TapouT-UFC announce new sponsorship deal
February 7, 2012
Longtime sponsor of the UFC, TapouT announced a new multi-year deal with the company and new title as “official lifestyle apparel partner” of the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
Via TapouT/UFC press release:
The multi-year deal gives TapouT exposure at UFC® events broadcast on Pay-Per-View, FX and FUEL TV via canvas logos, bumpers and billboards. In addition, TapouT will present the “Submission of the Night” feature on UFC broadcasts, as well as take part in on-site activation at UFC events globally. The agreement also includes an extensive digital media plan, with TapouT gaining visibility across multiple social media platforms and at UFC.com. Furthermore, TapouT obtains the rights to use “Official lifestyle apparel of UFC” on hangtags, point-of-sale and advertising.
TapouT, which is owned by New York-based ABG Tapout, LLC a division of Authentic Brands Group LLC, has a long history of sponsoring UFC athletes in the Octagon®.
“TapouT has been a big supporter of the sport and its athletes for a long time,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re excited to have them as our official lifestyle apparel partner as we get ready for some of the biggest years in UFC history.”
“It’s been a dream of ours ever since we watched the first UFC to be an official partner of the best MMA organization in the world,” said TapouT co-founder, Dan “Punkass” Caldwell.
“The UFC is a world class professional sports organization with an aggressive global growth strategy in line with ours,” said James Salter, CEO of Authentic Brands Group. “This partnership with the UFC further reinforces TapouT’s commitment to supporting the sport, its athletes and beloved fans.”
“TapouT and the UFC have had a long standing relationship over the years, which would explain why many fans already consider us as the lifestyle brand of the UFC,” said James Ling, Authentic Brand Group’s SVP of Marketing and Global Brands in an email to MMAPayout. “We made it official so there’s no doubt in the minds of retailers and consumers that TapouT is the leading lifestyle brand in the space.”
“TapouT and the UFC’s goals are in alignment as both continue to expand international reach and market penetration,” Ling added, “As the sport continues to grow and gets further ingrained into mainstream culture, we hope to see more fans wanting to represent the sport they love by supporting the brands that support the sport.”
HDNet to sponsor 4 live 3D UFC PPV events in 2012
January 30, 2012
Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ:CIDM) announced today that HDNet will be the official sponsor of four, live 3D theatrical broadcasts of UFC® Pay-Per-View events in 2012 at nearly 75 Cinedigm affiliated theatres.
Beginning with the live 3D broadcast of UFC® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT on Saturday, Feb. 4, HDNet will be the featured sponsor, giving the network increased exposure for its MMA programming including promotion of Inside MMA.
In addition, HDNet personalities Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten will have a noticeable presence during 30-minute countdown shows that air in those theatres prior to the live broadcast of UFC Pay-Per-View events.
This news comes on the heels of UFC and Cinedigm announcing late last year the plan to bring the fastest-growing sport in the world to Cinedigm’s affiliated 3D theatres across the country, which include such circuits as Carmike Cinemas, Rave Motion Pictures, Kirkorian Theatres, UltraStar Cinemas and Galaxy Theatres.
“We’re giving fans the chance to watch UFC like never before – live and in 3D,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’re excited that HDNet will be the official sponsor of these 3D events with Cinedigm. It’s going to be a big year for the UFC and we can’t wait to give our fans the chance to see Pay-Per-View events live in theatres in 3D.”
“HDNet has always been the go to source for MMA fans – from fights to news – and partnering with UFC and Cinedigm on 3D is a natural fit to HDNet’s ongoing commitment to MMA,” HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon said. “This sponsorship is just one of many new, exciting, and cutting edge additions to HDNet and Inside MMA in 2012, from a brand new studio to more live events, exclusive highlights and on-site UFC coverage.”
The first 3D theatrical presentation, UFC® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT, airs live on Pay-Per-View from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. In the night’s main event, the fiery and unpredictable Nick Diaz battles knockout artist Carlos Condit for the interim UFC welterweight title. Plus, heavyweights Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Fabricio Werdum collide, while welterweight bad boy Josh Koscheck meets powerhouse wrestler Mike Pierce.
