MMA Business - August 2012

A UG U S T 2 0 1 2 • $ 5 . 9 9

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Profile: < Monster Rings & Cages Behind the Scenes: < FanExpo & SuperShow Business Plan: < The Cost of Free

FEATURES

22 I

TIME TO REGISTER FOR FIGHT SUMMIT

The third annual Fight Summit will take place in Las Vegas, November 3 & 4, 2012. We have the event details, the exhibitors lists and the seminar schedules. You simply need to register!

30 I

HOW TO EARN SPONSOR ATTENTION

With MMA’s burst in popularity, why aren’t even more companies taking advantage of the sponsorship opportunities to market their products and services? We tell fighters and promoters how to break through.

34I

KICKBOXING IS THE ANSWER

But are you asking the right question? We look at kickboxing franchise options, and we do ask the right questions.

CONTENTS Cover Photo by Dale Shirley

AUGUST 2012 • VOLUME 3 No. 4

DEPARTMENTS 4 I MIXED THOUGHTS

Long Lines & T-shirt Sales

6 I BUSINESS PLAN The Cost of Free

8 I BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Finance & Management Tips

10 I THE BEAT

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Pedro Leads Medal-Winning Team, XenArt Competition, House of RYU Opens in Tapout Space, MusclePharm Execs Return Cash

14 I EVENT REPORT

MA SuperShow, UFC Fan Expo

18 I PROFILE

Monster Rings & Cages

36 I THE FIGHT BUSINESS

Fighting in N.Y., Fox & UFC Analysis

39 I WIDE WORLD OF MMA

Where Are You From?, Colombia F.C., Glory in Japan

42 I ON THE MAT Roll Your Own

44 I YOUR GYM

Art of Eight, San Diego, Calif.

46 I PRO SHOP

New Products and Services

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48 I OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON Improve Anyone’s Life Today?

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MIXED THOUGHTS from the Editor www.MMABusiness.com Vol. 3, No. 4, August 2012

MAGAZINE STAFF

Long Lines & T-shirt Sales “Glenn, you in the expo already? Can you hook me up? This line is so long.” My friend Kaleb texted me from the wrong end of a line of fans eager to enter the UFC Fan Expo.

I didn’t even want to go look. I had less than an hour to do some business inside the Expo hall. It was after 9, and a 10 a.m. bell would announce the arrival of Kaleb and the stampeding crowd. In fact, as I was talking with RevGear’s Paul Reavlin, I noticed a few “civilians” were already on the floor. VIP fans, perhaps. And by the time I got to the Jaco booth to speak with company president Karen Gough, it was too late. I think it was one minute after 10, and she was already attending to t-shirt sales. No kidding.

On my way out a few minutes later, I was thrilled to see a huge crowd. And it was huge. Plus, you could almost smell the money in their collective wallets and purses, practically busting out for the showfloor specials.

I never did see Kaleb or my friend Wayne. But I knew they’d make it in. I was ready to go, plus I had ace photographer Dale Shirley inside to cover the action for me.

It’s important for MMA Business to cover the Fan Expo, and we do so on page 14 this issue. Could I really “cover” the event in one hour? Yes. I arrived early, and strategically bumped into the right people. Plus, with several follow-up phone calls and Shirley’s shots, about 60 minutes at the Expo was plenty. Besides, it’s impossible to do “business” through the autograph lines and t-shirt sales.

And it all makes me think: Is this really MMA? Sure, the UFC would like its name to become synonymous with MMA. But does an event like this help grow the business of MMA? In the end, is this just more star gazing? I know my buddies Kaleb and Wayne waited hours for individual autographs. When fans can do that and meet amazing athletes, that’s a great experience – one that’s not possible in many other sports.

For me personally, and for the overall growth of the business, I hope to see long lines of fans waiting to talk about training gear, nutrition products, the latest grappling or Muay Thai techniques, participatory stuff. There was a bit of that at the Fan Expo, and I was happy to see a real wrestling tournament along with a larger-than-even Grapplers Quest event. It’s important to balance consumer events like this with real business events like Fight Summit and the Member Solutions Bootcamp. So let’s keep working toward increased business participation.

And the fans can watch us on TV someday.

Glenn

GLENN HANSEN

GLENN@HANSENHOUSECOMMUNICATION.COM

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Publisher Richard Hendricks rh@HendricksBCS.com 612-306-1707 Editor Glenn Hansen glenn@hansenhousecommunication.com Editorial Contributors Ted Czech, Dale Shirley (Photographer) Nick Roach Art Director Brett Link, BlinkVisuals Brett@BlinkVisuals.com 612-741-3048 Advertising Sales Representatives White Chocolate Management reed@whitecm.com Erick Marklund emarklund@usinternet.com 952-388-4191 Mike Marchand mmabusinesscanada@gmail.com 226-344-6MMA MMA ADVISORY BOARD John Bostick, Amber Galvanosi, Jamie Gudell, Jeff and Barry Meyer, Hans Molenkamp, Greg Nelson, Pascal Pakter, Erik Paulson, Steve Pinado, Kekoa Quipotla CIRCULATION FULFILLMENT Knowledge Marketing Publishing Services

MMA Business is published 6 times annually by MMA Business LLC, 9444 Deerwood Lane North, Maple Grove, MN 55369.

Postmaster: send address changes to MMA Business, 9444 Deerwood Lane N., Maple Grove, MN 55369.

MMA BUSINESS LLC 800-989-8085 President Chuck Blanski Vice President/Sales & Marketing Jimmy Pedro Subscription Information: Free to qualified members of the mixed martial arts industry.

To subscribe or renew your free subscription, go to: MMABusiness.com, Customer Service: contact MMA Business, 9444 Deerwood Lane North, Maple Grove, MN 55369. Call 800-8696882, Fax 866-658-6156, or e-mail MMA@ kmpsgroup.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. © 2012 by MMA Business LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Printed in U.S.A.

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BUSINESS PLAN The Cost of Free Many of today’s digital businesses live (or die) by the “free” mantra. It didn’t start with Google, but when the company’s free search tool began building a following in the late 90s, every user wondered how Google could do it. Today, we know that “we” are the products Google sells to advertisers, so that business model won’t work for you.

But a similar “free” model does exist in memberbased business. Most MMA gym owners believe so strongly that their services need to be experienced, they’re willing to give “Free trial memberships” to convince people. But is this good business?

A few gym owners say, “No,” adamantly. “We’ve moved away from offering free introductory classes,” said Brian Yamasaki. “You tend to attract people who simply want things for free. We have an introductory program that costs $20 for one week. I’ve learned that if we offer a free lesson or if we offer the $20 intro deal, we get the same conversion. People equate cost to value, and if it’s free there is no value.”

Cost of Acquisition Yamasaki learned that he was able to acquire a new customer without the need to give away his services. Many gym owners consider their cost of a free trial membership an investment in the cost of acquisition for new members. You need to do that math. How much time and money do you invest in those free monthly trials, and how many of those people are converting to full membership?

Or look at it the other way. How much do you need to charge for regular memberships so you can give away free trial memberships – or gloves, or t-shirts?

You don’t need to do this simply because your competitors do. You do need to track the activity, the costs, and the results. Here is a four-step plan to test free trial memberships.

1) Make it Easy for You and for Them For a free trial program to succeed it must be simple for you to run, and risk-free for people to try. Make participation easy, and require minimal information. Name, phone number and email should suffice, along with signatures on legal liability forms you might use for guests or new-member training.

2) Treat Them Like Members When this person comes in for the first time, you should know it, and you should treat them like you do every other member. Address them by name, and check in on their training goals. Communicate and make them know they’re important – and not just “free.”

3) Get In Their Calendar Research shows that it takes anywhere from 21 days to 66 days to form a habit. You don’t have that long. But you can make sure these prospects know your full schedule and are aware of the training classes they need to reach goals. If they’re not coming often that first week, you may have lost them.

4) Follow-Up Remember the simple contact information you took in step 1? Use it. If it’s a one-month trial, connect with them around day 25. Remind them they have time left and ask if there is anything they haven’t tried yet. Don’t access for the close here, but do let them know you’re tracking.

The free-trial can be a powerful sales tool. It can also be an unnecessary give-away of no value to you or prospective customers. But you don’t know until you try.

Glenn

GLENN HANSEN

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BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Sponsored

by

Member Solutions

8 Finance & Management Tips for Your MMA Business Implementing smart business practices is a neverending process for small business owners. Even the smallest of changes can dramatically enhance your business productivity, make your life much easier, and put your business in a stronger and healthier financial position. Here are eight finance and business management tips to help pave the way for fiscal fitness and business success.

1) Keep good records Without good record keeping, you don’t know where you’ve been or where you’re going. As the business owner, you should regularly review a set of financial statements. The financials should show you the health and heartbeat of your business in a format you understand. Review your financials with your trusted staff members, and come away from staff meetings with actions and goals for the future.

2) Make the best use of your staff’s time Schedule recurring meetings with your staff to discuss best practices. Discuss the problems and issues that cause the most difficulties. Use these meetings to train your staff, receive feedback, and set new policies and procedures to help run your business efficiently and effectively.

3) Protect your personal assets Business owners are subject to both financial debts and legal judgments for their businesses. Be sure to protect yourself from debts by forming either a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation. Also, be sure to have adequate business liability insurance for protection against lawsuits. Talk to your attorney and insurance agent for the best solution.

4) Know your break-even point Your break-even point is the level of business at which you are neither making a profit nor a loss, but are breaking even. For martial arts businesses, the break-even point is the number of students required to generate the revenue that covers both fixed and variable costs. You should calculate the break-even point for any new classes, programs, or products you consider offering.

Michael

MICHAEL CONNOR

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5) Put everything in writing Be sure to have all agreements in writing. When business relationships end, it is often the case that one or both of the parties feels wronged in some way. Oral agreements are difficult to prove and will result in increased legal fees to settle disputes. Review your relationships with vendors, contractors, employees, co-owners, etc. and put in writing anything that is worth more than a couple hundred dollars.

6) Work with “The End” in mind Set goals for your business, then work backward to the smaller details. Start with “The Big Picture:” Where do you want to be in five, 10, or 20 years?

Do you want to be retired, own multiple gyms, or have a certain amount of money in the bank?

From there, work backward to create a three-year plan, then an annual budget, quarterly results, and monthly budgets. Review your actual results against this plan on a regular basis and make adjustments to your desired result accordingly.

7) Know thy lender Be sure to have a good working relationship with your local banker and/or investor. Capital is difficult to obtain in the current market, and that’s not likely to change in the near future. Share your financials with your banker on a timely basis and be able to logically explain any hiccups. Come prepared with solid revenue support to any meeting in which additional funds are requested.

8)

Save for rainy days Building reserves is often difficult for small businesses. Many small businesses are living payroll to payroll. But, that doesn’t mean you should simply accept and leave unaddressed a lack of reserves. Realization of the need for reserves is critical. Every business has slow periods, whether it’s a period of days, weeks, or months. Make it a priority to store funds away to get you through the slow periods.

