighters at the gym. “I don’t do this for the money. I want to help some of these kids follow their dreams.” Is he talking about the school now or the gym? Both, actually.

“I will invest what I can to help them grow in the sport and as a human being as well. It’s a very personal sport on the training level,” said Diaz. Now he’s talking about MMA training. “Physically, you can get personal. Plus there is an emotional commitment, and with that you get close to each other. As I said before, it’s like a family. That’s how I was taught in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, and that’s how American Top Team works everywhere.”

As an ATT affiliate, Diaz gets access to the ATT online university, “and we have a community where we share information with each other,” said Diaz. “There is distance between many of us in the country, but it’s easy to stay connected with technology today.”

Diaz, a black belt in BJJ and Judo, travels to the ATT headquarters in South Florida as often as he can. “And I try to bring some of my guys, and we’ll train with the professionals down there,” said Diaz. “Plus, I can send my students down there for training. We’re

always a big family.”

Like so many MMA gyms, ATT Indy trains a few members hoping to be fighters someday. And it trains a whole lot of people who just love the workout. “The members are generally men between age 18 and 44,” said Diaz. “A few want to be heavily involved and want to pursue a career, but a lot just want to train for the enjoyment and the workout.

Classes include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Judo, kickboxing, submission and freestyle wrestling, and martial arts classes for kids, too. “The MMA is the most popular class, according to Diaz. “A lot of guys like the Jiu-Jitsu, but with the popularity of MMA on TV, that class is still the top.”

The “Kids Martial Arts” teaches youngsters the basic concepts of a variety of martial arts, plus defensive techniques. “We tell them that

this is appropriate at the academy, not necessarily outside of here,” said Diaz. The kids classes are gaining popularity, and Diaz hopes to expand that schedule soon.

Diaz has made just a small investment in advertising the ATT Indy facility. He credits “word of mouth” promotion for drawing customers to the business. “We may start advertising a bit more as we work to grow our kids business, and as we expand our hours of operation,” he said. For now, he relies on good recommendations to market the training lead by he and his coaches.

“I had a brown-belt who visited us recently,” Diaz recalls, “and he said he’s been to every academy in the area, and he chooses to come here for the complete training and coaching pack-

age. I like to think it’s because they like what we do overall. We work to help make people better human beings. It’s a brotherhood. And we all support each other both in the sport and outside.

This is the true philosophy of what I was taught about Jiu-Jitsu and American Top Team. And we train pretty hard, too.”

ON THE MAT Been There. Lifted That. By Corey Beasley Strength and conditioning is a hot topic these days.

Unfortunately, most trainers and coaches simply do stuff they’ve done in the past, or they do whatever looks cool on YouTube. To run a successful strength-and-conditioning program for your athletes or members, it’s important to have structure, to include a variety of stimuli and to progress slowly over time. But it begins with structure. Here’s a general template to use for workouts you lead. + A foam roller is a great tool for loosening muscles and warming up surrounding tendons and muscular fascia.

SMR: 5 to 10 minutes The majority of us spend our days in the car, at a desk or on the couch. This sedentary lifestyle leave most people with stiff joints and weak muscles.

One of the fastest ways to correct this is by using foam rollers and other trigger point tools to break up tension and adhesions in tight muscles. Tools like the foam roller can quickly release tension in hip flexors, quads and hamstrings, in particular, and help your athletes move more efficiently during your workouts. (I covered this topic in the August 2012 issue of MMA Business. + Stretching with

movement is more effective than static stretching, and it can aid in warm ups, too.

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Warm Up: 10 minutes I typically start by mobilizing the ankles, hips, up-

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per back and wrists with dynamic warm up drills, isometrics, locomotion drills, crawling and more.

The goal? Get the blood flowing, open up the lungs, prepare the mind and prevent injury during the upcoming workout.

Speed, agility and quickness: 10 to 15 minutes Once the body is warm, start moving with more intention. Speed, agility and quickness training will help an athlete move with ease in various directions. Typical weight lifting helps make people strong; these types of drills help people become more athletic. I’m talking about plyometric progressions, ladder drills, med ball work and more.

These drills light up the nervous system and get the muscles to fire quickly. They can, however, be dangerous if not done carefully and thoughtfully.

Start with basic drills, progress slowly, learn the movement, and add speed and difficulty over time.