UFC goes 3D for 143
January 20, 2012
The UFC announced that it will be showing UFC 143 in 3D in movie theaters. Tickets for the in theater PPV will go for $25 and can be purchased in advance.The main event Super Bowl Weekend has Nick Diaz battling Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight title.
Via UFC press release:
Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship®, in conjunction with Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM) and NCM Fathom, announced that tickets for the first-ever live, 3-D broadcast of a UFC® Pay-Per-View event on the Big Screen are on sale now. The championship fight card,UFC® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT, airs live and in 3-D in more than 100 theatres nationwide on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
The night’s main event pits the fiery and unpredictable Nick Diaz against hard-hitting knockout artist Carlos Condit for the interim UFC welterweight title. An exciting co-main event features heavyweight Roy “Big Country” Nelson battling submission ace Fabricio Werdum.
Tickets for UFC® 143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT are available for purchase now at www.ufc.com/3D, as well as at theatre box offices across the country. Fans can visit the website for information on which theatres will be carrying the event in their respective regions.
“I know the fans love 3-D, so I’m happy to give them this championship fight live and in 3-D in theaters across the country,” UFC President Dana White said. “I cannot wait for this fight between Diaz and Condit to determine the interim UFC welterweight champion!”
UPDATE: The above press release web site takes you to Fandango where you can purchase advance tickets. The cost is $25 per ticket in the Seattle, WA area although I’m not sure if this is region specific.
Payout Perspective:
This will be an interesting experiment to see if the 3D concept will catch on with MMA. Last year, the UFC and Cindegim announced this partnership. The UFC first tried 3D with UFC on Versus 3. Depending on the price of the tickets, this could be a successful experiment and another option from having to pay $50 plus to order a PPV at home. But, I don’t recall past attempts for movie theatre live events doing well. It would have been nice to have had bigger names on top of the card as this could draw more interested fans to this event.
Bellator/Viacom sign deal for distribution of Bellator content
November 7, 2011
In a sign of growth for the company, Bellator has entered into a deal with FremantleMedia Enterprises. The company will represent Bellator in seeking international distribution rights and other business opportunities on behalf of the company.
Via joint FME-Bellator press release:
FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, today announced a global rights deal with Bellator Fighting Championships for FME to exclusively represent the rapidly growing brand’s international TV distribution rights, as well as handle the licensing, digital and ancillary rights for the US and international markets.
Since its launch in 2009, Bellator has rapidly gained momentum in the US and abroad, and is now the No. 2 promoter and producer of mixed martial arts worldwide. Currently in its fifth season, Bellator airs in over 80 million homes on MTV2, in high-definition in 30 million homes on EPIX and can be seen weekly on Spike.com. Recognizing the growing popularity of the brand, Viacom, parent of MTV Networks, recently acquired a majority stake in the company. Additionally, Viacom has announced that Bellator will debut on Spike TV in early 2013, where it will be seen in over 100 million homes.
David Ellender, FME’s Global CEO, commented, “This deal further diversifies FME’s third party slate and builds on our reputation as experts at identifying and exploiting the potential of emerging brands. The sport of mixed martial arts is gaining momentum with fans worldwide, and we can see huge potential for the Bellator brand across all platforms, both in the US and internationally.”
“The incredible athleticism and intensity exhibited in all of our mixed martial arts tournaments translate into any language,” said Bjorn Rebney, Chairman, CEO and Founder of Bellator. “With FME as our partner, we will have the ability to showcase our high-intensity brand of fighting to millions around the globe.”
Payout Perspective:
This deal bodes well for Bellator as its a sign of the expansion of the brand and the potential of tapping unrealized economic opportunities abroad. Its likely that this deal is in place as it foreshadows Bellator’s move to Spike TV a year from now.
