MMA Business Magazine - June by HansenHouse Communication

JUN E 2 0 1 2 • $ 5 . 9 9

2012

BUYERS

GUIDE

2012 buyerS guiDe

SPECIAL SECTION

13I

2012 MMA Business Buyers Guide

We created this Buyers Guide to provide you with fingertip access to every company actively marketing products and services to the Mixed Martial Arts Industry. Our goal is to provide the most accurate and comprehensive Company Directory (Page 14), and listing of Products/Services (Page 33) they deliver.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

The MixeD MarTial arTS inDuSTry iS vibranT, growing anD ever-Changing. new CoMPanieS, new ProDuCTS anD new TeChnology are The norM.

CONTENTS Our goal at MMA Business is to help companies in this industry stay ahead of the curve. Our articles are designed to help those who make a living in Mixed Martial Arts grow, expand and succeed long-term. But as this industry grows, how do you know what’s available? Who to go to for your needs? There are a lot of magazines and a lot of ads and a lot of websites and a lot of events you can turn to for those answers. But now, there is also one Annual Resource & Reference Guide you can use year-round... the MMA Business Buyers Guide! The purpose of creating the Buyers Guide was to provide you with fingertip access to every company actively marketing products and services to the Mixed Martial Arts Industry. Our goal, and it will likely take a couple years to achieve, is to provide the most accurate and comprehensive directory of companies and listing JUNE 2012 • VOLUME 3 No. 3 of products/services in the industry. The 2012 Buyers Guide is divided into two sections: Company Directory and Products/Services.

DEPARTMENTS

Company Directory: An A to Z listing, with contact information, of all the companies you may want to do business with. Products/Services: A comprehensive listing of products & services that you may be interested in, by category, with a drop-down list of companies that provide them. MIXED THOUGHTS “Your Guide to Growth” Whether you are a gym owner, trainer, distributor, promoter, agent, manufacturer, service provider, association, event producer, consultant or industry professional... the 2012 MMA Business Buyers Guide is BUSINESS a resource for you to use in running your business! Check PLAN it out! Use it! Keep it nearby all year long! And, let us know what we can do to make it Innovate even betterand nextAdd year.Value

4I 6I

8 I BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Build A Thriving Team

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

10 I THE BEAT

Stripes MMA, Dream Ends, Florian Retires, S.D. Fighter Dies Post-Fight

40 I THE FIGHT BUSINESS

RYU’s Big Entrance, Invicta Fights for Females

44 I YOUR GYM

Leading Edge Martial Arts, Allentown, Pa.

46 I EVENT REPORT World Jiu-Jitsu Expo

48 I OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON Be In The Marketplace

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

J UNE 2012

J U NE 2 0 1 2

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

MAGAZINE STAFF

Your Guide To Growth “People don’t buy products. They buy solutions to problems.” That phrase has been around a while. Or how about this one: “People don’t want to buy drills. They want to buy holes.” Both these marketing quotes are trendy and hot right now, and their point is this: Don’t focus on products as much as the services they provide, or the actions they enhance. Well, that all sounds good, but in the end, we all like new stuff. You need state-of-the-art products to run a successful gym, whether a new cage, high-tech training dummies or a brand-new hanging bag. Providing your customers with the best training products, facilities and service is the key to long-term success. It takes more than just re-ordering something when you are out. The whole process that leads to a good and needed purchase is critical. Check inventory before it’s low to see what you might need soon. Ask your students what items they would like you to add to your Pro Shop. Research what you need and find out who offers what you need. Our 2012 Buyers’ Guide If you are in the Mixed Martial Arts business, you need stuff. Boxing gloves to battling ropes. Billing software to bag racks. And that’s just the Bs. Our 2012 MMA Business Buyers Guide provides you with onestop shopping on all products and services from A to Z. We compiled this first-ever Buyers Guide to help you locate the stuff you need. In this issue, you’ll find a comprehensive Company Directory, listing all the companies alphabetically that are actively marketing products and services to the MMA industry. You will also find a Products & Services section, with a breakdown by category of all products needed to run a successful MMA business. Looking for a source of custom gis? How about training and certification services? Need insurance? Or just a source for t-shirts or mats? It’s in here. How should you use this Buyers Guide? It’s easy. Check out the Products & Services section, find the companies that offer what you are looking for, then turn to the Company Directory to find out how to contact them. Most importantly, keep it at your fingertips all year long! You never know when you might need to find some help with supplements, or with website marketing, or with apparel. And – because it’s our first year producing this guide – let us know how we can make it better for you? If your company isn’t included in this year’s Buyers Guide and if you provide products or services we don’t know about, contact us and let us know. We’ll continue to update the list each year and make it the best and most comprehensive Buyers Guide it can be. Now, get it out there and upgrade your gym with something new. Trust me, your students will notice!

Glenn

GLENN HANSEN

GLENN@HANSENHOUSECOMMUNICATION.COM

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Publisher Richard Hendricks rh@HendricksBCS.com 612-306-1707 Editor Glenn Hansen glenn@hansenhousecommunication.com Editorial Contributors Ted Czech, Dale Shirley (Photographer) 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.

Products

born on the mat Why Carry Gameness

PROFIT

• Great profit margins • Sell our wide range of products • Affiliate only specials

GROW

• Free CD on how to grow your school • Free promotional materials • Learn merchandising secrets

SUPPORT

• World class customer service • Same day shipments • Large stock of inventory

888-405-6056

WWW.GAMENESS.COM

BUSINESS PLAN Innovate and Add Value A concept taught in business school says true entrepreneurs innovate and add value. The counterpart to this is called “different sameness” and it’s often found in the combat sports industry. It’s a failure to innovate or add real value. It’s a business that is very similar to all of its competitors. For example, the combat sports industry has dozens of apparel brands, most of which deliver the same style and brand message: “I’m an MMA fan who likes flaming tribal skull tattoo designs on my T-shirt.” All these cloned t-shirt brands are fighting for a small portion of the same market because none of them is truly different from the next. The product itself isn’t the problem. The simple truth is that those brands are likely not going to succeed by doing what everybody else is doing and fighting over the same customers. Entrepreneurs whose brands forge a new market or reach a new demographic are the ones that often find the greatest success. Rather than doing what everybody else is doing, they find their “blue ocean” and new customers. Truly innovative companies like Apple have generated billions of dollars in revenue with their ingenuity, while competitors are left to divide up the non-Apple consumers with competing versions of the copied products (different sameness). Sure, you can make money doing what others are doing. However, fortune favors the bold, and consumers favor the innovative brands and their products. Invest your entrepreneurial time and money developing a brand combat sports consumers truly need, not in launching the 500th t-shirt company and struggling to succeed. Maximize Revenue Streams The following exercise should help combat sports business owners identify the best revenue streams, and also devote resources toward those that are most lucrative.

If your business sells products:

1. Write down all of the places and ways your products are currently sold.

Dan

DAN GREENE

dan@combatsportsconsulting.com

JU NE 20 1 2

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

2. Sort these places and ways into categories (these are you Distribution Channels). They might be “Online Retail,” “Sporting Goods Stores,” and “Events.” 3. Rank these Distribution Channels from most profitable to least profitable for your products – No. 1 being your most profitable channel. 4. Look at your No. 1 ranked channel, and create a list of the top 10 places and/or ways to sell within that channel. For example, if “Online Retail” is your No. 1 channel, you want to identify the top 10 online retailers of products like yours. These are likely your best potential Distribution Channel Partners. 5. Now that you’ve identified your top 10 profit-potential Distribution Channel Partners, devote your time and attention toward landing those accounts. Make it your mission to pursue those potential partners, and only when that list has been exhausted will you repeat the above process for your No. 2 ranked Distribution Channel, then No. 3, and so on. If you are in a service business, use the above protocol, but substitute Customer Types for Distribution Channels. Once you’ve identified your most profitable Customer Types (ie, Single Men age 18-34, Children age 4-12, or Women age 35-50) determine the 10 best places and/or ways to reach those customers and devote your resources toward pursuit of those potential best customers. By identifying your most profitable customer type or distribution partner you’re not only going to have the highest rate of success in terms of conversion, but also prevent much of the loss of time and money that goes into marketing and selling to the wrong customer or partner. Remember, like bullets for a soldier, time and money are invaluable to an entrepreneur. They’re best used sparingly, especially when you have little time or money to waste. Dan Greene is a lifelong martial artist, instructor, and a combat sports industry business expert. He’s the Cofounder and CEO of Combat Sports Consulting, LLC, and works with martial arts business owners across the globe.