Michael Connor is the Director of Finance for Member Solutions, a leading provider of billing, servicing and business support for membership-based businesses.

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TheBEAT

FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

PEDRO LEADS

Xyience Introduces OLYMPIC JUDO TO MEDALS XenArt Competition Arguably the best judo player ever from the United States, Jimmy Pedro coached the U.S. Olympic Judo team to one of its best finishes ever in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Pedro, MMA Business magazine columnist and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Zebra Mats, competed in the Olympics in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004, earning bronze medals in Judo in the 1996 and 2004 Games.

When the match draws were announced just prior to the Games in London, Pedro told an Associated Press reporter that is was “a fairly decent draw” for the U.S. team, and he said chances were realistic for the + Coach Jimmy Pedro, Kayla Judo program’s best finish ever.

Harrison, Jimmy Pedro, Sr. The team, in fact, delivered. Kayla Harrison, the 22-year-old Judo star who lives in Wakefield, Mass., and trains there with Pedro’s Judo Center, won an Olympic gold medal in the 78-kg division. It was America’s first gold medal ever in Olympic judo competition.

Harrison’s performance stole the spotlight, but it wasn’t the only great performance by the U.S. team. “We had our best Judo performance ever,” said coach Pedro from London. “We had a gold medal, a bronze medal, a fifth and a seventh out of five medal opportunities.” Marti Malloy of Washington state won bronze in the 57-kg women’s division.

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At the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas July 6, Xyience unveiled a unique competition mixing energy drinks, art, and MMA fighters. It’s all meant to promote and celebrate the revitalization of arts activity in downtown Las Vegas, along with the growth of the city as de facto home of Mixed Martial Arts. And the company’s products.

The XenArt, a national juried

art exhibition, was open to a wide

New Submission Grappling Tourney Kicks Off In Utah

variety of submissions from July 6

With an event in Orem, Utah July 28, the S7 Submission Grappling tournament series is born. Herb Dean and Josh Rosenthal, MMA referees, launched this tournament business along with Scott Adams, Co-Founder of the WEC, and Dayan Henson, S7’s CEO. “Over the last year, we’ve built the foundation for a promotion that will establish S7 as the standard in submission grappling tournaments,” said Dean. “Over 300 divisions will be offered for Gi and No-Gi competitors of all skill levels and ages over five years old in both 1 and 2-day tournaments.”

S7 events are also scheduled for Oklahoma August 25 and New Mexico, September 15. The S7 scoring system and rules platform was developed to promote the most exciting and challenging aspects of the sport, namely submissions.

dimensional art, or photography.

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to August 6. Artists were invited to submit two-dimensional or threeRules stated the art had to include the brand’s “Power to Win” tagline, and it needed to feature Xenergy beverage cans or be constructed of empty cans.

The finalists will be announced

at “XenArt: The Energy of Art” show August 31 at the Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art in Las Vegas. Judges include several Vegas-area artists, plus John Villari, creative services manager for Xyience.

TheBEAT

Member solutions updates event manager

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Member Solutions announced an update to its Event Manager tool. The company says this release streamlines and simplifies administrative functions and adds several new features.

“We are constantly enhancing our products and services to simplify business processes for our clients,” said Steven Pinado, CEO of Member Solutions.

“This Event Manager release underscores that commitment to our clients by providing great new features that will increase productivity and ease of use.”

Business owners now have the ability to capture electronic signatures consistent with eSignature legislation guidelines. The new release also streamlines administrative functions with new file upload capabilities. Now when permission slips, waivers or other important eventrelated documents need to be shared with registrants, Event Manager clients can upload and attach the file to event forms.

MusclePharm Executives Agree to Return Stock & Cash Bonuses MusclePharm Corporation (MSLP), a nutritional supplement company and the “official nutritional supplement provider of the UFC,” recently announced that three of its senior executives have voluntarily agreed to return stock and cash bonuses received for 2011 and have relinquished 2012 bonus accruals associated with their existing employment agreements. The 2011 bonuses were based in part on revenue growth that the company determined recently had been incorrectly calculated.

In May 2012, MusclePharm, along with its auditors, revised the methodology for accruing revenues to more accurately portray the company’s operations. Following the revision, gross revenues were restated downward for certain prior periods, including the year ended December 31, 2011.

“These prompt and voluntary actions demonstrate our officers’ commitment to the company,” said John Bluher, Chief Operating Officer of MusclePharm. “We will be seating a reconstituted board very soon and will seek in the near term to enter into new compensation agreements with all of our executive officers, subject to review and approval by independent board members.”

MusclePharm sponsors UFC fighters Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping, as well as supporting coach Greg Jackson, among others.

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TheBEAT FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

House of RYU Opens in Former Tapout Gym Respect Your Universe, Inc., better known as RYU, opened the first House of RYU Training Center in Las Vegas. In partnership with Shogun MMA, RYU opened the Las Vegas House of RYU facility on July 16, after an extensive re-branding.

The location housed the Tapout Training Center for several years.

The House of RYU will offer fitness and training programs for athletes and MMA enthusiasts of all levels. Plus, the House of RYU will serve as a prime location for RYU athlete appearances, fighter autograph signings and pro fighter training camps.

“RYU is honored to have the opportunity to partner with Shogun MMA in launching the first House of RYU athletic center in Las Vegas,” said RYU President, John Wood. “The facility will not only showcase the latest RYU apparel, but will be home to all the men and women RYU warriors around the country. This is a tremendous opportunity to continue the RYU movement.”

Partnering with The Fight Foundation, a local non-profit organization, the House of RYU will be actively involved to help the group with its work to educate and empower at-risk youth through Mixed Martial Arts and mentoring programs.

TITAN FC SIGNS WITH PARADIGM

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A mixed martial arts promotion based out of Kansas City, Titan Fighting Championship has signed Paradigm MMA Management as its exclusive sponsorship and marketing agency. Paradigm will be responsible for all sponsorship and marketing sales for the promotion, including, all venue activations and in cage advertising.

Titan Fighting Championship was founded in 2006 by CEO Joe Kelly. The organization has executed 23 events since its inception. On January 28, 2011, Titan had its first event broadcast live on HDnet and has since signed a two-year deal with HDNet (now AXS TV) to broadcast all events. Titan hopes to produce at least 10 shows a year, and brought on Paradigm to help generate new sponsorship and marketing revenue as part of its growth plan. Titan’s next event is August 24 in Kansas City.

MMA Business Awards of Excellence The MMA industry is booming because of the vision, leadership, creativity and outstanding efforts of several business professionals and companies. Those people and businesses deserve recognition.

Fight of the Night? Best Submission? These awards allow the UFC to acknowledge and reward superior effort in the cage, and that can encourage fighters to bring out their best when competing. Like the UFC, we want to shine the spotlight on people who deliver outstanding work. MMA Business is, of course, all about business. And we consistently tell the best business stories in Mixed Martial Arts. Beginning this winter, we’ll annually honor the “best of the best” in MMA. We are often awed by the creative business personalities and dynamic companies behind the growth of MMA. The new MMA Business Awards of Excellence will honor those people and companies with professional recognition they deserve and are not currently getting. With a select team of staff and advisory board members, we are creating a list of awards that will celebrate truly outstanding business leadership.

We’ll recognize leading MMA professionals and companies for excellence in several categories, including:

> Event Marketing > Emerging Enterprise > Executive Leadership > Small Business

> Business Service > Branding > Product Innovation > And more!

We’re collecting information and doing research now to finalize our award categories and to begin the nomination process. We are sharing this now because we encourage your input. Tell us about a company, individual, product or service that is essential to your business success. Tell us who you think should be honored for leading the MMA industry into 2013.

We are already considering dozens of companies and individuals as nominees for Awards of Excellence. But we don’t want to put any limits on this as we strive to acknowledge our industry leaders.

Contact us today with comments and nominations for the MMA Business Awards of Excellence. You’ll help us finalize the categories, and begin narrowing down the fields of potential category winners.

You can comment on the MMA Business magazine Facebook page, our LinkedIn MMA Business group, or by sending us an email at mmabusinessaward@gmail.com We’ll also discuss this with any of you attending Fight Summit in Las Vegas, November 3-4. See page 22 of this issue for details on Fight Summit, and we hope to see you there to discuss category ideas and final nominees for the MMA Business Awards of Excellence.

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+ The MA SuperShow is a solid business event with its roots in traditional martial arts, even as it works to add MMA attitude.

THe SAME, BUT OH so different Martial Arts SuperShow and UFC Fan Expo S t o r y

B y

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The two events were held in Las Vegas during the same week in July, and several exhibitors displayed at both events. MMA Business attended both, too. Same time. Same place. Same industry.

But the two shows couldn’t have been more different.

The Martial Arts (MA) SuperShow, an annual event by the Martial Arts Industry Association, is a business-focused event attended mostly by traditional martial arts professionals but with a growing interest from MMA pros. This year’s event took place at the Venetian Resort.

Later the same week, the UFC Fan Expo went down at the Mandalay Bay Resort, in conjunction with UFC 148. Some of the industry pros I saw Sunday at the MA SuperShow were also working the Fan Expo Friday morning.

MA SuperShow

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H a n s e n

responsible for the event.

This four-day event begins with pre-conference seminars plus training and certification sessions. The final two days include more training sessions as well as an open exhibit floor where a few dozen companies displayed products and services. Because the MA SuperShow is historically a traditional martial arts event, many of the training sessions have traditional themes such as combative weaponry certification, and skills for sport karate fighting.

This year’s event did bring more of an MMA focus to educational components, with topics such as bringing MMA into your martial arts school, the MMA stand-up game

by Stephen Bonnar, and Greg Jackson’s proven coaching strategies for MMA. Physical training was of increasing importance at this year’s MA SuperShow, but the event is still dominated by classroom-type sessions focusing on business-improvement topics. Mike Metzger lead a session entitled “Creating a system for the perfect intro and enrollment,” and Barry Van Over lead his “Marketing mastery” session.

This year’s exhibitor list included several companies in the “member services” category. Three of the industry’s largest in that category – Member Solutions, MindBody, and Champions Way – held down expansive, neighboring booths and were the first companies attendees saw when

for Champions Way. A lot of our customers are happy, but some had concerns, too, and that’s the best reason to do this type of event and meet people in person. Plus, we don’t just focus on new customers, but also on existing customers.

I think the show improved a lot over last year.

The attendance was great, and there seemed to be many new attendees and vendors. Plus, the Venetian Resort added a nicer atmosphere over previous shows.” (Nick Dougherty, Director of Social Media)

UFC FAN EXPO + Fight coach Greg Jackson leads a popular training session at the recent MA SuperShow.