Lauzon signs sponsorship deal with Gamma Labs
November 3, 2011
UFC Lightweight Joe Lauzon has signed a sponsorship deal with Gamma Labs. Coming off of winning one of the UFC’s first twitter bonuses, the supplement company is looking to capitalize on Lauzon’s rising popularity and social media saviness.
The sponsorship deal will go beyond the normal fight short placement and focus on viral videos, social media and Lauzon’s interest of video games. According to Lauzon’s manager, Oren Hodak, Gamma Labs will do some cross promotional gaming spots with Punch Drunk Gamer, another one of Lauzon’s sponsors.
Via Gamma Labs press release:
This partnership will utilize Lauzon’s rapidly growing fan-base through new media platforms and will support Gamma Labs’ new Pre-Training Formula through special appearances, making an immediate impact with new consumers.
“Working with an athlete like Joe who is very active on social media brings incredible value to a sponsor. As a top ranked fighter and video game competitor Joe is a perfect fit for Gamma Labs,” said Lauzon’s manager Oren Hodak of Knock Out Representation. Hodak continues saying, “Joe’s been using Gamma Labs’ products for several months and is benefiting from the increased focus and energy that he gets from PTF.” A number of unique viral videos, social media and online gaming contests will feature Joe in 2012.
Lauzon boasts a twitter following that just surpassed 44,000 followers.
Payout Perspective:
This is a win-win for fighter and sponsor. The deal includes Lauzon’s interest of being a gamer which helps his personal brand. It also goes beyond the normal one-off sponsorship on fight nights. We’ve seen a rise of more fighters and sponsors engaging in promotions outside of the octagon which is key for the growth of the athlete-sponsor dynamic in MMA. While it may not be the lucrative endorsement contracts of other sports such as the NFL or major league baseball, its a start. We’ll see how many more of this will happen as the UFC-Fox partnership evolves.
ProElite Signs Multi-Year TV Deal With HDNet
October 18, 2011
ProElite announced a new multi-fight, multi-year TV deal with HDNet last night during Inside MMA’s live broadcast debut on the network. The first ProElite televised event on HDNet will be “HDNet Fights: ProElite – Big Guns”, taking place at the iWireless Center in Moline, IL on November 5th.
“After watching their first event in Hawaii, I could see ProElite was a great fit for HDNet,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “This upcoming card has the perfect mix of marquee names and an innovative Heavyweight tournament that fight fans won’t want to miss!”
Former UFC Heavyweight Champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski will headline the event in separate bouts in addition to an 8-man Heavyweight tournament to identify the up-and-coming talent among MMA’s heavy hitters.
“Our multi-fight agreement with HDNet elevates the ProElite brand to a national MMA audience with a preeminent broadcast partner,” said Paul Feller, President and CEO of Stratus Media Group and Chairman of ProElite. “This strategic partnership offers new opportunities for corporate sponsors and advertisers looking to reach this passionate and rapidly growing audience of ProElite fans.”
ProElite will soon announce its full fight card, which will include some of Quad Cities favorite fighters and emerging MMA talent. Tickets are now on sale at the iWireless Center box office and on ticketmaster.com.
Payout Perspective:
It had been long speculated that ProElite was in heavy talks with HDNet to televise their second event after reviving the ProElite brand earlier this year. After all, it made complete sense considering that Head of Fight Operations T.J. Thompson has been adamant about signing a TV deal which corresponded to the current stage of the reborn MMA promotion.
If you recall, Strikeforce also signed a similar TV deal with HDNet back in 2008, just before signing their monumental TV deal with Showtime and CBS just a few months later. The deal proved to be key to Strikeforce’s growth, as it catapulted them to the #2 MMA promotion in the U.S. and maintaining that title until being purchased by UFC’s parent company – Zuffa – earlier this year.
The November 5th event will host a prospect HW GP along with Arlovski vs Fulton and Sylvia vs Kraniotakes as the main events.