MMA Mats, Rings, Cages, Bags & Bag Racks

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

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Sponsored

Member Solutions

Tips & Strategy to Build a Thriving Team Environment Effectively managing your team for success can be a meaningful and impactful success driver for your business – yet it is a component that is often overlooked by small business owners. At Member Solutions, I head a team of more than 70 people. We are fortunate to enjoy a positive business culture with many healthy employee relationships. This positive environment did not happen overnight though. Our successful culture developed over time as a result of honest and effective strategies, and a purposeful employee management approach. Bottom line: every organization – whether your business has dozens of employees or just two – can be more successful when enabling team members to achieve more than they reasonably thought they could. One of my favorite books, “Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers,” by bestselling author and business guru, Patrick Lencioni, covers the three elements that make work miserable. By understanding what makes a job less fulfilling, you can take measures to avoid employee job dissatisfaction and turnover, and create a thriving team environment for your business. Sign #1: Anonymity Anonymity is when one of your team members concludes that you really don’t care about them as an individual because you make no effort to understand who they are. All people need to be understood and appreciated by someone in authority. Positive community on a strong business platform will yield success. Sign #2: Irrelevance Irrelevance occurs when team members are unable to connect what they do every day to making a positive, meaningful impact on others and the organization. Sign #3: No measurement When an employee lacks a scorecard to objectively self-measure how they are doing in a way that their manager recognizes as valuable, that employee is at major risk of job dissatisfaction which makes you at major risk of losing them. Committed and engaged employees with positive attitudes are necessary for success. Focusing

Steve

STEVE PINADO

JU NE 20 1 2

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

your employee management approach on the three signs of job misery is a good basis to fostering a positive professional environment. As business owner and operator, you have the best ability to facilitate positive employee relationships that will yield success for your business and your employees. Here are a few tips to keep in mind: Get to know your employees; understand what is important to them, and appreciate their individual challenges. This will help you motivate more effectively and offer employees the opportunity to trust and confide in you as a person, more than as a boss. Combine positive company community with a strong business platform, quality service, and a commitment to executing your plan. You’ll achieve something powerful that will drive success. Let your employees know how their actions impact you, your business and the individuals you serve. When a member comments on their positive experience, pass that along to your team, every time and celebrate that success. Let your employees know they make the world a better place. Let them know how much they help you. You can’t teach every class, sell every new membership, collect every payment, execute new member acquisition strategies, and be a spouse, parent or healthy human. Your employees need to know that that they enable you to live better and run a successful business, and that you appreciate it. Find a way to formalize your instructor evaluation based on aggregate student performance. New students, retention of existing students, tuition payments collected, student attendance, and communication to students and parents are another set of regular measurements you can track at the employee level. Everyone needs a scorecard they can understand, particularly the competitive, athletic type that gravitate to martial arts. With it, employees know that the actions they take are resulting in progress and success. When you enable employees to gauge the results of their actions with measurements that represent critical drivers of success in your business, you provide a critical job satisfaction tool with a powerful business management practice. Steve Pinado is the CEO of Member Solutions, a leading provider of billing, servicing and business support for membership-based businesses.

TheBEAT

FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

STRIPESMMA During his tenure as editorin-chief of FIGHT! magazine, Donovan Craig was able to visit U.S. troops in Mosul, Iraq in Sept., 2009 to cover “A Fight Night for Heroes,” the first Mixed Martial Arts event held in an active war zone. Living among the troops, Craig quickly recognized their pure passion for the sport – and also their sheer numbers. “The military was always a big market for us while I was at FIGHT!,” he said. The relationships Craig forged with military personnel while at FIGHT! paid off. Before he left the magazine in 2011, Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military’s newspaper, contacted him to see if he would spearhead a new project called Stripes MMA , an insert in the newspaper that would focus on military combatives and MMA. To Craig, the concept made perfect sense. The latest iteration of military combatives – the unarmed system of hand-to-hand fighting taught to all soldiers – incorporates Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In that way, every soldier is taught Mixed Martial Arts, and therefore, is more likely to want to see it, read about it and follow it, Craig said. The first issue of Stripes MMA ran in the early spring, with Tim Kennedy, a Strikeforce middleweight and U.S. Army green beret, featured on the cover. Inside was the first of what Craig said will be a regular column by former UFC multipletime champion Randy Couture, who served in the U.S. Army for about six years in the 1980s. Craig said Couture was happy to oblige when approached about the column, because he credits the military with helping to hone the confidence and leadership skills that helped him become a successful MMA fighter. Craig said he sees many MMA writers and publications as “basically unpaid PR people for Dana White. In the long run, that only hurts the sport … I’ve always felt you should cover the whole sport.” In addition to the sport of MMA, Stripes MMA will focus a great deal on military combatives, including its techniques and championships, Craig said. “I’m very excited about this project … We want to show the soldiers that we understand MMA and the military aspect of it.” – Ted Czech 10

JU NE 20 1 2

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

DREAM ENDS

MMA-Japan.com recently reported that Dream, a leading fight promotion in Japan, is “no longer a going business.” The website earlier reported on Dream’s cancelling a fight scheduled for July. A more recent update reported Bibiano Fernandes, Dream Bantamweight Champion, has signed with the UFC and will fight July 21 at UFC 149. Other MMA news sites recently reported the departure of many Dream staff members. Dream was formed in February 2008, and crowned some of MMA’s best as its champions, including Gegard Mousasi, Shinya Aoki, and Fernandes.

TheBEAT FIGHTS + NEWS + HAPPENINGS +

EVENTS + LEADERS

T ragedy

Follows South Dakota Fight

Twenty-six-year-old Dustin Jenson tapped out of his fight in RingWars event May 18 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He then watched the next two fights before going to the locker room area, where he suffered a seizure, according to his motherin-law Violet Schieman. Emergency Medical Technicians transported the fighter to the Rapid City Regional Hospital.” A report in the Rapid City Journal said that Jenson had increased pressure on his brain and doctors put him in a medically induced coma before surgery was performed to relieve pressure. He was declared dead May 24 and was taken off life support the next day. Jenson, of Sturgis, S.D., was a husband and father. It’s unclear if activity during the fight triggered the seizure. South Dakota is one of several states that currently does not regulate MA fighting. Civic center general manager Brian Maliske said he was unsure how or if the death would affect the scheduling of future MMA events at the civic center. “Obviously, if it is connected to the injury here, then we will have to look at and see how it would affect us and what we want to do into the future,” he said.

Florian Taps Kenny Florian announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts, tapping out on a nine-year career that included 12 UFC victories. “It probably wasn’t until the last couple of months where I really saw it (retirement) as a viable option. When you’ve fought as long as I have and trained a long as I have, you become what you do, and that’s all you know,” he said in a UFC.com interview. Florian will focus on running the Florian Martial Arts Center, his school in Brookline, Mass., as well as on his broadcasting career with Fuel TV and FX. “Right now, I have so many other opportunities coming my way. When I look at it, I’ve had a great career. Now it’s time to pursue other things,” Florian told ESPN.

GOING TO DISNEYLAND

The 2012 Origins International Martial Arts Festival is scheduled August 1719, 2012 in Anaheim, Calif. The annual event includes a variety of tournaments and training seminars, plus the Masters Showcase hosted by Disneyland Sports. For registration info, visit www. originsevents.com

JU NE 20 1 2

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

2012 BUYERS GUIDE

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii The Mixed Martial Arts industry is vibrant, growing and ever-changing. New companies, new products and new technology are the norm. Our goal at MMA Business is to help companies in this industry stay ahead of the curve. Our articles are designed to help those who make a living in Mixed Martial Arts grow, expand and succeed long-term. But as this industry grows, how do you know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available? Who to go to for your needs? There are a lot of magazines and a lot of ads and a lot of websites and a lot of events you can turn to for those answers. But now, there is also one Annual Resource & Reference Guide you can use year-round... the MMA Business Buyers Guide! We created this Buyers Guide to provide you with fingertip access to every company actively marketing products and services to the Mixed Martial Arts Industry. Our goal, and it will likely take a couple years to achieve, is to provide the most accurate and comprehensive directory of companies and listing of products/ services in the industry. The 2012 Buyers Guide is divided into two sections: Company Directory and Products/Services. Company Directory: An A to Z listing, with contact information, of all the companies you may want to do business with. Products/Services: A comprehensive listing of products & services that you may be interested in, by category, with a drop-down list of companies that provide them. Whether you are a gym owner, trainer, distributor, promoter, agent, manufacturer, service provider, association, event producer, consultant or industry professional... the 2012 MMA Business Buyers Guide is a resource for you to use in running your business. Check it out. Use it. Keep it nearby all year long! And, let us know what we can do to make it even better next year.

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

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory A ABC Financial 8320 Arkansas, #107 N. Little Rock, AK 72120 Action A, Inc. 7692 Garden Grove Blvd. Westminster, CA 92683 ADX Apparel Inc. 24661 Del Prado Dana Point, CA 92629 Advanced Sports Labs 3101 West 25th Street, Suite #102 Cleveland, OH 44109 Adaptive Martial Arts Association PO Box 225 Pittsford, VT 05763

American Fighter – Damage Wear, Inc.  9795 Laurel Glen Drive Loveland, OH 45140 American Insurance Alliance PO Box 459 Barnhart, MO 63012 American Top Team 4631 Johnson Road Suite 1  Coconut Creek, FL 33073 Applied Nutriceuticals, Inc. 8112 Statesville Road Ste. G Charlotte, NC 28269 Aries Fight Gear 1838 Route 7A, PO Box 195 Shaftsbury, VT 05262

Affiliated Acceptance Corporation P.O. Box 790001  Sunrise Beach, MO 65079  Affliction Clothing 1799 Apollo Ct Seal Beach, CA 90740 All Brands Vending 8040 University Blvd. Des Moines, IA 50325 America’s Best Martial Arts Business 5960 Parker Rd Ste 236 Plano, TX 75093

ASF International 640 Plaza Drive, Suite 300  Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 800-227-3859 www.asfinternational.com See Ad on Page 19 ATAMA Kimonos 2539 W. 237th Street, Suite F Torrance, CA 90505 Athletic Body Care 19360 Rinaldi St., Suite 433 Northridge, CA 91326 Atomic Athletic 500 Lehman Ave., #21 Bowling Green, OH 43402

B Bad Boy International 2411 Second Avenue San Diego, CA 92101

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Bas Rutten MMA System 880 Hampshire Rd., Suite X Westlake Village, CA 91361 Battle Pass Ticket Biscuit LLC  300 Riverside Parkway East Birmingham, AL 35244 Battleskinz P.O. Box 24 St. Clairsville, OH 43950 Best Sports PO Box 39506 Mississauga, ON Canada L5G 1H0 Beyond The Cage 546 Norwest 77th St. Boca Raton, FL 33487 Big Ass Fans 2425 Merchant Street Lexington, KY 40511

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory C

Cage Fitness 3662 Avalon Park East Blvd, Suite 201 Orlando, FL 32828 877-650-2243 www.cagefitness.com See Ad on Page 29 Cageside MMA 1408 Christian Ave., Suite C Durham, NC 27705  919-800-3805 www.cagesidemma.com BioNutrional Reseach Group, Inc. 20311 Irvine Avenue, Suite E2 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Bloodfist 15555 Main Street, Suite D4 #161  Hesperia, CA 92345 Bodybuilding.com 2026 S. Silverstone Way Meridian, ID 83642 Brain-Pad, Inc. 322 Fayette St. Conshohocken, PA 19428 Brass Knuckle Therapy 23 Gold Finch Drive Wasaga Beach, ON Canada L9Z 3B6 BJJ Mart 2165 San Diego Ave., #106  San Diego, CA 92110 Blink Visuals 650 222nd Ave. Somerset, WI 54025 612-741-3048 www.blinkvisuals.com