The first UFC Fan Expo took place in Las Vegas in July 2009, and it was the first event officially attended by MMA Business magazine. We spent the weekend walking the show floor and introducing

they entered the hall. Several smaller competitors as well as many insurance companies also exhibited.

Gym owners attending the event also saw products from Zebra Mats, plus cleaning products from Kennedy Industries, and protective gear from The Fight Dentist. Overall, product attention remains focused on Century, by far the largest exhibitor and the parent company of the MA SuperShow. The manufacturer and distributor doesn’t allow competing companies to exhibit at its show.

We spoke with a few exhibitors after the show to learn if the event was a success.

Affiliated Acceptance Corporation “It was a good event for us overall. We’ve been working on improving our marketing materials and our brand presentation, and we did more sponsorship of the event this year. That helped us gain two to three times as many leads from this show compared to last year.

Most business owners we spoke with are looking for – and we heard this a lot – a complete package of services. We’re focusing on letting people know we offer that total package – from billing to collections, facility management and marketing. This seems to be true for owners of all fitness-related member businesses.” (Todd Kelley, Marketing)

Champions Way “We were extremely busy throughout the event and received lots of great feedback.

The face-to-face interaction is so important

+ Hayabusa unveiled its expanded gear lineup, and hosted its newest athlete Georges St-Pierre.

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+ In a recent issue, we asked “What happened to Tapout?” The company remains an important part of the UFC lifestyle, and is trying some new things. exhibitors to our new idea. That’s the last time that was possible. Each subsequent Fan Expo has gotten increasingly crowded with UFC’s most ardent fans. MMA Business still covers these events, but exhibitors are far too busy interacting with fans and customers to talk business with a trade journalist.

For this year’s event, we got into the show floor a couple hours early and stole a few minutes with as many exhibitors as we could. We also walked the show floor to see how the latest Fan Expo might be different.

Between that inaugural Fan Expo and this one, the UFC and Reed Exhibitions, UFC’s show partner, tried Fan Expos in several cities worldwide, including London, Toronto, Boston and Houston. We had reporters cover both the Boston and Houston events, and we spoke with exhibitors following each. The reports were mixed at best. Attendance numbers were lower than Expos held in Vegas, in spite of Shaquille O’Neal’s surprise appearance at the Boston event in August, 2010.

Attendance hardly seems a worry at the Expos held in Vegas. Wrapped around a Saturday-night fight at the MGM Grand, these Fan Expo events have a special charm that no other city has been able to match. In fact, the high attendance has caused problems for certain exhibitors. Companies like Xyience that sponsor big-name UFC fighters will attract long lines of autograph-seeking fans. But if you’re a smaller company with no fighter autograph or ring girl draw, your display can be blocked by an autograph line for hours at a time. The show promoter made some improvements to that problem this year by enlarging floor space and placing stanchions to corral autograph hounds.

Most of the professionals we spoke with said the show has gotten much better. Here are comments from a few exhibitors.

Ring To Cage “This year’s Fan Expo was a good experience for us. We 16

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talked to many fans. We weren’t really there to sell, as much as to get good new contacts for broader distribution.

It was definitely bigger than last year – so many people showed up compared to last year. That’s good for companies that carry apparel, but not necessary for gear companies like us. I wouldn’t say it was really beneficial for us because we didn’t sell much at the show. However, I noticed more international buyers who were interested in carrying our products in their countries.

We might sell more at the show if we had a much bigger booth, but then we’d have to have more inventory and more staff, so more expenses. I’m not sure if I’m going to do it next time, and they don’t currently have plans to do another one on the East Coast, closer to our office.” (Mohsin Mughal, Owner)

Hayabusa “There was great turnout at the UFC Fan Expo. We like the Fan Expo events in Las Vegas; they work the best. When UFC held events in Houston and Boston, they were not as good. They need to keep these events more special, less frequent, and holding them in Vegas seems to work best.

We don’t do a lot of shows in general; they are expensive for us to attend. We have a 1,200-square-foot booth and we bring in a lot of products, plus staff to make it work. We don’t go just to sell t-shirts. It becomes a matter of “How much money will we plan to spend on this,” and not a question of how much money can we make. There are pros and cons to making this type of investment, and it’s not always easy to judge the ROI. We attended for a few reasons. We recently signed Georges St-Pierre to a multi-year endorsement deal, and we also announced the expanding line of Tokushu gear, including headgear and shin guards to do with the Tokushu gloves introduced earlier. Overall, it’s a very successful show for us. We just want to keep it at one per year in Las Vegas.” (Craig Clement, President)

PROFILE: Monster Rings & Cages “Have Steel. Will Weld.” And he did, and still does. In 1988, Mike Samples began building rings for wrestling competition. Meanwhile, he was making a living as a professional wrestler in the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA). Samples used his experience in the wrestling ring to build a booming business called Monster Rings and Cages.

MMA Business: How did you get started building cages and rings.

Mike Samples: I started building just wrestling rings first because I was a professional wrestler in the USWA out of Memphis. My first goal was to make rings better and easier to set up. And as I was wrestling, people kept asking me about it. In the early days, I built just about six rings per year. Then as the internet boom hit in the early 1990s, I started building one per month.

As my wrestling career took off, I was in Japan regularly wrestling.

At the same time, the business was getting better, too. So I decided to get some help. This was in the early 2000s, and my assistant would build rings while I was in Japan.

In 2002, I broke my pelvis wrestling in Japan. I came home for surgery and they installed four plates and six big screws, and I was out of wrestling for a year. I decided I can’t wrestle forever.

But wrestling taught me what I needed to know about the rings business, and how to set them up.

the stuff wore out. So we worked and worked to simplify the design, get rid of all that hardware, and make them easy to set up.

When I started building boxing rings, we applied that same design thinking, using far less hardware and a simpler design that was easy to set up. Now these boxing rings have no nuts and bolts.

+ Monster Rings

and Cages buys $1 million worth of steel ever year, and all its products are made in the U.S.A.

MMA: I assume it’s the same, then, with MMA cages?

Samples: Yes, we’ve carried these same ideas over to our cages, which have just a limited number of nuts and bolts.

It’s not just about the hardware.

You have to use high-quality structural steel, too. I carried all this from my learning in building wrestling rings – lighter, stronger and simpler. The first one I built took about 10 guys to carry into a gym. That has all changed.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist. It just took someone to ask, “How can I make this easier and make it smarter?”

Not that I was being lazy, but it was the right question to ask. In fact, it was difficult work at first. When I first started doing the wrestling rings myself, I always said I would never build another. Wrestling was easy. Building rings was hard work.

MMA: How has the business grown?

MMA: What was wrong with rings at the time?

Samples: It took hours to set them up, and that was never good. Some had hundreds of nuts and bolts, and that slowed the installation process, plus 18

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Samples: We went from doing one wrestling ring a month to now building cages and rings for a lot of applications and different companies. We’re building close to 600 each year, and sending them all over the world.

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That’s a big jump, and it came around over time, built from wordof-mouth promotion and networking.

Here’s how it happened, and I take a lot of pride in this. Everlast had a lot of connections in the wrestling business.

And through networking, my name came up as someone who makes quality products. So we made a boxing ring for Everlast and sent it to New York.

They looked at it and were impressed.

So we started making more for them, and their quality-control guys liked our work. So, because MMA and boxing are small industries, word got around.

And we’ve continued to increase our business for even more companies.

We also expanded into bag racks and other products for Crossfit and for Strongman competitions. Those are both growing businesses with big opportunities for us in steel products. We

are building special pieces for companies like Hayabusa, and for Jakks Pacific, such as for the recent Expo in Las Vegas.

We took an order today from a fighter in Australia, and we have a lot of rings and cages in Australia already, and that has all come from word of mouth. Word of mouth has done it, and that makes me very happy.

That’s priceless.

MMA: Where are your products made?

Samples: We make everything here in Kentucky.

When I got started, I didn’t know any better. I just bought the steel I needed and got to work. Now, we’re buying $1 million of steel every year and I get better prices. We cut it on site, and we do everything we need here, including paint.

Plus, we have complete control here.

Yes, it’s more expensive to do it here than it would be to buy the cheaply made products in China or other places. But that’s not what we’re about.

I like manufacturing, I always have. My dad was a supervisor at a manufacturing plant, and I used to go with him when I could; I was always fascinated by that.

We built our own building last year, and we’re getting ready to add on. We don’t make a big deal of “Made in the USA.” Maybe we should; it’s a big deal to me to say,

+ All Monster Rings and

Cages are assembled at the factory first as a quality control measure.

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PROFILE: Monster Rings & Cages + A Bellator trailer lines up for its new circular cage.

+ Eight-time

Middleweight Muay Thai World Champion, “John” Wayne Parr (the Gunslinger), from Australia, visits Monster Rings and Cage for his recent purchase of a Circle MMA Cage (left).

ple in combat sports and MMA. How do you see the business and sport today, and what’s your outlook?

“We manufacture here.” I get contacts every day from different companies in China offering cheaper manufacturing services. But we’ll stay here.

MMA: So you have a unique background and the products are made in America.

But what makes them really special?

Samples: Our first rule is to make products that are strong and safe. That’s true for every ring and cage, as well as bag racks. We make them safe and strong. When you have a class going in your gym, and a few dozen people are banging on the bags on your bag rack, you don’t want it held together by some cheap hardware, or a bad design.

We assemble every cage or ring before sending it out to make sure it’s right.

Plus, we’re always looking at ways to get better and to improve. And each of my guys has the freedom to offer those suggestions. It’s not just me sit20

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ting at my desk thinking of things.

Of course, people always want the cheapest product, and we’re looking at ways to do that, while keeping it safe. Still, we have those customers on the other side, those who want the best with all the bells and whistles and aren’t so worried about price.

MMA: How closely do you work with customers, like with individual gym owners?

Samples: Almost every thing we do has some custom element to it. We can customize whatever people want and need. Maybe their ceiling is low, or the room has unique measurements.

Since we build it here, it’s no big deal.

I might spend half my day drawing up special measurements of bag racks or cages. And this can be a lot of fun.

MMA: You started before a lot of peo-

W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

Samples: When I first started building wrestling rings, people would ask me all the time, “How many of these can you really build and sell?” I get the same questions today, and the answer is unlimited. Some weeks we do 10 to 20 boxing rings in a week, and boxing has been around for ever. Same thing with MMA, and it’s really just getting started in the gym end of Mixed Martial Arts. People are really just starting to get into the fitness side of it.

Look at the Title Boxing franchises, and the MMA gyms all over with people just wanting to train. They’re not going in to fight, but they still want to hit a bag. I think it’s really going to boom far more than it has.

There are more and more fight promoters hosting events and they need cages. That may get over saturated, but that remains to be seen. And Europe hasn’t even started yet!

We manufacture the World famous Monster Wrestling Rings, Monster Boxing Rings, and Monster MMA Cages & Rings.

We manufacture over 400 rings and cages per year.