Promo:
ProElite: Big Guns Card on HDNet:
Tim Sylvia (29-7) vs Andreas Kraniotakes (12-4)
Andrei Arlovski (16-9) vs Travis Fulton (247-48)
HW Grand Prix Portion:
Mark Ellis (1-0) vs Ryan Martinez (5-1)
Richard Odoms (5-0) vs Jason Bosler (3-1)
Jake Heun (1-1) vs Chris Birchler (1-0)
Walt Harris (3-1) vs Esteves Jones (7-2)
Tate signs deal with Toyo Tires
September 21, 2011
The Strikeforce welterweight women’s champion, Miesha Tate, has signed a sponsorship deal with Toyo Tires. Tate wore the Toyo Tires logo on her fight shorts when she won the title from Marloes Coenen in July.
Via Toyo Tires press release:
Tate is a native of Tacoma, Washington, and was the 2010 WMMA (Women’s Mixed Martial Arts) Fighter of the Year. Associated with Team Alpha Male, the 25-year old, 5-foot 6-inch Tate fights in the 135 lb. weight class and has a background in wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. In addition to wearing the Toyo Tires® logo on her fight shorts, Tate will also promote the Toyo Tires brand through appearances and additional marketing efforts.
Payout Perspective:
Even though many are counting down the days of Strikeforce, Tate has scored a sponsorship deal with Toyo Tires. Its a good deal since it involves her inside and outside the ring. This helps the Miesha Tate brand and forges her identity in women’s MMA. Certainly, with Gina Carano out of action, Tate is becoming the face of women’s MMA. Tate joins the Toyo Tires stable which recently signed Anthony Pettis and Mark Munoz.
UFC Officially Announces Historic FOX TV Deal
August 19, 2011
Earlier today, the UFC and FOX held a press conference in Los Angeles to officially announce that UFC and FOX have agreed on a seven year deal worth as much as $100 million per year, which includes 4 events on FOX as well as shoulder programming on FX and Fuel TV.
Today, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC), the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization and No. 1 Pay-Per-View event provider in the world, finds its perfect media match in FOX, the No. 1 television network in the country. FOX Sports Media Group, the umbrella entity representing FOX Networks Group’s wide array of sports platforms, has reached a multi-year, multi-media rights agreement with Zuffa, LLC, owner of the UFC brand.
The landmark agreement, which puts UFC on par with many of the country’s professional sports organizations, delivers four live events in prime time or late night each year to the FOX broadcast network, home to the country’s biggest sports events, including the Super Bowl, World Series and Daytona 500. The first live event airs Saturday, Nov. 12 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT. Additional programming on multiple FOX networks launches January 2012 and includes live fights, pre and post shows, countdown shows, UFC Unleashed, UFC Primetime, the UFC Knockout series, Best of Pride, weigh-in specials, and much more original content from extensive Zuffa archives. The agreement also provides for developing robust mobile and authenticated online offerings to exploit a vast array of digital platform rights.
In spring 2012, THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, UFC’s signature weekly reality show moves to FX, FOX’s general entertainment cable network now in more than 99 million homes. With the move to FX, the show will feature a newly-designed format. FX is also set to televise another four-to six-live UFC events annually, with a mixture of additional events and programs heading to FSMG cable networks including FUEL TV.
“We’re excited to be part of the FOX family,” says Dana White, UFC President. “The UFC is finally where it belongs on the number one network in the country and aligned with the most prestigious sports properties in the world. I’ve always said that the UFC will be the biggest sport in the world and with this relationship it will become a reality.”
“My brother Frank, Dana and I always believed that our passion for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts would help us to build the UFC into a successful global brand and ultimately make it one of the premier sports properties in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of the UFC. “The partnership with FOX is a major step in making this a reality and also builds on the great relationship that we already have established with FOX in Latin America, Australia and Europe.”
“Mixed martial arts is not only the fastest growing sport in the world, but also the world’s most exciting form of man-to-man competition, and the UFC is the world’s premier MMA organization,” said FSMG President & Co-COO Eric Shanks. “Since FOX Sports is America’s No. 1 sports network and FOX is America’s No. 1 network for young adults, the UFC on FOX is a perfect match.”