JU NE 20 1 2

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

BOES, Inc. Canadian Distributor: Ring To Cage 35 Seapark Drive, Unit 9 St. Catharines, ON Canada L2M 6S5 Budo Videos 7495 Anaconda Ave.  Garden Grove, CA 92841 Burn Machine, LLC 26305 Glendale  Redford, MI 48239

Caged Steel 725 W. Freeport Street  Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74012

Century Martial Arts 1000 Century Blvd.  Oklahoma City, OK 73110  800-626-2787 www.CenturyMartialArts.com See Ad on Pages 26-27 Champion Nutrition  1301 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway Sunrise, FL 33323

Burn With Kearns 940 High Street, Suite 302 Westwood, MA 02090 508-541-3281 www.burnwithkearns.com See Ad on Page 37 B.Y. Group Ltd 85 Scarsdale Rd. #104 Toronto ON Canada M3B2R2

ChampionsWay Canada Headquarters Office 110 – 980 West 1st Street North Vancouver, BC Canada V7P 3N4 Champion Sports Equipment 109-21 117th Street, Suite 2F  South Ozone Park, NY 11420 CKO Kickboxing 900 Madison Street Hoboken, NJ 07030

iiiiiiiiii Clinch Gear 1031 14th Street  San Diego, CA 92101

Cutman4Hire 240 Quintard Street, #88 Chula Vista, CA 91911

Combat Sports Consulting 13046 Racetrack Rd., #235 Tampa, FL 33626

CytoSport 4795 Industrial Way Benicia, CA 94510

Combat Sports International  14865 W. 105th Street  Lenexa, KS 66215

D Dale Shirley Photography 214 Jo Drive Los Gatos, CA 95302 407-827-8278 www.daleshirley.com Datsusara MMA 828 Carmel Avenue Albany, CA 94706

Competitive ACE Namman Muay 951 Brickell Ave, Ste 105 Miami, FL 33131 Conquest MMA 3809 Carnegie Drive  Oceanside, CA 92057 CrossCore, Inc. 1191 Huntington Drive, #16 Duarte, CA 91010 Crossfire Media Group 7680 Monterey St., #206 Gilroy, CA 95020 Cryogel 1815 Flower Street  Glendale, CA 91201  CSW Training Erik Paulson 4080 N. Palm St., #801 Fullerton, CA 92835

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

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory Driven, Inc. 1628 Plaza Loop Boise, ID 83687

E Ecko Shorts  40 W. 23rd Street  New York, NY 10010 Eight Ball Nutrition  2132 S. 156th Circle Omaha, NE 68130 Eosin Panther 1831 Brackendale Road NW Kennesaw, GA 30152 Defense Soap 13000 Athens Ave., Suite 350  Lakewood, OH 44107

Epic Nutrition  P.O. Box 1639  Juniper, FL 33468-1639

Demi Barbito Training P.O. Box 1071  Paso Robles, CA 97447

Eternal Unltd. 7171 Evan Drive  Sebastopol, CA 95427

Destroy Athletics LLC 2 Rivers Ridge Rd. Old Saybrook, CT O6475

Europa Sports Products, Inc. 11401 Granite Street, Suite H Charlotte, NC 28273

Dethrone Royalty Box 7308  Burlingame, CA 94001

Everlast Cross Conditioner XV 15820 Euclid Ave.  Chino, CA 91708

Dollamur 4709 South Edgewood Terrace Fort Worth, TX 76119

Everlast Worldwide 183 Madison Avenue, Suite 1701 New York, NY 10016

Do or Die Apparel 1053 S. Coast Highway 101 Encinitas, CA 92924

Evolution Insurance 8722 South Harrison Street Sandy, UT 84070

Dragon Door – Russian Kettlebells PO Box 4381 St. Paul, MN 55104

EZ Flex Sport Mats 7450 Whitehall Street Richland, TX 76118

Drako Sports Suite 3-9670 188 St. Unit 4 Vancouver BC Canada V4N3M2

JU NE 20 1 2

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

4Q2 Fightwear P.O. Box 124 East Meadow, NY 11554 516-833-5167 www.4Q2fightwear.com See Ad on Page 30 FC Online Marketing 3601 Hempstead Turnpike, Suite 503 Levittown, NY 11756 Fairtex 2044 Old Middlefield Way Mountain View, CA 94043 Fight Chix, Inc. 6S010 Steeple Run Drive, Unit 1A Naperville, IL 60540 Fightdentist, LLC 7260 South Cimarron Road, Suite 150 Las Vegas, NV 89113 Fight It Out 155 Fleet St. Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-766-1959 www.fightitout.com

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory Fightco 597 Mantua Blvd. Sewell, NJ 08080

Forte Creative Media 8936 Spanish Ridge Ave., Suite 100 Las Vegas, NV 89148

Get Rung 2251 N. 32nd St. #14  Mesa, AZ 85213

FIGHT! Magazine 1200 Lake Hearn Drive, Suite 450 Atlanta, GA 30319

Fight Summit 1745 Merrick Avenue, Suite 5 Merrick, NY 11566 516-377-5909 www.fightsummit.com See Ad on Page 45 Fighters Dream LLC 2 Rivers Edge Road  Old Saybrook, CT 06475 Fighters Market 501 Silverside Rd, Suite 105 Wilmington, DE 19809 Fighter’s Only Magazine i2 Media Ltd 200 Portland Road Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne UK NE2 1DJ Fit to Fight 1122 E. Hudson Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28054 Fitness Anywhere, Inc – TRX 1660 Pacific Avenue San Francisco, CA 94109 Fizogen Precision Technologies, Inc. 3133 Fortune Way, Suite 4  Wellington, FL 33414 Focusmaster Fitness 44 Biscayne Blvd. Troy, NY 12182

JU JUNNE E 220 0 1122

WWWWW. W.MMMMAABBUUSSI N I NEESSSS. C. COOMM

Gaspari Nutrition 575 Prospect St., Suite 230 Lakewood, NJ 08701

Fuji Sports 1 Lincoln Plaza, #16B New York, NY 10023 800-757-7686 www.fujisports.com See Ad on Page 43 Full Contact Sports 18-1391 St James St. Winnipeg MB Canada R3H0Z1 Function First 3974 Dove St. San Diego, CA 92103 Fuse Marketing PO Box 4509 Burlington, VT 05406-4509

G Galvao Jiu Jitsu Assoc. ATOS Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 4425 Convoy St. #216 San Diego, CA 92111

Gameness Fight Company 1545 Capital Dr. Suite 106 Carrollton, TX 75006 888-405-6056 www.gameness.com See Ad on Page 5 Gamma Enterprises 113 Alder St. W. Babylon, NY 11704

Gi Nutrition PO Box 453 Allendale, NJ 07401 GLC Direct P.O. Box 106  Paris, KY 40362  Gladiator c/o Sport Guard International 3451 West Allegheny Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19132 Go Figure, Inc. 8524 Hwy. 6 North, Suite 310  Houston, TX 77095 Gopher Performance 2525 Lemond St. SW Owatonna, MN 55060 Gorilla Fight Gear 104 Regent Ave E Winnipeg MB Canada R3C5G2

iiiiiiiiii Gotham Direct, Inc. 353 Lexington Avenue, 14th Floor New York, NY 10016

Gracie Mag United States Inc. 28 Riverside Avenue, Apt. 2e Red Bank, NJ 07701 www.graciemag.com See Ad on Page 49

Hayabusa 745 Development Drive, Suite 2/3 Kingston, ON Canada K7M 4W6

House of Pain P.O Box 333 911 West Highway Drive Fate, TX 75132

Head Blade, Inc.  3623 Eastham Drive Culver City, CA 90232

Hyperwear 2210 Denton Dr., Ste. 103 Austin, TX 78758

Grapple Grip PO Box 6417 San Pedro, CA 90734

Grapplers Quest PO Box 4505 Wayne, NJ 07474 973-248-6266 www.grapplersquest.com See Ad on Page 47 GrapplingX Grappling Experience LLC   30033 Technology Drive Suite 101 Temecula, CA 92563 Greatmats 117 Industrial Avenue Milltown, WI 54858 Grizzly Fight Gloves 460 Bingeman’s Center Drive Kitchener, ON  Canada N2B 3X9 Gut Check, Inc. 19 Lonsdale Drive South Plainfield, NJ 07080 Gymboss P.O. Box 303  St. Clair, MI 48079

• I ndustry’s largest line of fitness and sports performance accessories • No exceptions, satisfaction guarantee • 90% orders shipped same day • 95% customer satisfaction rating

HansenHouse Communication PO Box 2648 Chino Hills, CA 91709 909-227-5918 www.hansenhousecommunication.com W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory I&I Sports Supply (Bubba II dummy) 19751 S. Figueroa Street Carson, CA 90745

Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, Recon Media 3857 Schaefer Avenue, Unit D Chino, CA 91710

ICE Training P.O. Box 752 Mays Landing, NJ 08330

Jugular, Inc. 18685 Main Street, Suite 101 Huntington Beach, CA 92648

IFMMA 18812 Cabral Street Canyon County, CA 91351

Juke Performance 28025 Dorothy Drive, #102 Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Krav Maga Worldwide 11500 Olympic Blvd. #545 Los Angeles, CA 90064 KRU Muay Thai 112 South Washington Ave. Bergenfield, NJ 07621

Jackrabbit Technologies P.O. Box 31421  Charlotte, NC 28231

K & K Insurance  1712 Magnavox Way  Fort Wayne, IN 56804

Jaco Athletics, LLC 624 S. Military Trail Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Kamagon Fitness 7715 E. 111th St., #119 Tulsa, OK 74133