Strength A good strength program can help your students increase muscle mass (and burn fat), improve stability within the joints, increase strength and develop power. While most traditional fitness gyms are packed full of strength machines and weight equipment, that stuff is not mandatory. + Take push-ups to the

next level with explosive movements.

I like to segment strength workouts into movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, twist, carry and gait. This makes it relatively easy to lay out a variety of interesting workouts that help make

+ Squats can take a variety

of forms, like with this splitleg stance, and Squat Jumps increase the intensity for enhance strength-building.

people strong from head to toe.

Start by assessing a person’s ability level and goals. Some people may simply hold the top of a push up position, while a more advanced member can do explosive push ups. The possibilities are endless, but make sure you progress with caution, and with the student’s abilities in mind. Progressing too quickly will only lead to injury and that’s bad for your athletes and your business.

Start with stability-type exercises before moving on to strength movements, and finally the power-type movements.

Stability drills: > Plank Position > Squat Hold > Bent-arm Hang Strength Drills: > Push-ups > Squats > Pull-ups Power Drills: > Explosive push-ups > Squat Jumps > Muscle-ups Think of it this way. Can they hold a stable position for at least 30 seconds? That’s stability. Can they move efficiently without breaking down under resistance? That’s strength. Can they move explosively through a movement with good form?

That’s power. If someone cannot hold a position with integrity, they have no business moving explosively through a similar pattern. It’s about quality, not quantity.

Conditioning Reserve the conditioning aspect of strength training for the end of each session. If you tire someone out and then have them lift, they will not get the most out of that session. Let them do the heavy strength work first, and then tax the cardio respiratory system at the end of the hour.

I use “metabolic sessions” intermittently through a training schedule. These include running, drills or circuit-style workouts that combine both strength and conditioning in a series of movements. These are great additions, but use them carefully. Any fool can make people tired, but only a great coach can challenge someone and make them better. If you are using metabolic circuits in your training, do not sacrifice good form for intensity. At first, use simple, foolproof exercises that everyone is familiar with. That way they do them correctly, there is little margin for error and they can simply work hard, without fear of injury. The goal should always be to stimulate the athlete, not annihilate them.

Beginner Circuit - repeat 5 to 10 rounds > Versaclimber/sprint - 15 seconds > Rest - 45 seconds > Battling Ropes - 15 seconds > Rest - 45 seconds

Intermediate Circuit - repeat 5 to 10 rounds > Rapid side shuffle – 30 seconds > Rest - 30 seconds > Bear crawl in multiple directions – 30 seconds > Rest - 30 seconds > Heavy rope sidewinders - 30 sec > Rest - 30 seconds

Advanced Circuit - repeat 5 to 10 rounds > Sled drive –10 seconds > Heavy rope slams – 10 seconds > Heavy bag carry – 10 seconds > Shuttle run – 10 seconds > Rest – 20 seconds

With 14 years of coaching experience, Corey Beasley is recognized as one of the top trainers in Southern California. He owns Innovative Results Strength and Conditioning in Costa Mesa, Calif. and currently works with more than 50 pro fighters.

Corey

Corey Beasley

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EVENTREPORT NEWS AROUND MMA

MMA World EXPO

Rescheduled due to Super Storm Sandy, the 4th annual MMA World Expo took place Feb 16 and 17 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The two-day event featured a variety of martial arts seminars, business exhibits, and the first-ever FILA-run amateur MMA tournament in the United States. FILA is the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, or in its Swiss headquarters, the Federation Internationale de Luttes Associees, and it oversees a variety of competitive events in Olympic competition. You can read its Amateur MMA rules here.

While professional MMA remains illegal in New York, amateur MMA is permissible, and this tournament gave New York fans a chance to see competitive MMA in person.

“We had about 12 bouts on Saturday, and 12 more on Sunday,” said event promoter Paul Paone. “Fights took place in five different weight divisions – from 135 pounds to 205 pounds. We wanted to give people a taste of live fights. We wanted people to see live MMA competition. We hope to show professional fights next year.”

Several pro fighters got to watch this competition, too.

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In attendance to sign autographs, top fighters at this event included Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar, Rick Hawn, Michael Chandler, Jessica Eye, Andre Arlovski, and more. Along with World Series of Fighting president Ray Sefo, Arlovski and his next opponent Anthony Johnson attended the seminar to announce the WSOF’s next event in New Jersey on March 23.

