MMAPayout.com's Best in the Business of MMA Awards 2008
January 14, 2009
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR – BROCK LESNAR
It’s fairly remarkable that a fighter with a 3-1 professional record is the Fighter of the Year, but from a business perspective it wasn’t even a close race. The former WWE star drew an estimated 2.2 million pay-per-view buys on three events, nearly eclipsing the single year record of 2.25 million buys set by Tito Ortiz in 2006. Even more impressively Lesnar was able to post these numbers on the strength of his cross-over pro wrestling appeal, bringing an entirely new audience to the UFC.
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR – ZUFFA
The forecast entering the year was growing pains for Zuffa and the emergence of legitimate competition. Instead 2008 proved to be a record breaking banner year for the company across the board as it turned back all challengers while expanding its business and cementing its vision of the UFC as a global sports/entertainment brand. No development was more telling or significant than Lorenzo Fertitta’s decision to leave Station Casinos to work fulltime as Zuffa’s CEO (however, recent news about Station Casinos has lead many inside the industry to conclude that the move was as much about the trouble of the casinos as his commitment and desire to be at the helm of the UFC).
More over the company did it on its on terms, driving hard bargains while telling fighters, managers, agents, lawyers, rival promoters, partners, the media, and anybody else that didn’t like it to f*ck off. The personal satisfaction of the year from the collapse of the IFL and ProElite, to its victory over Randy Couture, and the struggles of those “t-shirt guys” gave credence to the company’s hard line approach to business and left critics gritting their teeth, waiting for the just deserts to be served.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR – SHARI SPENCER
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre had a banner year, emerging as a top draw and potential superstar, and his manager Shari Spencer was there every step of the way. Spencer brought a fresh, less is more philosophy to MMA that saw GSP askew the traditional trappings of a cluttered array of sponsors to focus on premium opportunities with the likes of THQ. The approach allowed St. Pierre to maximize his value while building and maintaining a clean, attractive brand with an eye towards future mainstream opportunities.
She was busy in 2008, negotiating a contract extension with the UFC as well as a potentially ground breaking deal with CAA. As impressive as the contract it is speculated that she secured for her client, was the way she did it, demonstrating a deft political touch in negotiations that had to be complicated by St. Pierre’s lucrative endorsement deal with clothing manufacturer turned fight promoter and chief UFC rival Affliction.
While her accomplishments speak for themselves, Spencer accomplished it all as a woman, emerging as a leading voice in a male dominated industry. Furthermore, her willingness to work with CAA showed a personal sense of security and commitment to her client’s best interest above all else that is rarely seen in the management business in or out of MMA.
INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR – DAMON LAU
Round 5 MMA Co-Founder Damon Lau managed to beat the UFC to the punch in the action figure market without ruffling too many feathers in the process. Round 5 launched the first two series of figures last year with an impressive distribution channel that included Toys ‘R Us, Champs and FYE. As a result of its direct licensing relationships with some of the top fighters in the sport, the company has carved out a unique niche business. Even more impressive is the fact that it managed to do so without the UFC’s support, a rarity in today’s environment.
