With the First Pro MMA Fight Card in Tennessee History – XFC 7: “School of Hard Knox” – Coming to Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling Arena on February 20, XFC Plans to Open MMA Gym Franchises throughout Tennessee – and the Rest of America
Knoxville, TN: Professional boxing has existed for hundreds of years. Baseball’s history goes back to the late 1800s. Modern-style football was played by our great-great-grandparents – and golf and tennis tournaments were generating newspaper headlines well before the dawn of the 20th century.
But the modern Mixed Martial Arts – popularly referred to as MMA or cage fighting – is barely 15-years old.
To put MMA’s youth in perspective, the sport is even younger than Disney teen-queen Miley Cyrus of “Hannah Montana” fame.
“We’re still writing the opening chapter in the story of the Mixed Martial Arts,” said XFC president John Prisco. “MMA is in its infancy – and even though there’s now a small number of celebrity fighters making millions in the cage, I’m absolutely convinced that there’s far more undiscovered talent than established talent in this sport. The real arms race in MMA will be the development of the next generation of steel cage superstars – and this reality represents a vital component of XFC’s long-term business vision.”
XFC is the Southeast’s largest independent MMA promotion, and their next major event – XFC 7: “ School of Hard Knox ” – will be staged at the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville , Tennessee on February 20. XFC 7 will be the first-ever pro MMA fight card in Tennessee state history.
John Prisco hopes to also make history in Tennessee by opening multiple XFC-branded MMA training facilities throughout 2009 and 2010. Nashville is scheduled to open its first XFC gym in March of this year, and Prisco is scouting multiple locations in Knoxville , Memphis and other areas as future XFC homes as well.
Country music superstar Darryl Worley is expected to be a partial owner of the Memphis-area XFC gym.
“I’m essentially gambling XFC’s future on the proposition that the state of Tennessee is home to undiscovered male and female fighters who – with hard training and the right opportunities – could contend with the elite champions of today within the next several years,” said Prisco from the offices of his flagship XFC training facility in Tampa , Florida. “These future superstars simply need someone to develop them and help them grow. You see, all the other MMA promotions are solely focused on signing the biggest names of 2009. At XFC, we’re dedicated to signing the biggest names of 2010 and beyond. These gyms will provide our promotion with an unfettered pipeline of top-tier new talent.”
Prisco’s secondary rationale for opening XFC gyms is far more succinct: he expects these ventures to be extraordinarily profitable as a standalone business. “When I was a kid, everyone wanted to learn self-defense at a karate dojo,” said the 45-year-old Prisco. “Now? Karate dojo’s are going extinct all over the country. I mean, why in the world would anyone pay money to learn self-defense from a one-discipline martial arts studio when you can master the combined striking, kicking, wrestling and submission-oriented fighting techniques that have proven to be successful in the steel cage? MMA represents the most advanced form of self-defense on the planet – not just for aspiring fighters, but for kids, teens and women, too. And I guarantee you, at some point in your life, it’s a skill-set that almost everyone wishes they possessed.”
With XFC producing the first professional MMA fight card in Tennessee history, Prisco hopes the promotion will provide his company with a platform to grow not just the young sport of MMA, but his burgeoning XFC gym franchise business. “The eyes of MMA fans all over Tennessee are squarely on XFC because of the February 20 fight card,” observed Prisco. “We have a unique opportunity to seize an ownership position of the Tennessee , Kentucky and Southeastern markets. There’s a real need in MMA for new young talent, and in today’s precarious economic climate, I think XFC is something of a rarity. All you hear about are companies collapsing or seeking government bailouts. Well, at XFC we’re making money and growing rapidly. And as long as the sport of MMA is growing, we plan to grow right along with it. XFC 7: ‘ School of Hard Knox ’ is more than just a fight card. It’s also a business decision with far-reaching implications that could literally change the face of the sport. And it all begins in Tennessee .”
Prisco paused briefly before continuing: “Imagine – successful XFC franchises in Florida , Tennessee , the Southeast – and the entire country! We win, the sport wins, our investors win, and the fighters win. It’s the ultimate win-win opportunity.”
Aspiring fighters and interested franchise owners are invited to contact XFC directly at 813.374.0237, or e-mail John Prisco at info@mmaxfc.com.