The MMA World Expo again hosted the highly popular Renzo Gracie Open Jiu-Jitsu tournament. This event was open to all ages and all belt-levels of Jiu-Jitsu competitors, in both Gi and No-Gi divisions. New to this year’s Expo was a Catch Wrestling tournament and demonstration event.

The Expo again hosted popular training seminars lead by leading MMA and martial arts coaches such as Jimmy Pedro, Kru Phil Nurse, Renzo Gracie and others. New for this year’s Expo, attendees were charged $100 per day to participate in training sessions. Fans and attendees were also charged for autographs and fighter photos.

The schedule change to February helped a number of local companies, giving them time to recover from damage caused by Super Storm Sandy. Exhibitor companies included Ring-To-Cage, Zebra Mats, Xyience, Monster Rings and Cages, and new sponsor Toyota, among others.

The new show dates also made the event more affordable for visiting exhibitors and attendees. “In December, a lot of things are more expensive, including hotels,” said Paone. “Plus, the city is usually more crowded and more difficult to navigate around the holidays.”

One well-known boxing gym, Gleason’s Boxing in Brooklyn, used the MMA World Expo to talk about its new MMA training classes, lead by Rodrigo Galvanosi, owner of the Fearless Fighting gym in Greenville, North Carolina. A New York native, Galvanosi trained at Gleason’s years ago, and attended the MMA World Expo to discuss this plans to merge MMA training into this historic boxing facility where many of the sport’s greatest fighters trained, including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and many more.

MMA Business asked some of the professionals in attendance for their opinion on this year’s MMA World Expo.

“Every year this event gets better,” said Renzo Gracie.

“More people and more businesses are coming out to attend this Expo, and the tournament competition is getting better. I can only wait for next year because it just gets better every year.”

“I’m just happy to have the ability to come here and

teach a little,” Gracie said, “and at the same time I am learning from so many great leaders in our sport here under one roof; it’s a unique experience.

“It’s a great event, and the turn out has been amazing,” said Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, a World Series of Fighting heavyweight. “It was great to hold our press conference in New York to talk about the World Series of Fighting, so I’m real happy with it.”

“It was a pleasure to see the enthusiasm of all the vendors eager to bring their products and knowledge at this event,” said Galvanosi. “People like Renzo Gracie, Ray Sefo, Jimmy Pedro, Big John McCarthy, Anthony Johnson, they’re all highly professional gentleman, and it’s a pleasure to work with any of them. I was concerned that so many fans of the sport had to pay extra for autographs and training seminars. I hope that didn’t prevent people from learning about Mixed Martial Arts.”

What’s next for the MMA World Expo? “We will probably schedule another event yet this year,” said Paone, “we’re looking at event dates now. We’ve also discussed doing multiple events in 2013, and maybe repeating this event in other cities, taking the show on road.”

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PRO SHOP A Xyience NEW Flavors

N E W

PRO D U C T S

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S ERV I C ES

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XYIENCE’s new non-carbonated Xenergy + beverages are now available to retailers. The new drinks called Hydration, Tea, and Lemonade are zerocalorie, sugar-free and vitamin-fortified, and are made with all natural flavors and colors. The Tea and Lemonade versions offer 10 mg of caffeine per ounce. The new beverages debut first in the Western and Midwestern states; other states will follow.

Contact Xyience for retail sales opportunities. www.xyience.com.

B Zebra Heavy Bags A variety of new hanging bags are available from Zebra. Four-foot tall heavy bags and six-foot Muay Thai bags are made in the U.S.A. with a special vinyl built for durability. All bags come professionally stuffed and include chains for hanging. The Muay Thai bags come in 100- and 130-pound versions.

The Muay Thai FLIP bag can be turned and hung in either direction. Visit www.zebramats.com, or call 800-989-8085.

B

C

C Revgear

Samurai Series Revgear modeled its “Samurai Series” after ancient samurai armor, with the look of the leather, steel, and iron plates used in the ancient gear. The line includes pads, headgear, and apparel, plus boxing and MMA gloves with graphics that won’t rub off or peel.