JAKKS Pacific, Inc. 21749 Baker Parkway  Walnut, CA 91789

Karateinsurance.com PO Box 1927 Castle Rock, CO 80104

Jimmy Pedro 12 Cameron Way Methuen, MA 01844 800-510-4026 www.JimmyPedro.com

Kennedy Industries, Inc. 935 Horsham Road  Horsham, PA 19044

MKimonos 172 South Norwinden Drive Springfield, PA 19064

KettleBell Concepts 349 5th Ave., 7th Floor New York, NY 10016

Mancino Mats  4700 Wissahickon Ave. Building E, Suite 109 Philadelphia, PA 19144

Kicksite 4745 W. 136th Street Leawood, KS 66224 Klenz Towel 47185 Wild Clover Circle, Suite 200 Sioux Falls, SD 57107 Kontact Sports 1545 Le Corbusier Laval, Quebec Canada H7S2K6 Kovar Systems 7520 Fair Oaks Blvd. Carmichael, CA 95608

JU NE 20 1 2

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

L Lloyd Irvin’s Martial Arts Academy 6333 Old Branch Avenue, Suite 302 Camp Springs, MD 20748

Manumission Skin Care 233 Buffalo Ave. Freeport, NY 11520 Marchtaler Group 1-3946 Quadra St. Victoria BC Canada V8X1J6 Markel Insurance, Health & Fitness Unit  P.O. Box 3870  Glen Allen, VA 23060 Martial Arts Embroidery  8004 Hilton Road  Laytonsville, MD 20882

iiiiiiiiii MMA Vault, Inc. P.O. Box 85950  San Diego, CA 92186

Martial Arts Group 767 South State Road 7 Suite 15  Margate, FL 33068  Martial Arts Industry Association 1000 Century Blvd.  Oklahoma City, OK 73110 Martial Arts Marketing Network 10532 N. Port Washington Rd. Suite 2 Mequon, WI 53092 Mass Suit 28025 Dorothy Drive, Ste. 102 Agoura Hills, CA 91301

MindBody 4051 Broad Street, Suite 220 San Luis Obispo, CA 93101 888-212-0024 www.mindbody.com/aka See Ad on Page 32

MMA Worldwide 5252 Orange Ave., Suite 109  Cypress, CA 90638 MMA World Expo 150 W. 51st Street, Suite 1219 New York, NY 10019

Matguard U.S.A.  81 Oak Hill Road  Red Bank, NJ 07701

Member Solutions 330 S. Warminster Road, Suite 358 Hatboro, PA 19040 888-277-4409 www.membersolutions.com See Ad on Page 2

MMA Fighter Connect 788 Princeton Lane Westfield, Indiana 46074

Metal Mulisha 5 Jenner St., Suite 180  Irvine, CA 92618

Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Assn 30245 Tomas Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 877-348-6692 www.MMACA.net See Ad on Page 39

Private label custom athletic apparel for Martial Arts, MMA, Sports, and Fitness www.tufgearsolutions.com

pick an item send your logos/designs Rashguards

Long Sleeve or Short Sleeve

Sleeveless Jersey Walk Out Jersey or Training

MMA Fight Shorts

Men’s and Women’s Cut Available

BJJ GI

Men’s and Women’s Cut Available

4-6 week turn around time

To Order and Start your Custom Designs: (954) 647 0818

amy@tufgearsolutions.com Digital Sublimation

Digital Sublimation

Sublimation or Embroidery

Embroidery or Patches

Download one of our FULL CATALOGS at http://www.tufgearsolutions.com/contact/download-catalog/ W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory NCFC Fight Management 690 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 103  Carlsbad, CA 92008

Ouano International 11664 National Blvd. PMB #313 Los Angeles, CA 90064-3854

Next Level Formulations 11465 I-70 Frontage Road N. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Newbreed 3197 SW McMullen St. Port St. Lucie, FL 34953 Nishime Karate Dojo, Inc. Bigger Classes 7012 Harrison Ave., #1 Cincinnati, OH 45247 www.BiggerClasses.com

MusclePharm 610 Washington Ave Carlstadt NJ 07072-2902

N NAGA - North American Grappling Association 36 Saner Road  Marlborough, CT 06447  NASM 1750 E. Northrop Blvd, Suite 200 Chandler, AZ 85286

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Paradigm Sports Management 17461 Derian Ave. Suite 108 Irvine, CA 92614 Paradise Warrior US Tour 18254 Rosita Street  Tarzana, CA 91356

Pedro’s Judo Center 19 New Salem Street Wakefield, MA 01880 781-245-0644 www.JimmyPedro.com

Ocean View Publishing, LLC 72 Patricia Ann Drive Tilton, OH 03276

Performance Equity Partners 19450 97th Ave.  Mokena, IL 60448

One Merit Badges 850 Taraval St. San Francisco, CA 94116

The Pit 1106 E. Grand Ave. Suite C Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Otomix 747 Glasgow Ave Inglewood, CA 90301

POWER Fight Gear (Power Punch) 2400 E. Main Street, Suite 103-304 St. Charles, IL 60174

Norberts Athletic Products P.O. Box 1890  San Pedro, CA 90733-1890

Monster Rings & Cages 1020 Cable Court P. O. Box 728 Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 502-839-6335 www.monsterringsandcages.com See Ad on Page 41

Paladin Press 7077 Winchester Circle Boulder, CO 80301

OTM Fight Shop 5402 Commercial Drive Huntington Beach, CA 92649

iiiiiiiiii ProSeries Athletic Equipment 825 Wilshire Blvd., #102 Santa Monica, CA 90401 Proma USA 1000 Main Avenue, #2F Clifton, NJ 07011

Power Systems 5700 Casey Drive Knoxville, TN 37909 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com See Ad on Page 21

Punishment Athletics 15561 Product Lane, #D11  Huntington Beach, CA 92649

Powerful Words PO Box 283 Mt. Freedom, NJ 07970

Realm Muay Thai & MMA Academy 2785 Mansfield Drive Courtenay, BC Canada V9N 2M2 Reid Fight Wear  P.O. Box 332 Northumberland, PA 17857 Reign Full Contact Gear 733 Nicol St. Naniamo BC Canada V9R4V2

Q5 Combat PO Box 547 Rockport, ME O4856

Premier Fighter 77 West Washington St. Suite 1720  Chicago, IL 60602

Premier Management Group 8425 Kingston Pike  Knoxville, TN 37919

Rage Fitness 4995 Lima Street Denver, CO 80239

RepMaxx 9255 Creekside Lane Modesto, CA 95357 855-737-6299 www.repmaxx.com See Ad on Page 25

60014 Rep-Maxx Half Page Ad_Layout 1 6/1/12 1:41 PM Page 1

Strength Equipment Bringing Technology to the Weight Room REP-MAXX is the first line of intelligent strength equipment with a computer controlled operating system and touch screen panel. The touch screen program is as easy to use as your smart phone; simply enter the weight you want to lift, the number of reps, and begin! For a more advanced lifting set, program a pyramid or drop set on the screen and REP-MAXX will Max while you’re lifting! adjust Rep the weight REP-MAXX is truly the future of strength training, and you must experience the difference for yourself. Contact our sales team today for a demo at your facility!

REP-MAXX Features •

REP-MAXX Strength Equipment Toll-Free (855) REP-MAXX (855.737.6299) Main 209.589.1685 • Sales 209.499.7688 9255 Creekside Lane, Modesto, CA 95357

info@repmaxx.com

www.repmaxx.com

10 Inch TFT color touch screen panel control system • Automatic weight load & release • Smart Spotter feature (reduces/releases weight loaded) • Emergency Kick Release • Industrial grade machinery • Designed & Built in the USA

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

J UNE 2012

Introducing 3 Century Brazilian-Fit Jiu-Jitsu Gi Styles ®

With 3 choices of lightweight fabric, this gi was created for the true competitor: • Tapered jacket for the perfect fit • Seamless back • Reinforced stress zones and wear resistant collar • Taped hems to reduce fraying • Meets tournament standards

In stock and ready to ship. Go to CenturyMartialArts.com/BJJ

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory Sport Guard International 3451 Allegheny Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19132

Request A Test 8803 Brecksville Rd., Suite 7-130 Brecksville, OH 44141 Resilite Sports Products 200 Point Township Drive Northumberland, PA 17857 Respect Your Universe Inc. (RYU) 5940 South Rainbow Boulevard Las Vegas, Nevada 89118

RioFightWear 8987 E. Tanque Verde, #309-301 Tucson, AZ 85749 800-764-1171 www.riofightwear.com See Ad on Page 35 Rival Boxing 9810 Rue Saint Urbain Montreal, QC Canada H3L2T2

REVGear Sports 15073 Keswick Street Van Nuys, CA 91405 800-767-8288 www.revgear.com See Ad on Page 17 Ringstar, Inc. (fighting shoes) 3533 Highstar Rd. Boynton Beach, FL 33426

S Shock Doctor 3300 Fernbrook Lane, Suite 250 Minneapolis, MN 55447 Sick Gear 4064 Lincoln Ave. #290  Chicago, IL 60618 Skin Industries  4495 W. Reno Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89118

Ring To Cage 27A Poplar Street East Rutherford, NJ 07073 866-666-0074 www.ringtocage.com See Ad on Page 36

JU NE 20 1 2

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

SPEC Series Training Shorts Inspirit USA Shuichi Nishide  4237 LaSalle Ave. Culver City, CA 90232 Spider Guard Supreme Athletic Wear, LLC  7825 Wedgefield Drive Indianapolis, IN 46217

Sports Instructional Holdings, LLC – MMA Faestro 8600 Eagle Creek Parkway Savage, MN 55378 Sports Management Global 6480 Alburtis Road Macungie, PA 16082 Sprawl 641 McKnight Reading PA 19601 SSP Nutrition 6 Park Avenue Rutherford, NJ 07070 StaphAseptic c/o Tec Laboratories, Inc. 7100 Tec Lab Way SW Albany, NY 97321 Street Wise Fightwear  P.O. Box 714  Fayetteville, NY 13066

