Support MMA UFC sponsors
72Before I begin writing this article, I want to re-iterate the point that this is not an advertisement and I am not being paid to write this. I haven’t received a penny from any of my writings. I write because I love to write, and I write about MMA because I am very passionate about the sport.
I was inspired to write this article because one of our fellow hubbers and I were having a debate over Dana White and how he pays his fighters. Although we disagreed about the way Dana White treats and pays his fighters, he brought up an excellent point about some of the fighters fighting on the smaller cards. Many of them receive very little purse money from the promoters, a few thousands dollars or less. A big chunk or all of this money may go right back into the gym where they train. There is only one way for these fighters to make it, and that is through their sponsors.
One of the biggest steps in a MMA fighter’s career is the ability to train full time. It is extremely rare for a fighter to make it to the big promotions in this day and age without the ability to train full time. Without making it to the big promotions, it is virtually impossible to be able to afford to train full time, which is often referred to as the ‘Catch 22’. The only way for a fighter to be able to afford to train full time to reach that higher level is through the money they receive from sponsors. This is also the way that the veteran fighters make a large portion of their money as well. The sponsors are a very important part of MMA. Without the money from the sponsors the quality of fights would suffer significantly. The only way for the sponsors to have money to support the fighters is if we support the sponsors.
My personal favorite MMA line is American Fighter and Damage Wear. I have the short cut for American Fighter on my favorites list and check for now products often. American Fighter and Damage Wear do a lot to support not only the fighters but the troops as well. Many of the fighters, such as Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin, do promotions over in the Middle East to show their support. They also have an amazing line of products. I can personally attest to the friendliness and helpfulness of their staff. At UFC 96, Matt Hamill came out with an American Fighter jersey that was very similar to the Ohio State Football jersey, except it had American Fighter on the front instead of the buckeye emblem. I contacted them to see if they were going to sell them. The Sales Representative took the time to explain that they had looked into manufacturing them but the jerseys ended up being to complicated and to expensive to manufacture for retail sale. But he let me know that there were some autographed ones on Ebay, and he looked up the links and sent them to me. You don’t get customer service like this at very many places, but I have noticed that most MMA companies are very easy to deal with. Although I really like what American Fighter does, don’t forget about other companies like Tap Out and the Tap Out Crew who have devoted their lives to MMA and supporting MMA fighters and organizations. Some of the companies to look for are Warrior Wear, Hitman, One more Round, Sinister, Ecko, and Affliction (although I do not like some of the comments that I have heard from their owner in regards to the UFC). The next time you go to buy a new shirt or clothes, check out some of the MMA brands. Companies like Nike and Reebok don’t compare neither in quality nor in creativity of design, and support the sponsors who support your favorite fighters.
On the subject of Tap Out: I’m sure everyone who is a fan knows that on March 11, 2009, Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis, the founder of Tap Out was killed in a serious car accident. From a fan stand point, you would see always see them in the crowd and almost every major MMA event, and a lot of fighters talked about him as a close friend would. I used to enjoy watching the Tap Out crew on their reality show where they searched the country looking for up and coming fighters to support. He appeared to be quite a character and very dedicated to the sport. R.I.P. Mask.
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Thanks. There are quite a few companies that I left out, Tokoyo five for example. I say a good rule of thumb, support the companies that support your favorite fighters. You'll probably also appreciate their merchandise more also. That's what I do. Some of my favorite fighters are Rich Franklin, Jorge Gurgel, and Matt Hammell. These guys are all supported by American Fighter, so I support American Fighter, plus I really like their merchandise.
Hello,
I tend to like "afflictions" designs more than others, however they have high prices.
Affliction does come up with some nice designs. You just don't get to see as many of them because they are banned by the UFC ever since Affliction went into the business of promoting fights. The UFC has offered them a nice deal where they would buy out the fighter contracts (because Affliction is having some financial problems, probably because they paid so much to get some of the Heavyweights like Tim Silvia and Andre to leave), and a special deal where Affliction would design and make an entire line of UFC fight clothing, but Affliction is determined to hang in there and continue promoting fights.
The one nice thing about MMA gear is that the designs are very unique. One more round has some interesting stuff, and of course you can't forget about some of the weird stuff tapout has come up with over the years.
Calling all UFC fans: UFC 99 is less than a week away. There is a challenge going on hub pages to see who can do the best job predicting the main event fights. Come check out UFC Challenge for UFC 99 The comeback hub page. Post your predictions in the comment section. After the fights, the hub page will be updated to acknowledge the winner. I am not making money off of my UFC hubs so this is not an attempt to self-promote, but rather an attempt to get UFC fans together for a little friendly competition. How well do you think you know MMA? Are you up to the challenge?
I'm hearing about this XKL League launching. These guys are starting out going world wide. Where did they come from? And their first event is on Aug 15th.. in Michigan.
I haven't really heard of them:
If anyone is interested I took this information off of their website:
The XKL concept was conceived in 2001 about creating a true league for Mixed Martial Arts(MMA), where pound for pound fighters, in each weight class, around the world, could compete. These fighters would battle to prove that they are the best fighters in their weight class, and that all fighters would gather in different locations around the world to compete. After competing, fighters would prove their skills in Dubai for all title belt fights and prove to the world that they are the best fighters.
XKL has taken leaps and bounds, from the first events launching in Detroit, USA, spanning the oceans to the world's hottest market, Dubai U.A.E. . XKL Offices have planted their flags in Canada, Dubai, Malaysia, and soon the United States! With plans of aggressive expansion, their marketing and exposure is set for the World Stage. Audiences will be able to follow all play by play action online or televised to a potential 1billion viewers!