“UFC’s growth over the past decade is nothing short of phenomenal and it has become one of the marquee sports in this country,” said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks. “There is a reason for its rising popularity. It features some of the greatest athletes in the world, and we believe it will be a terrific addition to our schedule and look forward to our relationship.”
Founded in 1993, UFC has been on a meteoric rise since 2001 when it was acquired by Zuffa, LLC, owned by Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta III and Dana White. UFC’S first brush with FOX Sports goes back to June 2002, when Fox Sports Net carried UFC’s first non-pay-per-view event on basic cable television, and delivered what was then its largest audience to date. Through cooperation with state athletic commissions, consistent rules were established and refined for competition through officiating, judging, the addition of weight divisions, length of rounds and better equipment. Combined with an unyielding devotion to fighter safety, the UFC has vaulted to mainstream status in the minds of US sports fans attracting major sponsors such as Bud Light, Dodge and Harley Davidson.
UFC has displayed tremendous growth in digital and social media consumption. Unique visitors to UFC.com tripled between 2006 and 2010 (2.1 million to 6.3 million), and UFC established local web sites in 10 countries and Latin America. Using a unique blend of incentives, promotions and original content, including live bouts, UFC has seen its number of Facebook friends increase from 800,000 in 2009 to 6.1 million at present, outpacing the NFL, MLB and the NHL. UFC currently ranks second to the NBA in social media followers among the major sports organizations. Additionally, UFC President Dana White regularly interacts with over 1.5 million fans that follow him on Twitter.
Mixed martial arts skews much younger than more established US sports, which ranged from age 43 for Super Bowl XLIV to 61 for horse racing’s Triple Crown in 2010. Thus far, the median age for UFC on Spike in 2011 is 36 and 56% of UFC fans fall into the adult 18-34 demographic. Live UFC programming performs extremely well in the advertiser attractive, hard-to-reach male 18-34 demographic, with live event programing averaging a 1.53 rating, making it a top-20 cable show this year.
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Clip of Press Conference:
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UFC on FOX Promo:
Payout Perspective:
Here are my key notes from the press conference:
- The deal is for 7 tears and estimated to be worth around $100 million per year.
- The UFC will broadcast 32 live events a year (24 live events from TUF on FX, 4 events on FOX, 6 events on FX (2 TUF Events will air as part of “Fight Nights”)
- The first UFC on FOX will take place on 11/12 (same day as Pacquiao vs Marquez) and will only televise 2 fights in a one hour special. Will finish fights before big boxing bout between Pacquiao vs Marquez, as the event is scheduled to start at 9PM ET.
- UFC 139: Velasquez vs Dos Santos will take place one week after first UFC on FOX. Hope is that they can advertise their upcoming show.
- Cross promotion is expected from all Fox networks and programming, including NFL, NASCAR, MLB, etc. The first few UFC on Fox commercials were already aired last night during Fox’s NFL Thursday game.
- Hill states that their sponsors are 100% behind UFC, or else they woudlnt’ have done it.
- FX’s Landgraf states that there is an 80% overlap among UFC and FX viewers.
- According to Luke Thomas from MMA Nation, the deal “does not affect online distribution deals to Roku, Yahoo!, XBOX, or – UStream. Nothing changes”
- The UFC will maintain their event production, but pre and post event shows will be handled by FOX, which will most likely utilize newly hired Gus Johnson and Fox Sports mainstay Jay Glazer.
- There will be changes to the production from this point on. The Gladiator opening will be one of the first casualties of the huge overhaul as the UFC tries to take their product to the “next level”.
- The Ultimate Fighter will be broadcasted on FX and will be live.
- Fox Sports website still has Boxing coverage under MMA tab. I assume they are still going through their transitional stages.
- Dana White: “The Wall Street Journal article about buying G4 ignited other networks to jump in and got this deal with FOX done.”
- Lorenzo Fertitta: “It could be Bellator, ProElite, multiples….Spike has made it clear that they will be competing with us.”