We also manufacturer related equipment, and build custom projects for promoters, individuals, movie companies, television studios, video game companies, schools and gyms.

When only the very best will do, it's time to:

UNLEASH THE MONSTER!

MMA Cages

Boxing Rings Other Products include: Bag Racks Trolley Racks Gym Equipment Custom Projects

WWW.MONSTERRINGSANDCAGES.COM (502) 839 6335

T HE WORLD ’ S MIXED M A R T I A L A R T S IND U S T RY T R A DE S HOW ø Fight Summit IS NEAR!

When the inaugural Fight Summit event concluded three years ago, attendees left thinking two things. First, that was a small event. Second, I can’t wait for next year’s Fight Summit; this is the show the MMA industry needs.

Athletes, entrepreneurs and long-time industry professionals attend Fight Summit annually to learn from the best in the industry, to spark the right connections, and to increase their business success. Attendees and exhibitors come from around the world to discuss new products, to test new ideas, and to meet fellow industry pros. You should be among them for this year’s show.

The third annual Fight Summit, now accepting registrations, features live-training sessions, business seminars, vendor exhibits, and special events that will help your business grow, while also providing an entertaining weekend based around the sport and industry you love.

ø EVENT DETAILS: FIGHT SUMMIT 2012

Dates: November 3 & 4, 2012 Location: Rio Resort and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Daily Schedule: Seminars and training begin at 8 a.m. and Expo hours are 9 to 5

ø Registration at WWW.FIGHTSUMMIT.COM

FULL PASS ($180): The full pass gives you access to all features of Fight Summit, unless otherwise noted (for example, some extra activities like the after party are an additional fee).

SPEC PASS ($60): The spec pass is for those who wish to be a part of the event, but are not interested in the business seminars, such as an athlete who wants to attend the expo and live training, or someone who wants to watch the Jiu Jitsu Pro Am, etc.

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SCHOOL AND STUDENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE • Simplifies Managing Students, Entering Contracts, Generating Reports, and Processing Sales • Student Check In and Attendance Tracking • Point Of Sale and Inventory Management • Class Scheduling and Student Grouping

FLEXIBLE BILLING SERVICES • Dedicated Customer Service Specialists to Handle Customer Billing Questions and All Account Changes • Removes Complexities From Managing Receivables • Full Access to Detailed Accounting, Cash Flow, and Month End Reports

SOFTWARE | BILLING | COLLECTIONS “Words cannot express the gratitude I hold for Affiliated Acceptance Corporation and their team. AAC’s martial arts software has automated and streamlined the daily operations of my academies, allowing me the time I need to truly focus on my students. When I have questions or concerns, AAC’s support team is consistent, friendly and easy to speak to — and I couldn’t be happier. Every time I have the opportunity, I highly recommend Affiliated

Acceptance Corporation and their services.”

- Charles Gracie, Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy

Call 800-233-8483 or visit www.affiliated.org for your simple solution to success.

øQ&A with Mike Hauben PROMOTER AND FOUNDER MMA Business: The third Fight Summit, what is new for this event?

Mike Hauben: Fight Summit 2012 still has the same quality of workshops, vendors, networking opportunities, and everything our attendees have come to expect from the premier business event in the industry. New for this year are some exciting special activities for our attendees.

Fight Summit is, and always will be, a business event, but we wanted to make sure that everyone has an incredible time. We’ve added things like the Jiu Jitsu Pro-Am, Crossfit Showdown, and more to add something a little different to the event and give our attendees something exciting to watch in between workshops. In addition, this year also boasts the largest number of confirmed retailers attending to meet with our vendors! We’ve also added an Open Forum area, for intimate Q&A sessions and nonworkshop activities.

MMA: When you think back to the first event, is this where you thought you’d be now? Is this fitting your longterm plan?

Hauben: You know, we honestly had no idea how the MMA industry would react to this. The MMA industry is still very young, so planning a business conference around it was risky, to say the least. Overall, though, the show has grown tremendously and has become a success. Our vendor and retailer base is great, and the majority of our attendees come back each year, which has lead to an increase in attendance as well each year. So for sure, we hit our marks.

Now it’s just a matter of growing Fight Summit each year!

MMA: What are you hearing from people as you prepare for this event? What’s the discussion about this show?

Hauben: Enthusiasm. Word-of-mouth has truly spread and the buzz is that the event was incredibly worthwhile for the majority of attendees who came last year. When you have an event like that, word spreads fast. I think this year will be the year where people really open their eyes and understand the value of Fight Summit as a tool to grow their gym or brand. Its definitely going to be our biggest and best year so far. I understand it’s a commitment to take a few

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+ Mike Hauben, second from left,

discusses business with attendees at the 2011 Fight Summit.

days out of your schedule, take off from your “day job,” and come to Vegas. But if you’re serious about succeeding in this industry, you’re crazy not to do it. Fight Summit really helps your business.

MMA: What has been your biggest challenge building this business to date?

Hauben: It’s still a challenge explaining to the MMA industry that this is a business conference, not a fan expo.

Since we’re the first group to ever do something like this, it’s still a hurdle getting the point across about what exactly our event is all about. After we explain the workshops, the value of the event, the connections you make at the event, then people really start to understand. So it’s a hurdle but people are starting to understand.

MMA: What are you most proud of with Fight Summit?

Hauben: The reaction immediately following last year’s event. Having someone approach you and thank you for the event, explaining that the show pushed their business forecast a year ahead of schedule. Or an attendee saying they would have paid $10,000 for the information they gained from the workshops. Or hearing that vendors opened accounts with new stores. I’m most proud that the event is truly working for people and helping them achieve their goals within the MMA industry.

øSponsors

Affiliated Acceptance CORP (affiliated.org) The founders had more than 10 years experience within the health club and martial arts industries prior to the start-up of Affiliated Acceptance, which has provided a solid foundation to keep AAC a leader in service and technology.

Whether it is to provide a simple means to process membership receivables or to utilize AAC’s full service billing, collections and software, AAC strives to keep our clients connected to their business.

Zebra Mats (zebramats.com) Zebra was created in 1997 with the objective of bringing world-class flooring systems to the striking arts and grappling martial arts industries. Focusing on highest quality, tatami-style mats, Zebra set out to produce thinner and firmer flooring systems. It was the first flooring company to market premium quality mat systems for all martial arts disciplines. Zebra was also first to market with specialty mat systems for cardio kick boxing and cardio karate programs, adding specially coated vinyl to allow use of shoes without damaging mat finish and performance. Zebra has been the mat of choice for many major competition tournaments and seminars nationwide.

MMA Business Magazine (mmabusiness.com) MMA Business is the sole trade publication of the Mixed Martial Arts industry and is the leader in providing news and information to industry professionals. Staff attends MMA events nationwide to deliver high-quality news and info. Published six times a year, MMA Business is delivered directly to MMA professionals to provide valuable industryspecific content to inform, educate and stimulate for better business results. Each issue contains stories about the people, the companies, and the events that are leading the MMA industry.

mmabusiness.com (mmabusiness.com) MMABusiness.com is an educational resource for everything related to the business of combat sports. Readers can connect, network and ask questions to other business profes-

sionals. The company’s mission is to give business owners the tools and expertise to build a thriving, successful combat sports business. The company is owned and operated by experienced combat sports professionals.

Fuji Sports (fujisports.com) The official gear of some of today’s most revered martial artists, Fuji Sports produces highquality gear to prepare you for battle in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Karate, Judo and more.

With a solid hold on traditions + Whether to see new products, like the MASS Suit above, or to and a smart eye on the future, discuss the best processes, like Fuji Sports is well positioned with Do Or Die’s Pascal Pakter center right, Fight Summit provides to provide for the needs of all opportunities. martial artists. Fuji works with organizations worldwide, plus many other top name athletes in BJJ and MMA to produce industry-leading gis, rashguards and gear. Fuji is also the official Gi supplier of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club.

Ring To Cage (ringtocage.com) Ring To Cage Fight Gear is a premium line of Boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA gear. These products feature the latest designs manufactured to exact specifications, and they have received excellent reviews from athletes and coaches across the country. Yes, they look good but wait until you try them. You will be amazed by these products made for men, women and children.

Mindbody, Inc (mindbodyonline.com) Leveraging technology to improve the world’s health and wellness, MINDBODY’s all-in-one business management software simplifies and strengthens your operations by keeping all your admin functions under one roof – from

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Do Or Die Maker of high-performance apparel for MMA athletes.

Counter Stryke + Discuss products and design with leading manufacturers of MMA gear and equipment.

Computer software programming for studying opponents.

Moskova Underwear brand blending performance with technology and style.

scheduling and inventory management to business reports and automated features. Today, MINDBODY serves over 19,000 clients in more than 75 countries, from offices in San Luis Obispo, Calif., plus Long Island, London, Singapore, Dubai and China.

Premium quality MMA gear and lifestyle company.

Manage Monster

Triumph United

Revolutionary software designed specifically for martial arts schools.

Founded in 2007, Triumph United specializes in apparel and equipment designed for Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Boxing.

5 Round Fury

Osiris Shoes

Beyond The Cage

Osiris Shoes is a skate shoe company best known for innovations in technical footwear, more commonly the D3.

Fine art line capturing the true essence of elite MMA fighters.

Monster Energy

Boxing gloves and equipment for combat sports professionals.

Monster is way more than an energy drink. Led by athletes, musicians, employees, distributors and fans, Monster is a lifestyle in a can.

øExhibitors Q5 Combat

A specialized supplement company.

Gallant Promotional products, logo apparel, awards, etc.

Revgear Manufacturer and distributor of gear, equipment and apparel.

Famous Stars & Straps Active lifestyle apparel and accessories for men, women and kids.

Novo Watches Watches made for a lifestyle of action sports.

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Knockout Athletics

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Nutritional supplement designed to help you go the distance.

Cleto Reyes One Punch Distribution Wholesale distributor to specialty and independent stores.

Bondi Band Comfy, colorful, creative athletic headbands.

Perform Better Experts in functional training, rehabilitation and sports performance.

Protos Foods Maker of Ostrim beef and ostrich meat sticks.

Bolt Wrestling Wrestling coaching and business training.

Combat Sports Insurance An insurance agency for fighters by fighters.

War Fuel Low-calorie, all-natural hydration beverage.

A revolutionary continuous rope-climbing machine.

Special Events ø Features

Karate Insurance

Burn With Kearns Certification

Insurance services for martial arts professionals.

American College of Sports Development

A training provider specializing in sports and recreation training worldwide.

By successfully completing this two-day course, entrants will earn a treasured MMA athletic trainer certification from Kevin Kearns, an industry leader in MMA training.

Kearnsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; training courses give professionals necessary tools for strength training, mental training, and business-building skills, too.

RFLX Training

Triumph United Jiu Jitsu Pro-Am

Power Systems Functional sports and fitness products and programs.

Mt Everclimb

Training systems and programs for martial arts athletes and trainers.