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory Stroops Bldg. A15 Freeport Center PO Box 160327 Clearfield, UT 84016 Submit Gear 43 Towns Rd. Toronto, ON Canada M8Z1A2

Supreme Protein 2231 Landmark Place Manasquan, NJ 08736 Swain Sports International 138 W. Campbell Ave. Campbell, CA 95008 Sweet Sweat 784 Channel Street, #200 San Pedro, CA 90731

4Q2 Ad

JU NE 20 1 2

Swifts Distributions Canadian Distributor for Sprawl, Fight Soap, MusclePharm and Fairtex 981 Brock Road S. Pickering, ON Canada L1W 3A4

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

Tapout Magazine  5252 Orange Ave. Suite 109  Cypress, CA 90630 TapouT 100 W. 33rd Street, Suite 1007 New York, NY 10001 The Landreau Group 3212 Hennepin Ave. South Minneapolis, MN 55408

The Mat Warehouse 8650 Upland Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55311 888-501-6150 www.TheMatWarehouse See Ad on Page 38 Throwdown Industries 92 Argonaut, Ste. 100 Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Thrown Bombs Athletic Company 2340 Olympia Drive Tecumseh, ON Canada N0R2L0 Thunder Fight Gear  1730 Costa Del Sol  Boca Raton, FL 33433

iiiiiiiiii

Title Boxing/MMA 14711 W. 112th Street Lenexa, KS 66215 800-999-1213 www.titlemma.com Tom Patire Group 24 Wampum Road, Unit A Park Ridge, NJ 07656

Turtle Press P.O. Box 34010  Sante Fe, NM 87594-4010

Up-Rev, Inc 2885 Electronics Drive, Suite D13 Melbourne, FL 32935

21st Century Leasing Box 7289 San Diego, CA 92167

USP Labs  10761 King William Dr. Dallas, TX 75220

UAE Wrestling Judo & Jiu-Jitsu Federation Al Saada St., 19th St. P.O. Box 3587 Abu Dhabi, UAE www.uaejj.com

Topline MMA Canadian Distributor: Triumph United & Kicksite 2529 St. Clair Ave. Windsor, ON Canada N9E 4L9 226-344-6662 www.toplinemma.com

UFC – Zuffa, LLC 2960 W Sahara, Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89102 Ultimate MMA Magazine  Beckett Media/Action Pursuit Group 265 S. Anita Drive Suite 120  Orange, CA 97868

Totiro-USA  2413 W. Algonquin Road #234  Algonquin, IL 60102-9402

Ultimate Sandbag Training Henkin Fitness Systems 735 Gelding Drive, Suite 4 Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Trinity Sports Group (Neuro Impact) 2004 Ventura, Suite 250 Plano, TX 75093 972-867-7600 www.neuroimpact.net See Ad on Page 15

Ultimate Nutrition 21 Hyde Road, PO Box 643 Farmington, CT 06034 Unbreakable Mouthpieces  15165 7th Street  Victorville, CA 92392

Triumph United 1837 S. Coast Hwy Oceanside, CA 92054

Under-Gi 14850 Chardon Windsor Road Chardon, OH 44024

Tuff-N-Uff Productions 9811 Charleston Blvd., Ste. 2-643 Las Vegas, NV 89117

Unique Publications c/o APG Media  Private label custom athletic P.O. Box 15159  apparel for Martial Arts, MMA, Sports, and FitnessNorth Hollywood, CA 91615-9268 www.tufgearsolutions.com

TufGear Solutions 2037 Harrison Street Hollywood, FL 33020 954-647-0818 www.tufgearsolutions.com See Ad on Page 23 Rashguards

Long Sleeve or Short Sleeve

Sleeveless Jersey Walk Out Jersey or Training

MMA Fight Shorts

Men’s and Women’s Cut Available

BJJ GI

Uniskin pick an item 10161 Park Run Drive, Suite 150 send your logos/designs Las Vegas, NV 89145 4-6 week turn

Men’s and Women’s Cut Available

around time

VersaClimber Heart Rate, Inc.  1411 E. Wilshire Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705 800-237-2271 www.versaclimber.com See Ad on Page 51 Victory MMA & Fitness 3666 Midway Dr. San Diego, CA 92110 VonZipper 121 Waterworks Way Suite 100  Irvine, CA 92618 Vulkan Fight Company 7495 Anaconda Ave.  Garden Grove, CA 92841

W WARHEAD 4734 De Colombey St. Leonard, QC Canada H1RE1 Warriors International 5532 E. La Palma Ave  Anaheim, CA 92807  Website Masters 2500 Regency Parkway Suite 118  Cary, NC 27518 Weight Vest 2108 West Highway 33 Rexburg, ID 83440

To Order and Start your Custom Designs: (954) 647 0818

amy@tufgearsolutions.com Digital Sublimation

Digital Sublimation

Sublimation or Embroidery

Embroidery or Patches

Download one of our FULL CATALOGS at http://www.tufgearsolutions.com/contact/download-catalog/

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

J UNE 2012

2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

company directory

AKA’s

CONTINUED

E O A DV F

CHECK OUT THEIR BUSINESS ADVICE MINDBODYONLINE.COM/AKA

Westpoint Insurance Group 5920 West 111th Street Chicago Ridge, IL 60415 White Chocolate Management 1901 Harrison Street Hollywood, FL 33020 www.whitecm.com World Martial Arts Information Center 2138-A Victory Blvd.  Woodland Hills, CA 91367 World Martial Arts Academy 1000 Cave Springs Blvd.  St. Peters, MO 63376 Wrap Wrench 2960 Main Street Irvine, CA 92614

Xyience, Inc. 1335 E. Sunset Road, Suite J Las Vegas, NV 89119 702-430-5400 www.xyience.com See Ad on Page 9 Xtreme Couture Lifestyle 3955 West Sunset, Suite 106 Las Vegas, NV 89118

Co-Owners, American Kickboxing Academy MINDBODY Client Since 2009

The right tactics make all the difference. MINDBODY gives gyms like AKA the agility of anywhere access, the power of comprehensive reporting, and the coordination of one integrated system. SOFTWARE FOR YOUR MMA GYM 888.212.0024 | MINDBODYONLINE.COM/AKA

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Zebra 9444 Deerwood Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55369 800-989-8085 ww.zebramats.com See Ad on Pages 7 & Back Cover

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

PRODUCTS/SERVICES APPAREL Action A, Inc. ADX Apparel Affliction Clothing American Fighter Aries Fight Gear Bad Boy International Bloodfist Brass Knuckle Therapy Caged Steel Cageside Century Martial Arts Clinch Gear Combat Sports Int’l. Conquest MMA Destroy Athletics Dethrone Royalty Do or Die Apparel Drako Sports Driven Inc. Eosin Panther Everlast Fight Chix Fight It Out Fuji Sports Gameness House of Pain Jaco Clothing Kontact Sports Martial Arts Embroidery Metal Mulisha Modern Gladiator Fight Gear One Merit Badges Otomix Premier Fighter Proma USA Punishment Athletics Ranger Up Reid Fight Wear Reign Full Contact Gear Respect Your Universe Ring to Cage RioFightWear Revgear Rival Boxing Savage Sports Inc Skin Industries Sprawl Streetwise Fightwear Submit Gear Tapout

Throwdown Industries Throwin’ Bombs Title Boxing/Title MMA Triumph United Vulkan Fight Gear Warhead Wear Warrior International Xtreme Couture BOOKS/ VIDEOS/COLLECTABLES BJJ Mart Beyond the Cage Bodybuilding.com Budo Videos Burn With Kearns Jimmy Pedro MMA Fighter Connect MMA Vault Ocean View Publishing Paladin Press Thunder Fight Gear Title Boxing/Title MMA Turtle Press Unique Publications CLEANING PRODUCTS Gym/Mat cleaners Kennedy Industries Matguard USA Zebra EVENTS & EVENT PRODUCERS Fight Summit MA Super Show MMA World Expo Tuff N Uff Productions UAE Wrestling, Judo & Jiu-Jitsu UFC – Zuffa UWC MMA White Chocolate Management Tournaments and Promoters Grappler’s Quest GrapplingX MMA World Expo NAGA Tuff N Uff Productions UAE Wrestling, Judo & Jiu-Jitsu

UFC - Zuffa Tickets Battle Pass Ticket FACILITIES EQUIPMENT Cages & Rings Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Kontact Sports Monster Rings & Cages Rival Boxing Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/Title MMA Zebra Mats, Pads & Flooring Century Martial Arts Champion Sports Equipment Dollamur EZ Flex Sports Mats Fairtex Get Rung Great Mats Kontact Sports Mancino Mats Norberts Proma USA Rage Fitness Resilite Revgear Swain The Mat Warehouse Title Boxing/MMA Zebra Bag Racks Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Fairtex Gopher Performance Monster Rings & Cages Rage Fitness Revgear Throwdown Industries Zebra Vending Machines All Brands Vending W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

PRODUCTS/SERVICES Ceiling Fans Big Ass Fans Misc. Beyond The Cage Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Wrap Wrench FIGHT/TRAINING GEAR Footwear Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Kontact Sports Otomix Proma USA Ringstar Advantage Rival Boxing Title Boxing/MMA 4Q2 Fightwear Gis ATAMA Kimonos Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Do Or Die - Hyperfly Fuji Sports Gameness Kontact Sports MKimonos New Breed Gear Ouano Proma USA Revgear Ring to Cage RioFightWear Sick Gear Title Boxing/MMA Totiro-US TufGear Solutions Gloves & Handwraps Aries Fight Gear Bad Boy International BY Group Caged Steel Cageside MMA Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. 34

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Conquest MMA Drako Sports Everlast Fight It Out Fightco Gameness Gopher Performance Grizzly Fitness Kontact Sports Ouano Power Punch Gloves Proma USA Reign Full Contact Gear RevGear Ring to Cage RioFightWear Rival Boxing Savage Sports Inc. Throwdown Industries Thunder Fight Gear Title Boxing/MMA Totiro-USA Triumph United Tufgear Warrior International Mouthguards Fightdentist Gladiator Kontact Sports Shock Doctor Sport Guard International Tapout Totiro-USA Unbreakable Mouthpieces Pads Aries Fight Gear Bad Boy International Brain-Pad, Inc. BY Group Caged Steel Cageside MMA Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Drako Sports Everlast Gameness Gopher Performance Kontact Sports Proma USA