- Spike can air any old UFC programming through 2012, so that means Spike TV will be able to use old UFC footage to counter-program UFC or can be used as a lead-in for another MMA promotion Spike picks up.
- Adam Swift: “FX would have murderer’s row with NFL on TH, UFC on Fri, and College FB on Sat. Own 18-34M. Great for advertising packages.”
- Shanks mentions that early on, there were some discussions of re-branding Fuel TV.
- Michelle Steele of Bloomberg told MMAPayout: “Having live events on a real deal *broadcast* network will definitely be a gamechanger for UFC”.
- Dave Meltzer from Yahoo: “The move to Friday puts the UFC in direct competition with its rival entertainment product, World Wrestling Entertainment, which airs “SmackDown” on the Syfy channel the same night.”… “While both brands publicly note the difference between sport and entertainment, WWE’s pay-per-view numbers have declined at the same time the UFC’s have increased, and even WWE President Vince McMahon has acknowledged that its pay-per-views take a hit when on the same weekend as a UFC event, something they now do their best to avoid.”
- Spike TV’s Press Release Regarding UFC/FOX TV Deal: “The Ultimate Fighter” season 14 in September will be our last. We are increasing our commitment to distinctive, original series that we own such as “Auction Hunters” and “Bar Rescue” which are delivering on our goal to reach a broader audience. Our 6-year partnership with the UFC has been incredibly beneficial in building both our brands, and we wish them all the best in the future. ”
- According to @FOXSportsLouD: Almost 45K watched #UFC on FOX press conference today on www.FOXSports.com & www.facebook.com/foxsports
- FOX’s stance on MMA has drastically changed in the past 3 years. In 2008, Fox’s Hill stated that “What’s totally abhorrent about it — I’ve said this to people running it — is that one guy will be down and the other one can keep hitting him.” Fox Sports President Ed Goren said this about broadcasting MMA back in 2008, “We don’t need money that badly.” Pretty drastic change in 3 years.
- MMA’s and UFC’s first live fights on TV was UFC 37.5, about nine years ago in 2002. The event was televised as part of Fox Sports Net “Best Damn Sports Show Period”.
Legendary Mixed Martial Arts Coach Shawn Tompkins Passes
August 15, 2011
San Francisco (Aug. 15, 2011) — The world of mixed martial arts suffered a devastating loss with the news of legendary mixed martial arts (MMA) coach Shawn Tompkins death. Mr. Tompkins, 37, was a beloved husband and son, a successful entrepreneur and a devoted mixed martial artist whose passion for MMA inspired countless athletes and fans.
The Canadian native who made his home in Las Vegas was affectionately known as “The Coach” to his friends and fans around the globe. Mr. Tompkins passed in his sleep.
During his career that spanned more than two decades, Mr. Tompkins coached 15 champions in six different weight classes, including icons such as Vitor Belfort, Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva. He took particular interest in cultivating the sport’s future champions, including MMA’s rising stars Sam Stout, Mark Hominick and Chris Horodecki.
The Tompkins family extends their deepest gratitude to friends and fans for their support, and asks that their privacy be respected during this very difficult time. Those wishing to express their sympathies to the Tompkins family may do so at special guestbook, http://www.ultraguest.com/sign/1313430810.
The Shawn Tompkins Memorial Fund has been established and those wishing to contribute may contact TeamTompkins@ShogunMMA.com. A memorial service will be held in Las Vegas in the coming weeks; details will be announced at www.amrgroup.tv.
“Shawn was more than a client, he was personal friend whose love of MMA had enormous influence on our agency and the entire sport,” says Gary Ibarra, AMR Group’s founder and president. “His passion and vision for MMA was infectious, evident by how he could motivate his fighters to become better athletes and people. On behalf of AMR Group’s athletes and staff, we extend our deepest sympathies to Emilie, Sam and Shawn’s entire family. His spirit will live on in our hearts.”
Mr. Tompkins was in Canada to help prepare Horodecki for his next bout on Sept. 10 at the time of his passing.