(Presented by Monster Energy) This eight-man, invite-only grappling competition will

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+ Seminars give you

a chance to learn from experts like Stitch (left), and the exhibit space lets you try the latest products.

feature some of the world’s best athletes.

This is an absolute weight, submissiononly format. Watch the Fight Summit website for more information.

Crossfit Showdown The region’s top Crossfit teams will compete to claim the first ever Fight Summit Crossfit Showdown gold! Each team will have four competitors – any combination of males and females. The “workout” will be announced the day of the event, so be prepared for anything.

Fight Summit øW orkshops Fight Summit is well-known for delivering high-quality seminars that provide important business-focused education across the MMA pro spectrum. Here is just a sample of the workshops scheduled during Fight Summit. Each day includes classroom seminars as well as live training sessions.

Saturday

Seminars & Workshops • 8:00 – Branding and Marketing in the MMA Industry,

by Bruce Buffer, the voice of the UFC • 9:15 – Master Social Media, by Ryan Laco, Jaco Clothing and Tapout Radio • 9:15 – Wrestling (Live Training), by Kenny Johnson of Bolt Wrestling • 10:00 – PR and Media Opportunities Q&A, by Glenn Hansen • 10:30 – MMA Regulation and Sponsorship, by Michael Mersch, UFC • 11:45 – Judo Takedowns for MMA (Live Training) by Jimmy Pedro, U.S. Olympic Judo Coach • 1:30 – Becoming a Force in the Apparel Industry, by Hans Mohlenkamp, Triumph United • 2:45 – Mastering the Promoter Lifestyle, by Brian Cimins, owner of Grapplers Quest • 4:00 – Keys to a Successful Regional MMA Promotion,

by Jeremy Luchua, Tachi Palace Fights • 5:00 – No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu (Live Training), by Eddie Bravo, Jiu-Jitsu legend

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Special Events • 1:30 to 5:00 – Burn With Kearns Certification • 2:30 to 4:00 – CrossFit Faceoff

Special Activites • 1:00 – Nutrition and Supplementation Q&A, by Rick Kattouf • 2:00 – Law for MMA Q&A, by Steve Pacitti

Sunday

Seminars & Workshops • 8:00 – Elite Training Methods for Elite Athletes, by Firas Zahabi of Tri-Star gym • 9:15 – Guidelines for Successful Managers, by Brian Butler, Suckerpunch Entertainment • 9:15 – Combined MMA (Live Training) by Rob Follis, Founder of Team Quest • 10:30 – Nutrition for Combat Sports Athletes, by Mike Dolce, The Dolce Diet • 1:30 – Managing Expectations and Creating Relations,

by Gary Ibarra, the AMR Group • 4:00 – Blueprint for Building & Maximizing Your Gym,

by Joe Mannino, Victory MMA & Fitness

Special Events • 11:45 to 1:15 – Triumph United Jiu-Jitsu Pro-Am • 1:30 to 5:00 – Burn With Kearns Certification

Special Activities • 9:00 – Nutrition and Supplementation Q&A, by Rick Kattouf • 1:00 – Apparel Portfolio Review and Q&A, by Hans Mohlenkamp, Triumph United • 2:00 – MMA Fighter Management, a Q&A session hosted by Ed Soares, Blackhouse Gym

ESS MA BUSIN !

M E H T EST LEARN ORLD’S B W E H T M Y! FRO ACADEM R U O Y GROW

NOVEMBER 3-4. 2012 THE RIO, LAS VEGAS

Fight Summit is the original, leading, and most respected business event in the mixed martial arts industry. As the only professional business conference and expo of it’s kind, this is where MMA gym owners, brands, and other insiders can make the right connections and learn the tools to take their business to the next level. If you’re serious about your success in the MMA industry, don’t miss Fight Summit this year!

*****************

FIGHT SUMMIT 2012

DETAILS Dates: Nov 3-4, 2012 Venue: The Rio, Las Vegas FIGHTSUMMIT.COM

2012 SPEAKERS INCLUDE Bruce Buffer UFC Firas Zahabi TRISTAR GYM Michael Mersch UFC Ed Soares BLACKHOUSE Eddie Bravo 10TH PLANET JIU JITSU Hans Molenkamp TRIUMPH UNITED Brian Cimins GRAPPLERS QUEST Ryan Loco JACO Brian Butler SUCKERPUNCH ENT Mike Dolce DOLCE DIET Jimmy Pedro ZEBRA MATS Jeremy Luchau TACHI PALACE FIGHTS Kenny Johnson BOLT WRESTLING Kevin Kearns BURN WITH KEARNS Rob Follis INTEGRATED MMA Gary Ibarra AMR GROUP Joe Mannino VICTORY MMA

WHY ATTEND? sponsored by

Business Workshops lead by the industry’s most successful brands

Make the right contacts and relationships to open doors for your business

Features the only unbias business-to-business industry expo

Photo By Dale Shirley

SPONSOR S t o r y

B y

We can debate whether mixed martial arts is a

N i c k

mainstream sport or a fringe lifestyle, but we can’t refute that Mixed Martial Arts is growing fast as a pro sport and a lifestyle. With MMA’s burst in popularity, why aren’t even more companies taking advantage of the sponsorship opportunities to market their products or services?

We are just beginning to see new marketers in the UFC octagon. In just a few years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) outgrew its former beer sponsor, Mickey’s, to reach a deal with a major sporting beer sponsor in Bud Light. Harley Davidson, Burger King, Metro PCS and other large companies are now targeting the 18-to-45 year old male demographic through MMA. Still, with the UFC’s new Fox Networks TV deal and Viacom’s purchase of Bellator, the MMA market seems ripe for companies wanting to expand their presence in that segment. And the opportunities are available far beyond the two national promotions.

I spent four months studying the MMA market at prominent promotions in the Northeastern U.S. Most promotions, especially on the local level, did not have the presence of com-

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R o a c h

mitted, mainstream sponsors. Sponsors were generally a side business owned by the promotion or small companies perhaps owned by close friends. Recognizable brands with larger marketing budgets were generally not visible at these events.

Perhaps companies have been reluctant to accept a sport some perceive as graphically violent, or maybe promoters have not found effective ways to convince sponsors of the opportunities their shows afford. Whatever the case, I developed a framework for promotions to prospect sponsors.

Gauge the dollar amount spent on products or services Consumers enjoying the MMA lifestyle actively purchase products in a variety of industries including energy drinks, supplements, training gear, athletic apparel, MMA clothing, alcohol, grooming products, gym memberships, fishing/ hunting equipment, and video games, among others. Nonintrusive surveys are a cost effective way to understand where the market’s dollars are being spent.

My research shows the yearly purchasing power of the

audience at one particular promotion (four events per year) is estimated to be between $2.2 million and $3.8 million for the above-mentioned industries.

The leading areas for spending are training gear, gym memberships, and athletic apparel. The estimates assume purchases are recurring regularly, but that’s not the case in every product segment. For example, training gear may be purchased infrequently (maybe once every couple years), whereas alcohol may be purchased multiple times a month. Sponsors will surely ask many detailed research questions before funding an MMA marketing campaign.

With a targeted and easy-to-

Focus on the high-potential industries Armed with rich information about your MMA market, it is now time to focus on the industries that might be interested in marketing opportunities. The area to focus is dependent on the variables defined earlier, total amount spent and propensity to change products. An industry where both variables are high is the “sweet spot.” For example, if the market spends $300,000/year (or 10 percent of the total market) on athletic apparel and there’s a high probability that a consumer will change brands, then athletic apparel is a “sweet spot.” Both variables need to be high. For example, training may account for a greater proportion of the total dollars at 23 percent, but we must analyze consumer behavior. It may be unlikely that consumers are in a position to change their training gear. Consumers will not likely commit to purchasing new training gear until their current gear is worn and dated, which could be many months down the road.

Therefore, the market’s propensity to change, at least in the short term, is low. The sweet spot can be visualized as the high, high section of the matrix on page 32.

ORSHIP deliver survey, a promoter can gather a variety of lifestyle information interesting and important to potential sponsors.

Gauge the market’s propensity to change from one product or service to another As a promoter, you need to understand your market’s willingness to change products or services. A large sponsor will not be naive; these marketers know not everyone will simply switch brands after viewing advertisements at an event or on television. A sponsor is searching for opportunities to convince, and ultimately convert, fans to try their product. Fans may be more willing to try products purchased routinely, such as supplements, alcohol, or energy drinks, as opposed to products with a longer period of use (e.g., gym memberships and training gear).

The willingness to change must be measured through well-crafted survey questions. Answering how large the MMA market is in terms of dollars and how willing the market is to move their dollars around is the key to get sponsors onboard.

Find the ideal company sponsors

Make a list of all the companies that belong to the industries of focus. But keep in mind that not all companies are created equal, and many companies will be turned off by the seemingly graphic nature of MMA – this is not an exact science.

Percent of Yearly Industry Expenditures* Video Games Energy Drinks 3.3% 6.8% Supplements Obstacle Course 9.0% 1.8% Gyms 13.6% Fishing/Hunting Equipment 3.4%

Grooming Products 9.3% Alcohol 9.8%

Training Gear 23.0%

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has to be performed to understand results. It’s important to recognize how the research findings affect each industry.

An example is commercial gyms. Since Low Med High the fighters come from MMA gyms that compete directly with commercial gyms, • Energy Drinks • Video Games • Alcohol • Obstacle courses • Athletic apparel promoters may have a conflict of interest • Grooming products High • MMA clothing when dealing with commercial gyms.

• Supplements Therefore, gyms may not be as lucrative • Fishing/hunting • Training gear as the research suggests. To fully leverMed equipment age your data, you should continually • Gyms question results and think in terms of Low consumer behavior.

Fans appreciate MMA as the highest, purest form of athleticism and competition, while legions “Our decision-making process for potential partnerships of new followers are captivated by the excitement of this is based on several factors,” said Patrick Wong, director of combat sport. As major distribution channels are tapped, field marketing for MetroPCS, a UFC sponsor since January the audience following MMA will continue to grow domes2012. “First and foremost, we look at the potential of the tically and globally. The Fox TV deal with UFC, and the sponsor to resonate with our customers. In the case of the Viacom partnership with Bellator prove that anyone with UFC, we found that our customers were already engaged a TV can now easily follow the sport. The UFC, as well as with the sport. Second, we look at opportunities that give us other notable promotions like One Fighting Championship, a platform to demonstrate products and services. The UFC are penetrating new markets by hosting events across the partnership allows us to showcase our 4G LTE service and world. The time is now to begin convincing companies that our MetroStudio Video-on-Demand product.” they should be part of this amazing sport.