Revgear Ringstar Advantage Ring to Cage RioFightWear Rival Boxing Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Totiro-USA TufGear Solutions Warrior International Rash Guards Caged Steel Cageside MMA Century Martial Arts Clinch Gear Combat Sports Int’l. Conquest MMA Destroy Athletics Drako Sports Everlast Fightco Fight It Out Fuji Sports Gameness Gut Check Jaco Clothing Kontact Sports Modern Gladiator Fight Gear New Breed Gear Ouano Proma USA Revgear Ring to Cage RioFightWear Savage Sports Inc. Sick Gear Tapout Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Totiro-USA Triumph United TufGear Solutions UniSkin Shorts Action A, Inc. Bad Boy International Cageside MMA Century Martial Arts Clinch Gear Combat Sports Int’l.

iiiiiiiiii Conquest MMA Datsusara MMA Destroy Athletics Do or Die Apparel Drako Sports Ecko Shorts Everlast Fight Chix Fightco Fight It Out Fuji Sports Gameness Gut Check Jaco Clothing Kontact Sports New Breed Gear Otomix Ouano Premier Fighter Proma USA Revgear Respect Your Universe Ring to Cage RioFightWear Savage Sports Inc. Shock Doctor Sick Gear SPEC Series Training Shorts Sprawl Submit Gear Swift Distributions Tapout Thunder Fight Gear Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Triumph United TufGear Solutions Under-Gi UniSkin 4Q2 Fightwear Weapons Century Martial Arts Proma USA Revgear

White Chocolate Management

Evolution Insurance K & K Insurance Karate Insurance Markel Insurance Martial Arts Group, Inc. The Landreau Group Westpoint Insurance Group

Franchise, ProShop CKO Kickboxing OTM Fight Shop Victory MMA & Fitness Title Boxing/MMA

MARKETING SERVICES Business Development America’s Best Martial Arts Business ASF International Combat Sports Consulting Fuse Marketing Gotham Direct Inc. Kovar’s Systems Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Martial Arts Industry Association Martial Arts Management Group Martial Arts Marketing Network Member Services MindBody Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Assn Nishime Karate Dojo Premier Management Group Sports Management Global

Photography & Design Blink Visuals Combat Captured Dale Shirley HansenHouse Communication PR/Media Relations Crossfire Media Group FCM Public Relations Forte Creative Media HansenHouse Communication White Chocolate Management Website FC Online Marketing Member Solutions MindBody Ocean View Publishing

RIOFIGHTWEAR GEAR FOR THE MODERN WARRIOR • ARE YOU A GYM, STORE, OR FIGHT TEAM OWNER?

Rio Fight Wear

• LOW MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO • GET STARTED OPEN WHOLESALE ACCOUNTS WHOLESALING & MAKING FOR GYM OWNERS AND TRAINERS GREAT MONEY NOW • GET GEAR FOR YOUR STUDENTS, CUSTOMERS AND FIGHTERS

FINANCING 21st Century Leasing ABC Financial Performance Equity Partners Sports Instructional Holdings INSURANCE

• THE HIGHEST QUALITY PRODUCTS IN MMA AND BJJ

• GET 10% OFF BY MENTIONING THIS AD ON YOUR FIRST ORDER

CONTACT SALES AT ANDRE@RIOFIGHTWEAR.COM

RioFightWear 8789 E. Tanque Verde 309 Tucson, AZ 85749

FREE SHIPPING

COUPON CODE: 10% OFF

Toll Free 1-800-764-1171

Email: info@riofightwear.com

Website: www.riofightwear.com

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

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

PRODUCTS/SERVICES MEMBER MANAGEMENT

Title Boxing/MMA

Affiliated Acceptance Corporation ASF International Champions Way Go Figure Inc. Jack Rabbit Dojo Martial Arts Organizer Member Solutions MindBody Side Kick Billing

Liniments Competitive Ace (Namman Muay) Cryogel Sweet Sweat

Testing Services Advanced Sports Labs Request-a-Test

PERSONAL CARE Cleaners/soap Athletic Body Care Defense Soap Kennedy Industries Manumission Skin Care Revgear Ring to Cage Swift Distributions

JU NE 20 1 2

Misc. Head Blade Klenz Towel

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

PUBLICATIONS Gracie Mag Fight Fighters Only Jiu Jitsu Magazine MMA Worldwide

TapouT Magazine Ultimate MMA Magazine ENERGY DRINKS Jugular Xyience SUPPLEMENTS/NUTRITION BioNutritional Research Group Bodybuilding.com BSN Century Martial Arts Champion Nutrition CytoSport Eight Ball Nutrition Epic Nutrition Europa Sports Fizogen Precision Technologies Gamma Enterprises Gaspari Nutrition

iiiiiiiiii Gi Nutrition GLC Direct GX Supplements MusclePharm Next Level Formulations Q5 Combat Six Star Muscle SSP Nutrition Title Boxing/MMA Trinity Sports Group Ultimate Nutrition USP Labs Xyience Nutrition Services PR Cole TRAINING PROGRAMS/ ASSOCIATIONS Adaptive Martial Arts Association American Top Team Bas Rutten MMA Black Belt Principles Burn With Kearns Cage Fitness

Demi Barbito Fight Like A Girl Fit to Fight Kru Muay Thai Function First ICE Training IFMMA Kettlebell Concepts Kovar’s Systems Krav Maga Worldwide Lloyd Irvin’s Martial Arts Marchtaler Group Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Assn NASM.org Paradise Warrior Seminars Pedro’s Judo Center Pedro Sauer The Pit Powerful Words Steve Turk Training TapouT Research & Development The Center Mixed Martial Arts Tiger Rock Martial Arts International Tom Patire Group Victory Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan Website Masters

World Martial Arts Information Center World Martial Arts Academy Certifications Burn with Kearns Cutman4Hire Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Assn NASM.org Premier Management Group TRAINING & FITNESS EQUIPMENT Century Martial Arts Everlast Function First Gopher Performance Hyperwear Kontact Sports Mass Suit Power Systems Rage Fitness RepMaxx Rival Boxing VersaClimber

MMA Conditioning Certification With Coach Kevin Kearns Train Hard Fight Easy magazine is taking its cutting-edge MMA strength and conditioning philosophy into gym’s across the WORLD by supporting resident S&C guru Kevin Kearns’ World Tour. ‘Dr Evil’ is flying across the world to present his series of seminars and certification events around the globe – bringing the very latest MMA training techniques.

Train Hard Fight Easy is the world’s only fitness magazine centred around the sport of mixed martial arts. It was launched in 2011 to widespread acclaim and now retails in 26 countries worldwide, alongside sparring partner publication Fighters Only.

JUNE 22, 2012 BOSTON, MA

AUGUST 18, 2012 DALLAS, TX

OCTOBER 18-19, 2012 OKINAWA, JAPAN

JUNE 30, 2012 LAS VEGAS, NV

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012 BUFFALO, NY

OCTOBER 28, 2012 MONTREAL

JULY 28, 2012 WASHINGTON, D.C.

SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2012 LONDON & BIRMINGHAM

NOVEMBER 3, 2012 LAS VEGAS, NV

AUGUST 11, 2012 NEW HAMPSHIRE

SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2012 SCOTLAND

DECEMBER 1, 2012 DANIA BEACH, FL

TrAIning.COm

Boston-based Kevin Kearns is one of the leading strength and conditioning experts in the United States. His work with combat sports athletes is second to none, having helped condition no less than 15 UFC fighters by utilising 25 years of martial arts training. His MMA conditioning DVD series remains a best seller, while his ‘Burn with Kearns’ philosophy has gone global with certification events being staged around the world.

COMING 2013! SOUTH AMERICA, USA, UK & JAPAN

ALL PARTICIPANTS ENTERED INTO A SPECIAL PRIZE DRAW!

To register visit burnwithkearns.com or call 508-541-3281 W W W. M M A B U S I N E S S . C O M

J UNE 2012

iiiiiiiiii 2012 MMA BUSINESS BUYERS GUIDE

PRODUCTS/SERVICES Bags, dummies Aries Fight Gear BY Group Cage Fitness Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Everlast Fairtex Focusmaster Fitness Gopher Performance I&I Sports Kontact Sports Proma USA Revgear Ring to Cage RioFightWear Rival Boxing Shock Doctor Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Up-Rev Zebra

Weights, kettlebells, bars Atomic Athletics Burn Machine Century Martial Arts Combat Sports Int’l. Dragon Door Everlast Gopher Performance Hyperwear Kamagon Fitness Kettebell Concepts Kontact Sports Power Systems Proma USA Rage Fitness RepMaxx, Inc. Throwdown Industries Title Boxing/MMA Ultimate Sandbag Training/Henkin Vipr Weight Vest Training

Misc. BY Group Cross Core Everlast Cross Conditioner Fitness Anywhere – TRX Gopher Performance Grapple Grip Gym Boss Power Punch Gloves Power Systems Rival Boxing Stroops Tuff Skin Up-Rev FIGHT MANAGEMENT Paradigm Sports Management Sports Management Global White Chocolate Management

THE MAT WAREHOUSE “BEST PRICE GUARANTEED”

NEW & USED MATS!

Top-Quality, name-brand mats at the lowest prices in the industry! The Mat Warehouse offers new, used, overstock, slightly blemished and tournament mats to fit any budget.

o Multiple Warehouses Across the Country for Low Shipping Costs and Excellent Customer Service

o Products for All needs: Grappling Mats, RollOut Mats, Throw Mats, Folding Mats, Combo Mats, Yoga Mats, Fitness/Exercise Mats, Puzzle Mats, Bully Mats, Aerobic Flooring, MMA Mats, Landing Mats and More!