Shawn Tompkins: March 16, 1974 – Aug. 14, 2011
About Shawn Tompkins
Shawn Tompkins was born and raised in Tilsonburg, Ontario, Canada. At age six, he began studying Shotokan Karate and a decade later, he was a two-time Canadian National Karate Champion. He went on to become a third-degree black belt and had the rare honor of having his black belt certificate signed by the Prince of Japan.
Fascinated by the art of business, Mr. Tompkins opened his first training facility in Ontario, Canada, when he was only 18 years old. He went on to become the assistant coach to his trainer and mentor Bas Rutten for the International Fight League’s Los Angeles Anacondas. He later replaced Rutten as head coach and led the team to an undefeated season in 2007.
Mr. Tompkins was considered by many as one of the top MMA trainers available and is known in MMA circles as the architect of the first MMA Specific Striking Program. His countless accomplishments made him one of the most sought-after MMA striking coaches in the world.
He was inducted into the 2009 Masters Hall of Fame with the Pioneer Award, the same year he was selected as one of Las Vegas’ Most Successful Men by Esquire Magazine.
After relocating to Las Vegas, Mr. Tompkins was the head instructor and trainer at Xtreme Couture, where his most notable client was UFC legend Randy Couture. He went on to become head coach at the TapouT Research and Development Training Center in 2009. Over the years, Mr. Tompkins trained the likes of Ray Sefo, Vitor Belfort, Kimbo Slice, Wanderlei Silva, Jay Hieron, Dan Henderson, Mark Coleman, Sam Stout, Chris Horodecki, Mark Hominick, Rob McCullough, Johny Hendricks, Krzysztof Soszynski, Jeff Curran, Phil Baroni, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Gray Maynard, Forrest Griffin, Goran Reljic, Martin Kampmann, Alex Schoenauer, Bas Rutten, Karo Parisyan, Evan Dunham, Benji Radach, Tyson Griffin, Ryo Chonan, Junie Browning, John Alessio, Mike Pyle, Mac Danzig, Erin Toughill, Jan Nortje, Ferrid Kheder and Germaine de Randamie.
The AMR Group
The AMR Group is an athlete and talent management agency headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area that specializes in mixed martial arts (MMA) and lifestyle sports. The agency’s expertise in the market enables corporate brands and athletes to develop successful strategic marketing relationships. The AMR Group represents some of MMA’s most celebrated professional athletes and trainers, including Cesar Gracie, Ramsey Nijem, Court McGee, Nate Quarry and Shawn Tompkins. The AMR Group is also proud to be shaping the careers of tomorrow’s champions by cultivating relationships that support the rising stars of the sport. For more information about the agency or to learn more about a particular AMR athlete, please contact The AMR Group at 510-329-9000 or visit www.amrgroup.tv.
OVEREEM CUT FROM STRIKEFORCE
July 29, 2011
DALLAS (July 29, 2011) – HDNet’s “Inside MMA” breaks some shocking news concerning StrikeForce™ Heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem who “Inside MMA” has learned has received a cut letter and has been released from the promotion.
Sources close to the situation have told “Inside MMA’s” Ron Kruck that Strikeforce™ has exercised its right to eliminate the one remaining fight on Overeem’s contract effective July 22nd.
Also according to the source, Overeem has been dealing with more serious injuries than originally reported, including a broken toe and rib. He also has problems with an elbow.
Overeem has fought through nagging injuries, and even though he was set to fight in the StrikeForce™ semi-finals (scheduled for September 10th in Cincinnati), Overeem has stated he still needed more time to recover.
Another issue that StrikeForce™ officials had regarding Overeem’s participation in the tournament is he had only one fight left on his current contract and he would have had to fight twice to win the Grand Prix.
Overeem will fight in Russia in October for the promotion United Glory – no word yet on who his opponent will be.
To check out a clip of the coverage, click here:
http://www.hd.net/blogs/breaking-news-alistair-overeem-cut-by-strikeforce-inside-mma/
For more on this breaking story follow “Inside MMA” on Twitter (twitter.com/hdnet) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/HDNetInsideMMA).