Sponsorship allows a company to expand its presence regionally and even globally if the promotion distributes content online or via television. “The sponsorship opportuniFighters: What Will You Do For Us? ty also has to bring incremental branding opportunities and When you request sponsorship support from a lomedia exposure,” said Wong. “With the UFC, we are able cal company, that business looks at you as a marto leverage Octagon signage, field engagement, event assets keting investment. You need to deliver a return on and more to increase brand exposure.” Be prepared to allow that investment, and prove you did so. It’s not about the sponsor flexibility in marketing this partnership. “Local wins and losses. It is about what you can deliver for that brand. activation is absolutely key to us,” said Wong. By bringing We asked Michael Levy, Xyience CFO, what his its sponsorship to life outside of UFC events, MetroPCS is company considers when thinking of sponsoring a promoting that brand as well as its own.

Willingness to Change

Total Amount Spent

Prepare sales presentations Information is power, and the MMA market information builds a convincing case for sponsorship. Companies will need to be convinced that a promoter thoroughly understands the market and has effectively quantified the impact of sponsorship on the company’s bottom line. Presenting new sponsorship opportunities to a company may be a one shot deal – know the audience and setting, have the facts straight, plan for the hard questions, manage expectations, and ensure that you have prepared diligently and creatively.

A presentation needs to be customized for each company pitched (be prepared to have many PowerPoint versions and to use different multimedia formats). You will succeed if the prospective company is sold on the market as well as on you and the vision you present.

Keep the edge Promoters need to keep the pulse of their market to maintain competitiveness. The more information that is gathered means greater confidence in the estimates. But it’s not enough to simply collect information. An in-depth analysis 32

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fighter. He said Xyience would engage a fighter in an interview like this: “Like Xyience, you are also a brand. Xyience will be using its resources to elevate your exposure to the public which has the potential to increase the value of your personal brand. With that in mind: 1. Please explain what you will do for Xyience on a consistent basis to ensure that Xyience is first in mind for its consumers?

2. What defines your character?

3. Describe how you manage your time, and how you respond to your sponsor’s needs?

4. Describe how you interact with the public? How do you want to be perceived?

5. Our brand’s motto is Power to Win. What does this mean to you?”

Author Nick Roach is a financial services professional in Manhattan.

He attends the Zicklin School of Business part-time and, as a fan and ambassador of MMA, leads an independent study of the MMA market called the Fighting Spirit Project. You can join his group on Facebook by searching Fighting Spirit Project.

MMA Mats, Rings, Cages, Bags & Bag Racks

world class mma equipment RENZO GRACIE, Jiu-Jitsu Legend & Owner of Renzo Gracie Academy

+ Title Boxing Clubs, a growing franchise opportunity, also offer kickboxing classes - in a very non-MMA way.

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Kickboxing Is The Answer But do you know the right question?

Countless MMA gyms have started kickboxing programs.

Why? Because the owner or chief trainer once asked, “How can we expand our member base beyond young men? Really, how can we get more female members into our MMA programs?” That’s the right answer. But for another question.

Kickboxing Is Not Muay Thai. And It’s Not MMA. It may seem obvious that kickboxing – as it’s popularly known in America today – is not MMA. Sure, the activity may have its roots in karate and boxing and even Taekwondo. But the kickboxing popular in America today is an aerobic class exercise that involves striking and kicking heavy bags.

We’ve spoken with owners of many MMA gyms who have tried kickboxing programs over the years. Rob Wetmore, whose Leading Edge Martial Arts was the subject of last issue’s Your Gym department, tried kickboxing programming with the hope it

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would expand his member demographic and grow his MMA school. And while Wetmore grew a good kickboxing clientele, they didn’t convert into other martial arts programming.

Wetmore’s story is common. So, is kickboxing the problem? Or, is kickboxing the answer to a question you’re not yet asking?

We spoke with the founders of two leading kickboxing franchise organizations, plus a few business owners, to get their perspective on kickboxing.

“Initially we allowed only martial arts schools to license this,” said Michael Parrella, founder of the ILoveKickboxing.com

franchise. “It soon became the dominant program in their business for two reasons. One, the program is good and complete. Two, the fitness industry is just way bigger than MMA.” Parrella, a martial arts school owner himself, started ILoveKickboxing.com as an online marketing program first, then a licensing program and now it’s finally a franchise.

“It’s a separate program,” said Parrella, “and this is the mistake people make. Kickboxing is not a feeder program into your MMA or martial arts school. You’re not listening to what the client or the market wants.”

Parrella says these gym owners need to ask, “Who is serving whom?” He said, “Most of the time in the martial arts industry, the members are serving the interests of the school owner. Most martial arts school owners should be a hobbyist – teaching out of rec centers. Too many of these business owners are more about preservation than about progress.”

Joe Andreula started teaching his “Take It To The Max” kickboxing classes in 1997 out of a gym in Hoboken, N.J. The classes gained popularity, and turned into a business idea. In 2005, Andreula opened his second CKO Kickboxing gym, and today there are more than 30 franchises open, with another 10 set to open soon.

“I was just trying to help people get in shape in my town,” said Andreula. “I was a personal trainer teaching karate, but the average person didn’t want to do karate. And as a personal trainer, we didn’t want to do cardio because it is just too boring. So I combined the two from conditioning workouts I did training for fullcontact karate. And people loved it.”

But it’s not martial arts. “There’s nothing traditional, nothing formal, and no uniform,” said Andreula.

“There is karate in it, and boxing, and conditioning from wrestling. But no intimidation, and no sparring.”

They’re in competition, but Parrella and Andreula agree: Kickboxing is good business. On its own. “At my CKO Kickboxing gym in New York,” said franchise owner Joe Virga, “I had a few guys who came to me and said, toward the end of their membership, “Hey thanks for getting me in the best shape of my life, but now I’m going to do Muay Thai. But that was rare.” Virga and his wife just opened their second CKO Kickboxing gym, this one in San Diego, Calif.

The CKO Kickboxing franchise is a stand-alone business. “It’s not just a program a school owner can incorporate into an existing business,” said Andreula. “We need a minimum of 3,000 square feet, and room for a lot of heavy bags.” Andreula’s CKO in Hoboken has 116 bags, and runs at least 30 classes per week.

The ILoveKickboxing.com franchise does blend with existing MMA and martial arts schools. Danny Trujillo runs Chozen Martial Arts in La Verne, California, and added the ILoveKickboxing.com franchise this year. “The program is good overall, and the Groupon marketing helps get more people in here,” he said,” but it’s not converting people to regular memberships.” Trujillo has only been with the program a few months, and he knows business will pick up after the slower summer season. He’s been

doing kickboxing classes for many years, and is looking for a marketing boost from the ILoveKickboxing.com program.

Parrella’s program does much more than just marketing – that’s why it moved to the franchise model. “We’re helping with instructor hiring,” he said, “and we’re creating a certification program. You don’t need MMA fighters or pro kickboxers to teach this class.

You need quality group fitness instructors.”

It’s Just Different.

CKO franchises are generally not being purchased by martial arts pros, according to Andreula. They’re being opened by people like Joe Virga. “I was a trader on Wall Street, and was training at the original Hoboken CKO gym, and it did change my life, instantly. I quit Wall Street and opened the first CKO franchise,” he said.

And like Garett Renon. “I was living in New Mexico and hated my job,” said Renon.

“When my wife got transferred to Seattle, I thought this was a good opportunity to make a change. I was looking at an LA Boxing franchise when I came across CKO, and I like their approach better. I started researching it in December, committed to it in March, and had my Grand Opening in July this year.”

Renon trained in martial arts and MMA in New Mexico. But he’s still just getting to know the Seattle fitness and martial arts market. “The MMA scene is pretty big up here from people I’m talking with,” he said. “And as people come to inquire about my new business, generally, the guys are curious if this is a fight gym, and the women are looking and hoping it’s not a fight gym. We’re doing very well with memberships already.”

Renon knows he is in competition with MMA gyms in town that are working to appeal to a fitness-oriented crowd. “We’re always aware of competition,” he said, “and we don’t take any of them lightly.”

It sounds like kickboxing could turn into a fight after all.

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Fox & UFC Last year, UFC and FOX announced a huge 7 year TV deal worth as much as $90-$100 million per year, which would move UFC programming from Spike TV to FOX, FX, FSN’s, and Fuel TV. Now that 2012 Q1 & Q2 are in the books, we look back and analyze what type of impact UFC programming had on the FOX properties and the impact of the TV deal on the UFC. Making a conclusion as to whether the UFC and FOX TV deal is a success or failure based on only the Q1 and Q2 ratings would be quite premature, but having two quarters in the books allows us to compare ratings performance six months into the deal. For reference, these viewership numbers tell part of the story:

UFC on FOX • UFC on FOX 1: 5.7M (5.7-million viewer average) • UFC on FOX 3: 2.4M

Q2 Average: 2.4M; Q1 Average: 4.7M; Trend: Down

FX Network • Q1: TUF Live Episode 1 – 1.3M • Q2: TUF Live Episode 5 – 947,000 • Q2: TUF Live Episode 12 – 875,000

Q2 Average: 934,250; Q1 Average: 1.16M; Trend: Down • TUF LIVE Season on FX (2012) Averaged 1.01M viewers • On Spike TV, Season 14 Averaged 1.5M viewers • TUF 10 Season on Spike TV (2009) Averaged 3M viewers Spike TV Comparable Trend: TUF’s debut on FX was lowest rated season in TUF history.

UFC on FX: Q2 Average: 1.13M; Q1 Average: 1.35M; Trend: Down UFC Primetime on FX: Q2 Average: 551,000; Q1 Average: 540,000, Trend: Up, flat UFC on FX Prelims: Q2 Average: 1.29M; Q1 Average: 1.26M, Trend: Up, Flat 36

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UFC on FUEL: Q2 Average: 185,000; Q1 Average: 217,000; Trend: Down UFC on Fuel Prelims: Q2 Average: 112,000; Q1 Average: 135,000; Trend: Down Fuel TV continues to benefit greatly from this UFC deal; it became the fastest-growing network in year-to-year percentage audience growth in total day and during prime time among households, total viewers and men 18-49 compared to Jan. – June 2011. The main goal for Fuel TV remains increasing their household reach, which actually dropped from 36.4M to 36.2M during the first two quarters of 2012, when UFC made its debut on the network, though most of that is explained by cord cutters (that is, cable-TV subscribers cancelling service and replacing with internet streaming) since the effect was not specific to Fuel TV. And while Fuel TV aired nearly 1,800 hours of UFC programming, it reaches only one-third of the households that Spike TV reached.

So unless Fuel’s reach picks up, the UFC will consistently be placing the majority of their content on a channel that only reaches a fraction of what Spike TV provided them.

A big disappointment worth noting here is the performance of UFC on FOX events. With just four contracted events on Primetime, the product does not have enough

frequency to make a meaningful impact up to now, and in fact, each event has produced less viewership since its debut (UFC on FOX 1: 5.7M, UFC on FOX 2: 4.7M, UFC on FOX 3: 2.4M). Getting mainstream sponsors for the FOX events has still been a struggle as was expected when the deal was made last year by TV ad analysts. The negative ratings trend won’t help them in this department either.