Mention this Ad in MMA Business and receive a 10% Discount off your Next Order!

REQUEST A QUOTE NOW:

Go to: www.TheMatWarehouse.com Or Call Toll Free: 888-506-6150 38

JU NE 20 1 2

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

MMA CASH MACHINE

MMA CONDITIONING COACH CERTIFICATION

Learn the science behind the knockout and the tapout! Program Features:

Benefits: Tested & proven business models Rapidly increase your income Network with world class faculty/members Ongoing support for your total success Earn the credential of distinction

Comprehensive 70+ hour training program 100% online (no travel costs) NESTA, NASM, NSCA, ISSA approved

You must have a high level of knowledge of strength and conditioning to make your business a success. Your students are demanding more than just stand-up or grappling skills. They want you to give them a full MMA experience. The only way to do this is for you to become a Certified MMA Conditioning Coach through the MMACA. NESTA,

delete

lower this

GET CERTIFIED TODAY! VISIT www.MMACA.net

THEFIGHT BUSINESS

FIGHTING FOR WOMEN

purchase of Strikeforce, along with UFC President Dana White’s long-standing view of women’s MMA – he believes the current landscape of fighters is not deep enough in any In the weeks leading up to Invicta Fighting Championships’ weight division to warrant fights in the UFC – caused wideinaugural card on April 28 in Kansas City – featuring only spread panic among WMMA fighters, Knapp said. female fighters – social networking site Twitter blew up “The wheels started clicking and turning,” Knapp said. with people talking about the event, from legendIn terms of weight divisions, the only ary MMA fighters to the newest fans joining in. The two not seen by fans were 135 and 145 results were astonishing: the free stream of the event pounds. There was a healthy stable, on Invicta’s website garnered nearly 250,000 views. however, of talented and eager fighters Owner Shannon Knapp said it was a combinaat some of the lighter weight classes. tion of her time spent in the MMA industry, the “It was like, somebody needs to get in professional reputation she had developed along the here, roll up their sleeves and fight the way, and the fact that a women-only promotion was fight,” she said. Knapp said she knows building a brand doesn’t happen overnight, but she’s confident Invicta can become the new major league for WMMA. Preparation for the second event, to be held July 28 and featuring a main event of Shayna Baszler versus Sara McMann, began during the first event’s broadcast, with a live interview of Baszler and McMann in the arena. In terms of pay, Knapp said Invicta’s purses are equivalent to what fighters would be making at Strikeforce or Bellator. Offering them far more money would not help in the long run if the fan base is not large enough, she said. “The market value for female fights is different,” she said. “There should be a growth that can support itself. If they can sell tickets, then that’s what should drive up market value.” Knapp said she’s confident that, in time, she will build Invicta as a brand, and that bigger sponsors and possibly a TV deal will come. For now, Invicta 2 will be shown just like the first show – free for viewers on its website. “Showing that this wasn’t a fluke, I think, puts me in a much better position in terms of negotiation,” + Winning the main event at Invicta 1, Dutch Fighter Marloes Coenen called out Strikeforce she said. “It just brings me, and the promotion, Champ Ronda Rousey for a potential bout. the credibility to make a statement that we are long overdue in the sport. for real and that an alliance with us would not be a bad thing.” Then there was the sale of Strikeforce to Zuffa, the UFC’s Knapp worked for several prominent MMA promotions parent company, in March 2011. Strikeforce had become the over the past decade, including the IFL, WFA, King of the major league of Women’s Mixed Martial Arts over the past Cage and Affliction. They called her “The Cleaner” befew years, featuring such prominent fighters as Gina Carano, cause she knew how to fix situations that had devolved into Christiane “Cyborg” Santos and Marloes Coenen. But the disarray, she said. – Ted Czech

JU NE 20 1 2

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

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

J UNE 2012

THEFIGHT BUSINESS

STARTING IN THE CAGE

Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald and Oakland A’s outfielder Jonny Gomes, plus yogi/martial artist Liz Arch and current Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. Like a Jon Jones spinning back-elbow, RYU Performance And when it comes to fight sponsorship, the Portland, Apparel came out of nowhere and made a huge impact on Oregon-based RYU’s philosophy is to be selective. “We the MMA clothing scene. Seemingly before many people don’t just tag any fighter … sometimes it’s only one fighter,” had heard of the brand, RYU was a UFC sponsor with a Rocky Bice, RYU brand ambassador. “Do they fit into the logo in the octagon and several sponsored fighters com- world of what we’re trying to project, which is to bring back peting at UFC events this spring. It all prompts the ques- honor and respect to Mixed Martial Arts.” For UFC 146: Dos tions: What’s RYU, and what kind of power is behind such Santos vs. Mir, RYU sponsored two fighters, Jamie Varner an impressive push? and Darren Elkins. But before doing so, the company really A Google search will first lead you to the much more got to know the two fighters, “to find out who they are as a popular Ryu, the leading character in the Street Fighter vid- person … some people, they’re just not RYU material. I’m eo game series, who looks surprisingly like Lyoto Machida. not saying that in a bad way, they’re just not our style.” That No, this is RYU – all caps – which stands for Respect Varner and Elkins were underdogs in their respective fights wasn’t a factor. “It was about who they are,” Bice said. The company is working its acronym into action, getting involved in charities like the Knockout Bullying campaign. “It’s about doing the right thing, doing something that inspires, doing something positive,” Bice said. Equally important is the clothing itself – RYU’s “Wakizashi” fight shorts have a diagonal front closure that prevents bunching, and the rubberized symbols on the inside of the waist become slightly adhesive when exposed to moisture, creating a snug fit, Bice said. The shorts retail for $98, and many of the company’s tee shirts retail for $38, keeping them at the high end of the category. A publicly traded company (OTC: RYUN), RYU files financial statements with the Securities Exchange Commission. Its most recent filing gave this company overview: “We have generated limited revenues to date and during the quarter ended March 31, 2012. As a result, we continue to depend upon funding from various sources to continue operations and + RYU’s brand-building efforts are beginning with an aggressive campaign that has placed the company logo inside the UFC Octagon. to implement our growth strategy.” Your Universe. RYU has a fairly unique partnership with the The company’s stock traded as high as $2.53 last July, and UFC – it is one of three companies (Tapout and Monster hit a recent low of $0.86 in early June 2012. RYU will launch being the other two) with the ability to sponsor athletes in its women’s apparel line this fall, and has plans to expand organizations outside of the UFC. RYU has branched out both men’s and women’s product offerings for spring 2013, to other sports, including baseball – sponsoring Boston Red according to the SEC filing. – Ted Czech

JU NE 20 1 2

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

NEW FUJI

SAKANA

FUJI Rashguards

New Wholesale Customers Welcome Call 1-800-757-7686 to receive FREE shipping on your 1st order!

FUJI BJJ Belts

FUJI BJJ Kimono

Kassen MMA & Grappling Shorts www.FujiSports.com | 800.757.7686

YOURGYM NAME: Leading Edge Martial Arts LOCATION: Allentown & Bethlehem, PA OWNER: Rob Wetmore YEARS IN BUSINESS: 12 DISCIPLINES: Non-Competitive Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling and Cage Fitness. For both Adults and Children Leading Edge Martial Arts recently celebrated its 12th anniversary. Recording revenue growth and business success in each of those 12 years, Leading Edge is an MMA business worth watching. Rob Wetmore opened Leading Edge Karate in 2000 in nearby Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In the 2,000-square-foot business, Sensei Wetmore taught his own unique mix of martial arts. After a few years, he learned that both the size and the name were holding him back. In 2004, he moved Leading Edge to Allentown and a building with more than three times the square footage. And shortly after that, he dropped “Karate” for “Martial Arts.”

“The name ‘Karate’ was simply limiting us.” Wetmore says that “non-competition-based Mixed Martial Arts incorporates Karate, Taekwondo, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, and other things. “Before ‘I trained’ in a number of eclectic systems and in a variety of arts, picking up what I can here and there.” He also received business training along the way. “I learned how to be a professional in this industry from my mentor and long-time friend Mark Glazier.” “When I opened my own school,” said Wetmore, “I knew I wanted to teach 44

JU NE 20 1 2

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

a practical self-defense system with no limitations based on style or tradition. But I still wanted to teach it in a traditional environment.” Leading Edge students still wear gis for most training, and Wetmore says they’re taught the same discipline and respect as in any traditional martial arts environment.   “But it’s done without ego,” said Wetmore. “There is no instructor worship, no ‘master’ titles. Yes, we still have belts and graduations, but we do both gi and no-gi ‘t-shirt’ training. It’s still a structured curriculum.” The Field of Dreams Approach Besides eschewing traditional limits, Wetmore also built Leading Edge around the principle of No Sales Pressure. “We’re a no-contract school,” said Wetmore. “No pressure. No sales pitches. So many schools want to lock people into longterm agreements. We don’t do that.” Member retention? “It’s fantastic.” Wetmore recounts stories of working at other martial arts schools and asking parents of youth members to step into the office and talk. “People would always say, ‘Hide your wallet.’ But we don’t do that. When we ask a member for a talk, we really want to just talk about their training or their kids. In the end, we have to be more accountable because our member experience might be only as good as the last class we taught.” If you build it, will they come? Simply, yes. Leading Edge opened a second facility in November 2010 in nearby Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Allentown school has grown to 500 members, and the newer Bethlehem gym is at 200 members. It’s About Students Just as for most business owners, mar-

tial arts is a lifestyle for Wetmore. But it’s not a lifestyle built around earning ranks and showcasing his training. “These schools are about the students,” he said, “not about me or any instructor. We’re here to improve their lives and to serve them.” Wetmore’s quick to credit the success of Leading Edge to “the amazing staff we have assembled.” He said, “The staff all care about the students and the school, and this contributes tremendously to the professional and positive atmosphere. Wetmore’s partner in the Bethlehem location is Joe Kortbawi, and the two have been teaching together since the early 90s. The Right Programming Business philosophy is one thing, but Wetmore knows you need the right programming to succeed in martial arts. “We had cardio kickboxing since the day we opened in 2000,” said Wetmore. He described it as “an extra program,” one that made just enough money to pay instructors. But it didn’t improve business, and was more of a burden. “We started Cage Fitness late in 2010,” he said, “and we found the crossover class that can boost business. The martial arts students love the quick cardio. And the new Cage Fitness students are slowly getting into martial arts.” It turned his “fitness” program around, from a flat line to a very profitable business element. “We don’t spend a lot of money on marketing,” said Wetmore. “Sure, member retention is an issue for every school, especially leading into summer months. But the thing that’s positive for us is we still get good recommendations even if people leave our school.”