‘The Road to Dubai UAE’ will be the hottest ticket for all MMA enthusiasts! Two qualifying round held in Detroit USA will then pave the way for the best of the best to make it to 'The Road to Dubai UAE'. These fighters will become a part of the Hottest New Reality Show, The Xtreme Fighter! Filmed on the beaches of Dubai UAE and trained by MMA's best competitors this show will set the stage for The Official Main Event to be held in Dubai UAE in February 2010! Where all weight classes will compete for The Title Belts.
The XKL has done its research and is prepared to take MMA action to heights that will be unmatched by it's competing leagues. MMA action brought to the world stage with the flair and flash of Dubai UAE will forever change how we look at MMA action. This sport is here to stay and XKL will take it to the next level.
Eric Rafiq (President/CEO) of the Xtreme Kombat League (XKL) has been following the trends of MMA since 2001 and has studied the market and has come to the conclusion that MMA is here to stay. “The market dictates the growth of this sport through out the world at an alarming rate and the economics of the economy plays a small role in the increasing interest of this sport. MMA is now considered the worlds fastest growing sport with audiences that exceed that of the NFL. Aside from the record magnitude of pay- per- view subscriptions and gate revenues, this sport finds increasing revenues from the sale of equipment, merchandise and clothing apparel through out the world and the increase of growth has generated billions of dollars to the economy. XKL has taken the whole process one step further by adding Boxing events, where the best of the best fighters can compete and be crowned champion of their weight class. Not to confuse the idea of mixing MMA and Boxing but to recognize the importance of the two sports. All events will have a separate venue for their sport around the world and a country will be picked each year to hold title fights for Boxing. Xtreme Kombat League has put together top people in the industry to make XKL successful in the world of MMA and Boxing, Dennis Sauve (Vice-President) who will be coordinating the operations and setting up of XKL gyms through out the world and the daily operations of the company. Elias Korah who is the Director of Marketing and has worked for large corporations around the globe. Shan Hasan, VP Marketing North America, has an extensive background in the field of marketing and entertainment, will be coordinating all media and marketing done in North America. Xtreme Kombat League has the top promoters to the best match makers on their team to make XKL a successful business venture.
This is the moment for all to become a part of Mix Martial Arts evolution, XKL is the Future. Be a part of it!
They have some lofty goals, setting up their own reality show and gyms, like the UFC. They have a couple named fighters, like Dan Lauzon. Lets see how much business sense these guys have. Personally, the reality show and gyms might be pushing their luck. Even if they get their show on TV, it won't pull in like the Ultimate Fighter on Spike. Their only chance would be trying to air it in between Ultimate Fighter seasons. I don't think they are going to be around long, especially in this economy. The smaller organizations that stay around, do so by understanding their place on the food chain. They get the up and comers and the fighters that are looking for a rebound. They keep their venues smaller and limit what they can pay. Even an organization like Affliction has the backing of their clothing side of the business, Donald Trump, and Oscar's Golden Boy promotions, and these guys are struggling to stay afloat. Eventhough WEC is owned by Zuffa and has the backing of the UFC and a TV contract with Versus, they had cut out their heavy weight classes and concentrate on the smaller guys so they didn't bump heads with the UFC. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world, but just like the NFL is king of football (you see what happened to the USFL), and the NBA is king of basketball, the UFC is the king of Mixed Martial Arts. I think this league is going to try to compete with the UFC and I think this will be their downfall, but you never know.
Wilddawg,
I am sure many big ticket names would jump ship from the UFC if there was any hope of another league to match. These guys at XKL seem to be on to something by taking the MMA spectacle to another level and staging it in the most trendy city on the planet. Budgets must huge!!! I wish them the best and hope that MMA fans and athletes have a more sophisticated option than the UFC.
Having some more strong organizations will only help MMA grow, especially if they are going to be able to get some network or big TV contract, because we know the UFC is not going to give the control to the networks that they would want. However, I hope this organization isn't moving too fast too soon. They need to build slow, and keep a respect for the sport. Gary Shaw and Elite XC started the Showtime and CBS contracts but they had a complete disregard for the sport, only worried about trying to make a quick buck. If they do this right, they can be a positive addition to the sport of MMA.
well wildawg somethings come up on thier wensite and on other mma websites They have a lead newsflash on mmacanada.com and are making some big announcement. Prizes are being given away at the event and even tickets to Dubai to see the fights. This must be interesting. Who are their fighters?Let me know if you hear more. Regards Lindsay
I see 5 fighters listed on their website, Tyrone Holmes, Mike Holmes, Chris Thighton, Lance Snow, and Dan Lauzon (Joe Lauzon's brother). They also have Pat Militech and Dan the Beast Severn on their poster for the event Aug 15th in Michigan. It doesn't say what part they will take in the event. I thought on ESPN last week that Pat said that he was going to be at the Cyborg Carano fight in California, which happens to be that same night, and I know they wouldn't have them fighting each other because there is such a huge size and weight difference. Their next fight is only a few weeks away and I haven't seen any hype on it at all. It looks like this league might not make it.
plenty of info you have in this hub man , nice thaks
marinealways24 says:
6 months ago
Hello, well written. I would say to anyone buying fight wear, buy from the companies mentioned. I wouldn't buy anything with UFC printed on it because the fighters will most likely see little to none of that money.