FX and the newly revamped “TUF Live” were a big part of the TV deal, with The Ultimate Fighter being the key platform the UFC uses to create future stars and PPV draws.

The show ended up being a huge disappointment (in terms of ratings and creating stars), now owning the title of the all-time lowest-rated season in the history of the show. Dana White and the UFC brass predicted that they could very well reach 3 million viewers for TUF on FX if they were getting around 1.5 million on Spike TV without any promotion.

It was also noted internally within Zuffa that WWE ratings on USA were also a factor in predicting a rating on FX considering they do on average 3M viewers on the same Friday night time slot. That prediction didn’t was off, to say the least, even with the heavy promotion leading up to TUF’s debut on FX. Dedicating Friday nights as “UFC Nights”, a day noted for bad TV ratings and when the M18-34 demographic is not at home in front of their TV sets, has also not panned out for the UFC on FX yet. Moving the content to mid-week is a noted option in 2013, but nothing has been officially decided. UFC will be doing the next season of TUF (2012) in the same Friday night time slot and analyze those numbers as well before making a final decision.

There is something to be said about the simplicity of being a UFC fan and being able to find all the content you needed on one network. Now, with multiple platforms designated with different UFC content, fans are having a difficult time migrating from Spike TV to numerous FOX platforms.

FOX shows UFC events only four times a year, FX only on Fridays and sometimes on Saturday, while Fuel TV has designated days where they show no UFC content at all despite airing 300-plus hours of UFC programming a month. The complexity for the typical MMA TV viewer has definitely increased since the deal.

The question you have to ask now is: If fans have made the transition from Spike to FOX, shouldn’t ratings be going up? Or is there something else impacting the ratings? The sheer frequency of MMA content now accessible to fans, plus the number of events will certainly test Zuffa’s theory that the content demand continues to exceed the supply, and that they in fact need to put on more events than they are already. The old saturation equation of greater frequency results in a watered down product has been brought up quite

a few times, using most recent cards like UFC 147 and UFC 149 as perfect examples. The next two quarters should give us a pretty good indication whether ZUFFA as a promotion and the average MMA fan can keep up with this torrid pace.

Jose Mendoza for MMAPayout.com

Alabama MMA Evolves Just days before the Alabama Extreme Cage Fighting’s (AXCF) “Rumble in Rainsville” event, the Alabama Athletic Commission (AAC) and Florida-based MMA Solutions scrapped the event. It was to be the first opportunity for MMA Solutions to serve as a mixed martial arts sanctioning body within Alabama. Instead, it turned into the first time in Alabama history that a sanctioning body cancelled an MMA event.

Certain guidelines must be followed for each event, and AXCF did not meet the minimum requirements, such as scheduling at least six MMA bouts, having all participants previously completed blood work testing, and more.

The problems surfaced when one fighter after another cancelling participation. Some fighters pulled out to compete for another show out of state. But blood work was also an issue when one fighter reportedly did not complete the required HIV test, and another fighter did not get the blood antigen add-on test.

In accordance with the current rules set by the AAC as posted in Administrative Code, “evidence of a negative Hep B, Hep C and HIV blood test (is) required. The rules do not call for a blood antigen test, but this has been called into question, and some fights are being cancelled because of confusion.

Some rules spelled out in the code are not enforced by the commission. For example, under medical requirements, the rules state “all contestants’ hydration shall be tested using a fiber optic refractometer or other hydration testing method as determined by the appointed event director.

This test has never been performed at any of the five boxing events in 2011 and none of the combined MMA and Boxing events in 2012; even when fighters are on the verge of passing out due to dehydration ring side physicians have

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always allowed fighters to pass their prefight weigh-ins, never testing them for their hydration.

The state commission’s regulations may have also lead to the fall American eXtreme Combat, one of the first MMA promotion’s in the state to earn its sanctioning license in 2012. This is the second promoter to quit since the AAC started sanctioning MMA in January.

President Roy Echols, who also owns a diesel shop in the state, said his business has suffered because he and his employees are spending too much time preparing for MMA events and it is directly affecting his clients. Last month Echols reported that his Diesel Shop has tripled in business and he just does not have time to schedule and plan MMA events. By Rick Piel, and edited from MMABusiness.com

In New York, They Fight Anyway

“According to the law, professional MMA is illegal,” said Ryan Clark, one of the founders of 5 Guys Fighting, “but that’s

not true for amateur fights.” Clark and his four partners recently promoted their first MMA fight, and they held it in Albany, New York, the state capital. “I’m born and raised in the area,” said Clark.

“I train in Jiu-Jitsu, and I’m passionate about this. Instead of doing this in the middle of the mountains where nobody would know about it, we decided to do it in the middle of Albany.”

The 5 Guys Fighting organization has put on 13 other events in the surrounding area, but this is the first to be called an “MMA fight.” The organization previously held kickboxing events, with no ground-and-pound allowed. For this fight, “We put in place amateur MMA rules adapted from Muay Thai, and with other rules used throughout New England states.”

The Cage Wars 14 event featured amateur athletes from around the state compete fighting on August 11 at the Washington Avenue Armory in the area’s first sanctioned full contact fighting contest.

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WIDE WORLD of MMA NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

IS MMA Really a World Sport?

truly an international sport and business. Also consider that nine events are currently scheduled for the second half of 2012. Five of those will be held outside the U.S. We did not yet analyze the nationality of the fighters on each card.

Look at our “UFC By the Numbers” data for the first half of 2012. We looked at the total number of fighters for UFC events on Fox, Fuel, FX and pay-per-view, and analyzed where they’re from, plus where the fights were held. With this information, you decide if MMA is

• 18 total events. 33 percent were held outside of the United States.

• 400 total fighters. 45 percent of them call a non-U.S. nation their homeland.

Date

Event

Location

July 21 July 11 July 7 June 23 June 22 June 8 May 26 May 15 May 5 April 21 April 14 March 3 February 26 February 15 February 4 January 28 January 20 January 14

UFC 149 UFC on Fuel UFC 148 UFC 147 UFC on FX UFC on FX UFC 146 UFC on Fuel UFC on Fox UFC 145 UFC on Fuel UFC on FX UFC 144 UFC on Fuel UFC 143 UFC on Fox UFC on FX UFC 142

Calgary, Alberta Canada San Jose, California Las Vegas Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Atlantic City, N.J. Sunrise, Florida Las Vegas Fairfax, Virginia East Rutherford, N.J. Atlanta Stockholm, Sweden Sydney, Australia Saitama, Japan Omaha, Nebraska Las Vegas Chicago Nashville, Tennessee Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Growing in Colombia Jaime Arturo Pena Vanegas wants to grow MMA in Bogota, Colombia, and throughout the South American nation. That makes sense, since he’s president of the six-year-old Colombia Fight Championships (CFC). But Vanegas’s efforts have a grow-the-sport grass-roots push behind them, as well. Also forming the Colombian Federation of Mixed Martial Arts (FEDEAMM), Vanegas dreams of increasing opportunities for Colombian fighters at home and abroad, and of increasing the network of MMA training centers so future Colombian fighters can pursue competitive participation.

More than eight million people call Bogota home, making it the fifth-most-populous city in South America and among the top 30 in the world. Just like with its neighbor Brazil, JiuJitsu is a popular sport and activity, according to Vanegas.

US / Non-US fighters 10 / 12 12 / 10 9 / 13 2 / 20 17 / 5 19 / 5 16 / 8 12 / 12 17 / 7 14 / 10 6 / 18 13 / 9 10 / 14 10 / 8 18 / 4 16 / 4 16 / 4 4 / 16

Still, he said there are only about a dozen MMA clubs in Bogota, and perhaps 50 total throughout Colombia – a nation about the size of California and Texas combined.

His CFC promotion held its first MMA event in 2009, and has organized a dozen more since, though they’ve been relatively small in fan attendance. “We are working hard to make this sport grow,” Vanegas told MMA Business through a Skype chat recently.

Vanegas is encouraging MMA professionals to look at Colombian MMA fighters and his CFC promotion. He hopes to attend Fight Summit in Las Vegas in November to get acquainted personally with the American MMA market.

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MFC–It’s Got a Ring To It Canadian MMA fans have watched fighters in Maximum Fighting Championship events compete in both cages and boxing rings. MFC President Mark Pavelich said they’ll now stick with the ring. “It’s been said pretty clearly to me that our fans, the ones who have continually supported us and come to the live shows for years, that they like the ring better than the cage,” Pavelich said in a press release.

At MFC 29 in Ontario, Canada, in April, fighters competed in a cage as required for MMA fights by provincial law. Pavelich and MFC officials have considered using the cage for future events in other cities including Edmonton, but decided to maintain the unique ring arenas they’ve used for several years.

“MMA is a bit of a strange sport when it comes to watching the event live in person inside the arena,” Pavelich. “You want to see as much as possible right in front of your eyes, yet how many times have we seen people, especially sitting a little bit further back, have to turn to watch a big screen TV just to see what’s right in front of them? It’s not logical.”

Glory Brings Heavyweight Fighters to Tokyo

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Glory Sports International (GSI) announced its “GLORY Grand Slam – Heavyweight” event will take place in Tokyo this December in a one-night, single-elimination tournament. The roster will include No.1 ranked heavyweight Semmy Schilt of the Netherlands, Remy Bonjasky of Suriname, and Jerome LeBanner of France as well as other fighters from Turkey, Russia, Belgium and more.

The world-class kick-boxing event is being organized with the assistance of local partners G-Entertainment, a new agency focused on fighting sports, and launched by experienced fight-industry pros in Japan.

“This is a very exciting time for us. Bringing GLORY to the home of the martial arts, and taking our top fighters who are idolized by the Japanese fans, is a crucial moment for us,” said Marcus Luer, Managing Director of GSI. “We are delighted by the partnership with G-Entertainment.

Together, we will produce a world-class spectacle.”

Glory produces combat events worldwide, including the Glory World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) a standup fighting league that offers up to $1,000,000 in prize money to successful fighters in 16-man grand prix tournaments. The organization has offices in Holland, the UK, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

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ON THE MAT 2

Roll Your Own If you own a gym or train athletes for a living, you need to remember that your customers aren’t like you. The majority of them – even many athletes – spend too much time each day in front of the computer, in the car or on the couch. This sedentary lifestyle makes people stiff, creates bad movement patterns, and can lead to pain, decreased performance and injury. Do you know what that means? It means they’re likely to drop their membership.

Teach them to roll their own – muscles, that is – and you can improve their performance, retain their membership and score referrals, too. Utilizing Self Myofascial Release (SMR) techniques can reduce adhesions (knots) in muscles, increase range of motion and allow people to move more efficiently.

All it takes is some skill on your part, and a few inexpensive foam rollers in your training center.