The Must-Attend Event For Gym Owners, Brands, and Athletes In The Combat Sports Industry.

O P E N

T O

T H E

P U B L I C

www.FightSummit.com

Bruce Buffer Ultimate Fighting Championships

Firas Zahabi Tristar Gym

Michael Mersch Ultimate Fighting Championships

Hans Molenkamp Trumph United & Osiris Shoes

Ed Soares Blackhouse

Eddie Bravo 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu

Ryan Loco Jaco Clothing

Brian Cimins Grapplers Quest

Jimmy Pedro Zebra Mats, Olympic Medalist

Brian Butler Suckerpunch Entertainment

In 2009, Fight Summit became the first and only business conference specifically for the MMA industry. And despite the other “traditional martial arts” shows copying our speakers, workshops, and trying to catch onto the “MMA craze”, Fight Summit continues to be the original, leading and most respected MMA business event in the world.

If you’re a gym owner or other MMA brand, check out our site and learn how you can benefit from attending Fight Summit this year. The event features incredible workshops - lead by the icons in the sport - to teach you how to grow your gym, equipment brand, promotion, or other MMA business. In addition to the business workshops and networking opportunities, you can browse the only MMA industry business-to-business expo and see some great events like the Pro-Am Jiu Jitsu competiton, Crossfit activities, meet and greets, and more. Its an incredibly fun weekend, and you’ll walk away with some great new resources and ideas for your gym or MMA brand.

2012 SHOW FEATURES

Business Workshops

Company Growth

Networking & Resources

Industry B2B Expo

Jiu Jitsu Pro-Am

Elite Live Training

+ (TOP LEFT) “It was a good event overall,” said Lia Hatashita of Fuji Sports. “We got to meet our customers, and to sell products in a focused and professional environment.” + (TOP RIGHT) “I have a positive impression of the show. We would definitely do it again next year,” said Brett Collins of Versa Climber. “It’s branding and market exposure mostly, but we are working on a few orders from that show. This is a oneof-a-kind event focusing on just Jit-Jitsu.” Besides running the Versa Climber booth and talking product, Collins also competes, and won a Gold medal fighting as a Brown Belt in the Light Heavyweight, 40-year-old category. + (BOTTOM RIGHT) The Do Or Die booth was busy all weekend, with the company’s new Hyperfly Gis. With a passion for all-things Jiu-Jitsu, Do Or Die supports athletes and develops highquality gear and apparel.

World Jiu-Jitsu Expo The World Jiu-Jitsu Expo received more news coverage for what didn’t happen at the event than for what did happen. That’s a shame. Promoted by Renzo Gracie, this firstever event took place at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Calif., May 12, 2012. Exhibitors, industry professionals, fans and Jiu-Jitsu athletes showed up in big numbers for this day-long event. But when Nick Diaz failed to show for his headline Superfight bout, the media focused its attention on that drama, forgetting all the good things that 46

JU NE 20 1 2

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

happened that Saturday. MMA Business magazine was there to cover what the rest of the media neglected. The expo included Jiu-Jitsu training seminars lead by World Champion Andre Galvao and others. It included a full day of competition, and several companies exhibited and sold their products to eager fans. Above are some highlights.

OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON Be In the Marketplace MMA training has changed. MMA fighting has changed. And maybe more than anything in the last 10 years, the MMA marketplace has changed – and that can be a great thing for all of us. An overall explosion of Mixed Martial Arts has created big business opportunities. But only if you’re all in. This issue of MMA Business includes a huge directory of service providers plus product manufacturers and distributors. If such a directory had existed even five years ago – and it didn’t, until MMA Business created it now – it would have been far smaller. And this growth occurred mostly during a recession. Think what this industry will do in a growing economy? How Did We Get Here? I’m not going to simply rehash recent MMA history here, but it’s interesting to look at how far the industry has come, and in such a short time. Ten years ago, few American parents took their kids to Jiu-Jitsu classes. Mixed Martial Arts training was a private endeavor. It was unusual to find a kickboxing class in a martial arts dojo. And you wouldn’t find MMA gloves at Target stores. Still, good training was happening, and martial arts professionals were running good businesses all across the country, changing people’s lives with traditional training sought out by the niche of those interested. What happened? Companies like Tapout created a desire and delivered goods to fulfill it. In 2002, Zuffa promoted UFC 40 (Ortiz vs. Shamrock) and marketed the fight and the fighters like never before. And as more people began talking about MMA, interest in products and services grew quickly. Today, large-scale training centers combine Mixed Martial Arts with traditional fitness in class settings open to everyone. I mean everyone. Signs boasting “MMA Training” are visible on many street corners. Sporting goods stores everywhere – at least the ones that want to remain profitable – sell some sort of MMA training gear. More and more companies from “mainstream” sports, fitness and retail are getting into the MMA industry. It happened that fast.

Jimmy

JIMMY PEDRO

jimmypedro@zebramats.com 48

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Now What? Change scares people, even growth-oriented change. If you make apparel, you could fear the potential threat of a big competitor like Nike entering your market. Or if you own a gym, you could worry about a massive UFC Gym opening down the street. If you’re an agent, the thought of IMG Worldwide getting into MMA might scare you. Or you could celebrate the growth potential of big companies coming into MMA. Their participation will draw even more attention to the sport and give all of us greater opportunities. Meanwhile, the current opportunities should keep us all busy enough to sideline any worrying for some time. Look at the good things that are happening now, new products and services created by companies busy growing. You used to just see simple sporting goods remarketed to MMA prospects. Now you see companies like Hayabusa creating focused products, and delivering advancements in both the comfort and safety of training gear. Look at ideas like high-altitude training gear and masks. This type of “extreme” training equipment used to be out of reach for most athletes. But with assistance from MMA fighters like Sean Sherk, the Elevation training mask is changing fitness. Or even “simple” products like rash guards are now receiving high-tech treatment to aid in cooling and inhibit bacteria growth. Jaco Clothing is one such company pushing the envelope with products like this. The key to success now in this business is to differentiate your products to make your brand stand out. Like a fighter, keep improving. Don’t fear a bigger opponent. Outsmart them and take advantage of the opportunity to just be in the cage. Jimmy Pedro has earned two Olympic Bronze medals, and was Judo World Champion at 73 kg in 1999. He is active as a USA Judo national team coach and as owner of the Pedro Judo Center. Now as a vice president for Zebra, a leading provider of facility equipment for martial arts and MMA businesses nationwide, Pedro has a wealth of experience in the industry.

For Information on Marketplace Advertising Rates contact Dick Hendricks at 612-306-1707 or email mmabusinessmag@gmail.com

MarketPlace DIEGO SANCHEZ•TAKANORI GOMI•RUMINA SATO•CAOL UNO ROLLES GRACIE•JOE STEVENSON•VINNY MAGALHAES•TJ WALDBURGER

Unlock the full potential of your business

NOW ON DVD

Unique Payment Solutions • EFT & Credit Card Processing • Recurring Payment Systems • Merchant Services

Cloud Based Software • Intuitive Financial Reporting • Integrated POS Applications • Streamlined Scheduling

AT FREDSON PAIXÃO•SHANE ROLLER•RAFAEL LOVATO JR.•PABLO POPOVITCH RYAN HALL•BILL COOPER•ROBERTO ABREU•JEFF GLOVER•JOAO ASSIS

AVAILABLE AT FIGHT STORES WORLDWIDE, BUDOVIDEOS.COM, SHOPSHERDOG.COM & GRAPPLERSQUEST.COM

Call now! 1-800-227-3859 www.asfinternational.com

Zebra Home Mats

Become a Gameness Authorized Dealer (888) 405-6056 WWW.GAMENESS.COM

YOUR AD HERE!

Get TWO for a perfect 10x10 Training Surface > Lightweight & Portable > Black or Blue > Easy to Set-Up and Store > Tatami Textured > 5 ft. x 10 ft. x 1 3/8 in.

MMA CONDITIONING COACH CERTIFICATION

Only

$239

(Includes Delivery)

Learn the science behind the knockout and the tapout! Program Features:

Benefits: Tested & proven business models Rapidly increase your income Network with world class faculty/members Ongoing support for your total success Earn the credential of distinction

Comprehensive 70+ hour training program 100% online (no travel costs) NESTA, NASM, NSCA, ISSA approved

GET CERTIFIED TODAY! VISIT www.MMACA.net

Full service sports management agency

Do You Want More Students?

specializing in marketing, promotions, management & development of multi-media brands for athletes and celebrities.

“How to Make Your Classes Bigger” Has over 150 proven strategies that have already helped hundreds of studio owners make 1000’s more per week!

NOW! on Amazon or go to www.BiggerClasses.com

JU NE 20 1 2

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

Check us out at:

www.whiteCM.com

WHITE CHOCOLATE MANAGEMENT

WHITE

Reach More Than 6,000 Gym Owners, Trainers, Promoters, Agents and Distributors For AS LITTLE AS $120 PER ISSUE

Call 612-306-1707 or E-mail: MMAbusinessmag@gmail.com

JIMMY PEDRO'S JUDO CENTER Wakefield, MA

Jimmy Pedro 4 Time Olympian World Champion

US Olympic Judo Coach

• • • • • •

MMA Mats & Grappling Mats N G I S DE LLATION Combo Mats INSTAs available Puzzle Mats service Landing Mats 1.800.989.8085 www.zebramats.com Home Mats