The gear is made with durable leather, and features gel padding, steel-like wrist support, and moisture wicking non-slip linings that won’t restrict movement during hand-to-hand combat. Visit www.revgear.com

D Succeed As An Agent Robert Cardenas’s e-book “The Business of MMA – How To Succeed As An Agent” was released in January on the agent’s company website. In this short and direct piece, Cardenas uses brief, numbered points to show processes like “Drafting an MMA Agency Agreement,” and “Effective Negotiation Techniques in MMA.” Not an exhaustive text, the short e-book still gives readers serious and useful advice gained from first-hand experience in the MMA agency business. Visit www.mmaappearances.com to download the book for free.

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OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON The Fighter-Sponsor Relationship Early this year, two up-and-coming MMA fighters learned lessons about sponsors and money. They weren’t the first athletes to struggle with sponsor agreements, and they won’t be the last. But because these two stories quickly got social media exposure, they became everybody’s business. So we thought our “Outside The Octagon” column was a good place for comments, too.

The issue came up first when Rick Hawn lost to Michael Chandler in Bellator 85 (Jan. 13, Irvine, Calif.) and sponsor HTFU hedged on payment, citing Hawn’s poor performance. “I took a huge chance on (Hawn),” said the sponsor, “but it only holds if he wins or puts on a great show. Neither happened.” Hawn took the conversation to Twitter (@RickHawnMMA), and a tweeting MMA community went after HTFU. Within a week of the misunderstanding, HTFU paid Hawn the disputed $1,500, though the cost to its industry reputation was likely much higher.

More recently, Kaitlin Young came forward to call out sponsor Gamebred Fightwear and its refusal to fulfill promises following fights in the summer of 2012. Young fought in the Invicta FC 1 contest and earned “Fight of the Night” honors in her win over Leslie Smith. Gamebred claims miscommunication lead to the misunderstanding.

So – Outside The Octagon – why does this happen, and what can other fighters do to avoid similar situations? We’ll let people with more experience answer that.

get away with this will continue to do the same.

3. Each party must be held accountable. Did the fighter wear the gear that he or she was supposed to wear? Did they show up for autograph signings scheduled by the sponsor? When fighters do not fulfill all the obligations between them and a sponsor, it opens the door for non-payment.

4. Understand the obligations of both parties.

MMA is a business (as this magazine knows). Fighters need to wear the hat of the business owner, too, because they are the product being sold.

A fighter has a choice to either get a business degree and better prepare for the business side of fighting, or hire a professional to handle this so they can focus on fighting. Or they can do absolutely nothing, and cry every time they get screwed. This does not mean that sponsors should get away with bad behavior. But it does mean that preparing for a fight career involves work outside the octagon, too.

-- Rodrigo Galvanosi, Fearless Fighting, Greenville,

Things like this happen because: 1. The fighter in question does not always “get it in writing.” Not saying a contract wouldn’t result in a long drawn out lawsuit where lawyers make more money than anyone, but at least the merit of the case would not be in question.

2. Sponsors will do what sponsors are allowed to do. I mean by the fighters themselves and the fans, too. Sponsors who pull BS like this should be called out immediately! When a payment is due, make them pay. Fighters tend to think letting the sponsor pay when they want is ok, but it’s not. Sponsors that

It happens because 95 percent of MMA brands are people trying to learn how to run a business; they’re not actually business leaders. It’s sad that some apparel companies think they’re going to make tons of money so they just keep making big promises to athletes, and then when their stuff doesn’t sell from putting a logo on their shorts, they don’t understand why, and drop their commitments.

I also don’t understand not having contracts with people. We have great relationships with our sponsors but we also have contracts.

-- Mike Hauben, Fight Summit

North Carolina

It happens because fighters need legal representation so they can focus on fighting and not fighting words of breached contracts. However, this will be more difficult for fighters to achieve until they earn more in compensation to pay for a better team of business and legal professionals.

-- Facebook.com/MMA Maxim, sponsorship and agent consultant

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Celebrating

MMA’s

Finest > Continued from page 29

2012 Award of Excellence Winner for Branding: Zebra Mats Defining a brand is one thing. Growing that brand is another completely. This award celebrates the company that has best defined and built its brand into a trusted and reputable MMA powerhouse, helping it and the entire industry grow.

Zebra Mats could have rested on its flooring and maintained its brand image as the leader in high-performance flooring for martial arts professionals, but it didn’t. The company knew it could better serve owners of MMA and martial arts training centers by developing a complete outfitting service. In good branding style, this change and growth didn’t alter the Zebra brand, it enhanced it. Zebra has built a powerful service company while maintaining its true brand image – that of an industry leader committed to serving and supporting professional level training for all who desire the same.