You should also carry these items in your Pro Shop and sell them for additional profits. People can do this at home easily, and once they get used to it, they’ll want to do this rolling at your gym before and after training sessions. Get used to doing them yourself first.

1

the Grid Foam Roller shown), simply roll back and forth with the roller working the lower leg musculature. Try toes in, toes straight and toes out to hit a variety of angles.

3

Photo 3 The Iliotibial (IT) band runs from the outside of your hip to the outside of your knee. It’s common for this to be tight, and this creates pain and limits performance. On your side, with the roller on the outside of your leg, roll back and forth, working your way from your knee up to your hip.

You can control the pressure with your opposite leg and arm.

4 Photo 1 These are some SMR tools you should have on hand.

Photo 2 Most people lack mobility in their ankles and are tight in their calf muscles. Using a foam roller (like

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Photo 4 Face down with your quad muscle on the roller,

work back and forth from your knee to your hip flexors. Since your quads have three separate heads, be sure and work the outside, middle and inner aspects of your thigh.

and backward. These are a great option for larger guys and people who feel no impact from softer foam rollers.

7

5

Photo 7 Most of us slouch and have poor posture. To help correct this, lie over the roller, with your upper back on top. Roll back and forth working your way from the mid back up to the neck.

8

Photo 5 Sitting on top of the roller with your leg crossed, roll back and forth on the glute muscle. This is a relatively small movement, but loosening up the glutes and hips can help people reduce back pain, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll move better instantly.

Photo 6 The lats are a powerful upper body muscle and are highly involved in punching and grappling.

Start on your side with the knobby Rumble Roller in your arm pit. Roll your body back and forth working your way down the muscle and stop about half way down your rib cage. The bumps on the Rumble Roller get into the muscle and you can work across the muscles, as well as rolling forward

6

Photo 8 Some areas of the body are tough to reach, like the chest and hip. Utilizing a tool like the Trigger Point Ball allows you to get into the small areas and loosen up overactive muscles. These little tools will open your eyes, but can really help people with tight hips and shoulders.

With 14 years of coaching experience, Corey Beasley is recognized as one 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.

Cory

COREY BEASLEY

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YOURGYM

+ John Wayne Parr, center

NAME: Art of Eight Training & Fitness Center LOCATION: San Diego, CA OWNER: Melchor Menor YEARS IN BUSINESS: First DISCIPLINES: MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Kids Classes, Fitness Classes The name of the gym teases a Muay Thai reference. The staff roster includes many active fighters, but you won’t see “MMA” on the home page of the new Art of Eight Training & Fitness Center in San Diego, California. They do train MMA, from novices up to pro fighters, but the goal, says Coach Mel, is “to be recognized as the leader in the new age of fitness gyms.”

“Coach Mel” is Melchor Menor, an international champion in both Muay Thai and Kickboxing competition, and a fitness business professional.

“I was the VP of fitness and training for several years for a chain of fitness clubs here in San Diego,” said Menor.

He’s also worked in television, with the “Fight Science” show, and as an assistance coach on “The Ultimate Fighter,” among other screen work. “I felt it was time for me to move on and open my own business,” said Menor.

The name “Art of Eight” comes from Menor’s love of Muay Thai, often called the art of eight limbs. “More than half of my life has been dedicated to this martial art,” said Menor. “I love every aspect of it including its culture and more importantly, the life virtues I have learned from it. I try to pass these on to my students.” Not only a Muay Thai school or an MMA gym, “AO8” is a combination of these and a fitness center at heart. He describes it as, “a place where anyone of any fitness level or of any age can come and not feel intimidated, and learn and get in shape through these dynamic workouts.”

Even he admits that sounds like a huge undertaking.

Most group classes at AO8 are fitness based, and the schedule includes instruction in Muay Thai, boxing, and MMA. “We have MMA classes and 44

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+ Danny Perez, owner Melchor Menor, Edwin Aguilar

have MMA fighters who teach and train at our facility,” said Menor, “we prefer not to be labeled as an MMA gym because that does not truly describe who we are.”

Menor’s been too busy running this 10-month old business to look at the latest numbers, but he says AO8 has likely exceeded 600 paying members.

“We have done minimal marketing,” said Menor, “with most business being referral based. I believe this to be the best form of marketing you can have.

It also helps when you have UFC fighters visiting and training at your gym, or when people like Bas Rutten and ninetime World Muay Thai Champion John Wayne Parr do a seminar at the gym!”

Menor says most of these 600 members are just people who want to get in shape. The mostly adult client base include nurses and law-enforcement offices, teachers and college students, business professionals, grandmothers and more. And it’s a fairly even split, he says between men and women. Menor

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looks forward to building a larger kids program, as well as a competitive fighting team.

The training team looks like a competitive fighting roster. Menor admits that most fighters do not make good instructors. “Some of the best advice I can give to a gym owner,” he said, “is to really do their research on any trainer, and don’t hire him just because he has a name. Let them know you expect a level of professionalism, and that their actions represent your business.”

Menor himself has strong credentials, but his new business is just one in a crowded fitness and MMA market.

What helps AO8 stand out? Menor boasts, “We are known to have the cleanest facility with the friendliest staff! Our trainers and instructors genuinely want to help our clientele reach their goals. And the quality of class instruction, personal training, and competition training are some of the best in the nation. I believe that sets us apart from the other gyms.”

PRO SHOP

N E W

PRO D U C T S

+

S ERV I C ES

A TrueScore E-Trainer

TrueScore attended the MA SuperShow to let martial arts professionals test the company’s electronic scoring system, similar to that used in Olympic Games Taekwondo competition. A new E-Trainer will be available soon, and will exist on an open web network to all athletes to train remotely with coaches, or to allow competition across the network. The system measures impact for power and for placement, and coaches will be able to remotely control targets. Visit www.truescore.com

A

B Hayabusa

Tokushu Headgear

When your customers can’t afford to train in anything but the world’s best headgear, you can confidently recommend the new tokushu headgear from Hayabusa.

It fits perfectly, it’s feather-light, and it never shifts.

Customers will get a wide and clear field of vision with unmatched comfort and protection. The Deltra-EG™ inner core technology is clinically proven to provide maximum protection. The patented T-Cross™ adjustment strap closure system gives a secure fit and zero shifting. Visit www.hayabusafightwear.com

B

C

C Revgear Mini T

Thai Pads

At two-thirds the size of standard Thai pads, the Revgear Mini T leather mini pads are the perfect size to pack in your luggage or duffel bag for transport to events and tournaments. The light weight allows coaches to hold them for long periods of time. The design of these pads increases the pad holder’s speed, allowing them to transition much faster between punches, knees, and kicks. The smaller size and lighter weight are also great for kids and teen Muay Thai classes. Sold as a pair. Go to www.revgear.com

D Xyience New Flavors Two new flavors – Melon Mayhem and Tangerine Twister – are now available in the line of Xyience Xenergy Premium energy drinks. Like the rest of the product line, these new flavors are sugar-free and zero-calorie, fitting with the company’s promotion to consumers interested in MMA and healthy lifestyles.

Another product in the line – the Xenergy Xtreme Fruit Punch – was named 2011 Carbonated Beverage of the Year by Convenience Store News. Xyience products are available to gym owners for marketing at retail. See www.xyience.com

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OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON Improved Anyone’s Life Today?

Editor’s note: Jimmy Pedro, regular columnist for this page, took a break to coach the U.S. Olympic Judo Team. We welcome guest columnist and MMA school owner Rodrigo Galvanosi.

Respect. Honor. As martial arts professionals, we reinforce these themes to our clients, our athletes and our co-workers. Is it truly respectful or honorable, however, to make money off of topics such as bullying and sexual abuse? These topics were addressed at the MA SuperShow in Las Vegas this year, with lots of discussion about how martial arts can be a solution to such problems.

Bullying is a huge issue in schools nationwide.

And the sexual abuse cases at Penn State University, in the Catholic Church, and even in martial arts prove that this topic cannot be avoided. However, this is by no means a simple matter. There has never been a conversation on this topic where a person is only sort of committed to their point of view. It is simple, you either hate predators or you are one. There is no defense for it and there is no reason to defend it.

From a business standpoint, it is an intelligent move to capitalize on the push for people to protect themselves and stand out. We do it by promoting martial arts to teach self-defense skills, and to help build self-esteem as well as personal fitness.

The problem is, bullying and sexual abuse are moral issues, not market issues. If you strive to be honorable and respectful to others, it is unacceptable to even consider charging to help overcome these problems. It should be your moral responsibility to help others when you can.

Fearless Fighting, the martial arts school in Greenville, North Carolina, is a business I co-own.

It also has a non-profit entity that it runs separately to work with police, youth and women. The nonprofit holds seminars to teach anyone – particularly

Rodrigo

RODRIGO GALVANOSI

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women – self-defense. We also work with children in the area to help them avoid bullying and gangs.

These seminars are designed to help others protect themselves by sharing skills we have and they do not. If everyone had top level martial arts skills, these would not be issues. I have traveled around the world and experienced different cultures and now am in a position to give back to the community and my students.

Seminars and business conferences are great for strategizing on how to grow your business. I attend as many of these as possible. But is it all about business growth? The most popular questions I was asked at the recent MA SuperShow were: “Has the economy affected you?” and “How many students do you currently have?” No one asked me, “Have you bettered anyone’s life through the martial arts?” or “What are you doing to improve the way?”

This business should be about improving yourself and others instead of killing the integrity of the sport by capitalizing on the weak and needy. Call me an idealist, but I believe you can make a great living “doing the right thing.”

We talk about the martial arts and MMA as being a far-better alternative to traditional fitness gyms. But, have we become just like them? Are we more interested in making money, and less interested in teaching values, honor, respect and nobility? Are we using our skills strictly to sell, and not to educate, strengthen and grow students? Too many gyms are turning into baby-sitting services and child-care programs just to make more money.

I know there are dozens of respectful gym owners and martial arts professionals out there who do serve their students with honor. But, I fear the ones who want to simply sell anti-bullying programs are damaging both these students and the great traditions of martial arts. I want to challenge all MMA professionals to focus on our product quality and send the right message, as opposed to idolizing the dollar.

Congratulations to the U.S. Olympic Judo Team

Head Coach Jimmy Pedro, Vice President Sales & Marketing for Zebra Mats and Guest Columnist for MMA Business, with Olympic Bronze Medalist (57kg) Marti Malloy.

(Top Row): Chris Skelley (Team Leader), Jimmy Pedro (Head Coach), (Bottom from left to right) Nick Delpopolo (Westfield, NJ), Travis Stevens (Tacoma, WA), Kyle Vashkulat (Langhome, PA), Kayla Harrison (Middletown, OH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GOLD Medal), Marti Malloy (Oak Harbor, WA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BRONZE Medal).

< Kayla Harrison, first-ever U.S. Olympic Judo Gold Medalist (78 kg).

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