MMA Junkie reports that Donald Cerrone has signed on with NASCAR driver’s Kevin Harvik’s agency – Kevin Harvik, Inc. The signing is the company’s first MMA client.
Harvick is a big fan of MMA and has been seen at UFC/Fox events as part of the new “synergy” of cross promotion between Fox’s sports properties.
Cerrone indicated that he hoped that Harvik’s professionalism and contacts with blue chip sponsors. Cerrone is the third Harvik client as the company switched from race operations to professional athlete management.
Cerrone explained his decision via MMA Junkie:
“That’s what I think we need in the sport,” Cerrone said. “We don’t need, ‘Hey, my brother knows a little bit about fighting. He can manage you.’ I see a lot of that in the fight game — guys that know nothing but think they can make a dime by just managing people, and it’s crazy to see. In the NFL, you don’t just have your uncle call up the NFL and say, ‘Oh, I need to do a Nike deal.’ That happens a lot in MMA.
Payout Perspective:
Although Cerrone’s intentions seem valid, the decision to sign with Harvik does not seem to agree with his statement. Harvik’s company is new and Cerrone is the first MMA client. Moreover, the company switched over from race operations to athlete management. The point being is that if Cerrone is seeking experienced representation then Harvik may not be it. Does Harvik have the contacts, know the market and the MMA sponsorship game? If the answer is that he does have sponsorship contacts interested in sponsoring an MMA fighter then Cerrone is making the right decision. But, if this professional relationship is based on a personal friendship its the same scenario that Cerrone describes above.
We’ve seen this recently with Jay-Z forming his own athlete representation company, Roc-Nation, and quickly signing Kevin Durant, Robinson Cano and Victor Cruz. Obviously, Harvik’s company is much smaller but the idea of experience equaling monetary results is a theory that may be tested.
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