In its four years running, the MMA World Expo has hosted business seminars, open-mat Jiu-Jitsu competitions and panel discussions that have included leading combat-industry personnel, including Melvina Lathan, Chairperson of the New York State Athletic Commission. The MMA World Expo is an event that does more for New York’s legally challenged MMA community than any other organization. Is the event perfect? No, but it’s working hard in a tough environment, like a lot of good fighters we know.

Branding:

Finalist: Xyience

In a brand-image turnaround of stellar proportions, Xyience is now one of the most-visible and most-respected brands in the MMA industry. The company has built its image around MMA athletes and training, and has taken that brand image into a wide variety of retail outlets nationwide. MMA Business applauds Xyience for proudly showcasing its support of MMA and building its brand all the while.

Finalist: Everlast With 100 years in support of boxing and just a handful behind MMA training, Everlast may still be better known for sponsoring Muhammad Ali than for its support of Randy Couture and the Bellator series. That’s fine. What’s admirable is how Everlast took that century of strong branding and carried it successfully to MMA, while simply building on the character that makes the brand so strong to begin with.

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Business Services:

Finalist: MindBody

MindBody brought its service-providing expertise from broader health-andwellness industries to serve martial arts professionals, and the innovative company has opened eyes in the process. The company has also earned recognition for LEED Gold certification and as an outstanding employer.

Finalist: ASF International With 40 years of experience providing services to fitness industry professionals, ASF International is one of the longest-running providers, but the Colorado company is far from old-fashioned. It continues to earn high marks from clients for both customer service and technology.

2012 Award of Excellence Winner for Business Services: Member Solutions

Several companies provide business services to gym owners and trainers in the MMA industry. This award recognizes the service provider that delivers service as good as the best MMA training available, yet it won’t win a title belt, or even a smile from a wellserved gym member.

In its Mission Statement, Member Solutions says its goal is to make other organizations more successful. We’ve seen the company at work, and we’ve talked to many Member Solutions customers, and the company lives by that Mission Statement – it didn’t just write it to fill “About Us” space. The Pennsylvaniabased service company provides its customers with technologyleading services, and it regularly delivers business-building information to customers through active blogging, webinars and an annual Bootcamp that is a professional-development powerhouse. Leading by example, Member Solutions delivers awardwinning service to its clients, so these businesses can provide the best service possible to theirs.

Executive of thE Year:

Finalist: John Lennon, Xyience

John Lennon took the helm at Xyience in 2010, and has greatly increased the product’s distribution while also keeping a focus on the brand image – too many company’s build one and lose sight

of the other. A beverage-industry veteran, Lennon is to be congratulated for continuing to imagine the best for this once-troubled company.

Finalist: Paul Reavlin, Revgear Paul Reavlin created Revgear in 1996 from a love of martial arts and a need for superior products.

His continued attention to both of those things has helped him build Revgear into a manufacturing, distribution and service company that strives to make a difference throughout the martial arts industry. Reavlin remains more closely connected to martial arts than almost any executive we know.

2012 Award of Excellence Winner as Executive of the Year: Bjorn Rebney, Bellator MMA Bellator MMA’s insistence on its tournament format helps distinguish the fight league from all others, including the much-larger UFC. The fact that this was the creation of founder Bjorn Rebney is often overlooked.

While Bellator is still dwarfed by UFC, founder Rebney and his tournament structure gained a powerful partner when Viacom purchased Bellator in late 2011, putting the promotion’s events on Spike TV. Rebney has created a soon-to-debut reality TV property for Bellator, and signed Randy Couture and Greg Jackson as coaches and hosts.

With two of the biggest names on his side, Bellator has ensured that even UFC die-hards will tune in for the premier episode.

Rebney has created a regular schedule of compelling fights in unique arenas nationwide, plus a new TV program including huge names in MMA. Both are sure to entice UFC fans that the sport has more to offer than pay-per-view programming. By building a fight league that focuses on the fighting and the performances of the athletes, Rebney has kept the attention on the sport and not on himself or on Bellator’s marketing. In an ironic twist, he deserves recognition for that. That’s why MMA Business calls him the Executive of the Year.

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