Global Proving Ground’s Unique Fan Driven Fighter Platform Helps Elite Combat Sports Athletes Get Noticed

New York, NY– August 8, 2012 – Global Proving Ground (GPG) is proud to announce the official launch of their unique fan driven fighter platform. The GPG platform enables combat sports athletes with diverse fight backgrounds to showcase their skills on a global stage. Skilled fighters on every continent have the opportunity to get noticed and build an International fan base. 

According to James Jefferson, co-founder of Global Proving Ground, “Words cannot express how excited we are to officially launch GPG! Our platform gives fighters of all disciplines a world-class stage to show the martial arts community what they’re made of, tools to build a lasting presence in the sport, and access to unprecedented support from fans and industry leaders.”  

GPG is also the ideal go-to place for fight promotions, sponsors, television producers, match makers and fight managers to discover new elite talent. Each GPG fighter video features background information on the athlete and a demonstration of their skills. Because fight fans vote for their favorite GPG videos, industry executives can also gauge the popularity of each fighter.

“Global Proving Ground is definitely a great resource for producers and film makers that are looking to cast martial arts talent. The GPG talent pool is very broad; it’s not limited to just MMA athletes. GPG features fighters with diverse backgrounds - Kung Fu, Judo, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu …the list goes on”, stated Steven Tornabene, producer of television, film, music, live event and commercial productions.

Combat sports fighters from around the world can upload and submit a short promotional video to Global Proving Ground FREE of charge (visit the GPG website for instructions/requirements.)  Fighters can also become an official member of the GPG Fighter Association (GPGFA) for a low yearly registration fee, which gives them access to exclusive benefits such as specialized media and combat training. 

Jefferson had this to add, “We take great pride in the fact that we are truly a global association. At GPG language is not a barrier. Fighters from any continent can log on to our website and with the click of a button can view the GPG site in their language. We currently have several video submissions in other languages, including a video from BJJ Legend Relson Gracie encouraging Brazilian fighters to submit videos to GPG.”

GPG offers various levels of membership to fight fans as well (see website for full details/benefits). Voting is always free. Fans can show support for their favorite fighters by voting for GPG videos and/or by sponsoring a fighter’s GPGFA membership.

For more information or to register as a Global Proving Ground member, please visit www.GlobalProvingGround.com. Combat sports fans and fighters are encouraged to like GPG on Facebook and follow GPG on Twitter @GlobalPrvngGrnd. 

About Global Proving Ground (GPG):

Global Proving Ground (GPG) is the ideal platform for fighters of all martial arts disciplines to showcase their skills on a global level. It is THE place for promoters, sponsors, television producers, match makers and fight managers to discover new elite fight talent. GPG offers skilled combat sports athletes of all disciplines useful tools to help showcase their skills and advance their careers. It is also a place for fans to show support for their favorite amateur and professional fighters. 

Taking MMA Management to the Max: MMAXM.COM

By: Rich Bergeron

Stephen Andrews is an investor in a revolutionary platform that helps fighters, managers, and promoters streamline their business relationships. MMAXM (http://www.mmaxm.com/)  is already carving out a nice niche for itself in the sport of MMA with a stable of 154 fighters and 12 major promoters.

Andrews started training recreationally in MMA back in 1998. He began hearing a few horror stories from fighters about how hard it was for them to get assigned a match. Others complained about not getting paid. Teaming up with a top-notch software designer, Andrews set out to help make the sport of mixed martial arts “more efficient as a marketplace.” He also enlisted Wade Hampel, who manages UFC Fighter Charles Oliveira.

“We came up with the idea of creating an e-commerce system where promoters could post fights, and managers and fighters could then respond to requests for fights and negotiate fees and everything else,” said Andrews.

Putting it all on the Internet and utilizing SMS technology to alert their stable of over 150 fighters and counting, the design of the new enterprise is revolutionary in the manner it protects and benefits all parties involved in the process. The fighter and/or manager looks at the contract and then negotiates with the promoter for travel expenses and other considerations. There are also plans to have the option for promoters to put money in escrow to guarantee the agreement once it becomes final.

“We want to make sure there is a legal way to get paid by having it done through the system,” explains Andrews. “I also think there’s potential for getting fighters sponsorship deals through the system as well. I know how hard it is for fighters to get sponsorships. They’re getting a hundred bucks here or a hundred bucks there, and it’s really awful.”

Anyone who wants to get involved can go to the site and register for free as a manager, promoter, or fighter, Andrews adds. Fighters are asked to create their own profiles with their fight records, fight videos, and other pertinent information. As soon as they sign up they begin getting text messages about available fights offered through the system.

“We’re just trying to make everything more transparent so that people can actually know about the fights that are happening and actually on their phones negotiate with that and get themselves into a fight,” said Andrews. He is also hoping to work with amateur fighters through the system as well.

Another aspect of the system Andrews hopes to develop in the future is a way to show how many tickets fighters can typically sell. Regional promoters often rely on a fighter’s ability to put fans in the seats for their fights. Andrews explained that ex-UFC Fighter Tim Hague is so great at selling tickets in his post-big-show career that he now makes more money in the Canadian MMA circles than he made while in the UFC.

The vision for the future of MMAXM is having the system be the old standby method of operation for promoters to plan their fight cards with. Andrews would like to see everything from blood work and licensing paperwork uploaded into the system to create a working database that could become a crucial tool in fight promotion and fighter/manager/promoter negotiations. Andrews hopes one of the regional promotions will come on as a part owner to help realize the dream of making MMAXM a one stop shop for promoters, managers, and fighters across the world.

The MMAXM model is also an equal opportunity enterprise as far as embracing women fighters. They recently signed on with Invicta, an organization looking to promote all female fight cards in the sport of MMA. Andrews hopes to recruit as many women fighters as possible to add to the current stable of about 15 ladies signed up.

Looking toward the future of the sport of MMA, Andrews predicts it will become “more global,” especially with the UFC expanding and holding more shows overseas. “I just don’t know where it’s going to go with the money,” he adds. “The UFC is just such an 800 pound gorilla. I don’t know how all these other promotions can get as much money in and pay the fighters more.”

There’s only one downside of extra competition in the marketplace Andrews fears. If one or two promotions seek out and acquire all the best non-UFC fighters available, the possibility of making the best fights happen could be minimized. As it is, there are multiple local and regional promotions competing with national and global entities in the sport, and all of them can benefit from the model MMAXM is trying to be the standard bearer for. The networking and streamlining available through the site’s tools and general setup can at least help smaller promotions formulate better cards. The promotions working with MMAXM can also keep their fighters happy by using a system where they don’t have to worry about training and fighting only to find out they won’t get a paycheck after all is said and done. It should also help fighters who may not be able to get a manager on board to help them out. The site and the concept could truly revolutionize the sport of MMA if it really catches on in a big way.

Stop by http://www.mmaxm.com/ to learn more about this new and exciting MMA business platform.

MMAXM.COM May Revolutionize the Mixed Martial Arts Industry

Click on the image to the left to listen to this week's FNU Combat Sports Show featuring Stephen Andrews, an investor in http://www.mmaxm.com/. The new site streamlines the networking and business relationships between promoters, managers, and fighters. Andrews gives us the run down of the business model, describes the ultimate plans for the expansion of the business, and tells us how it all works. Fighters can use the site to find opportunities to fight while promoters can find replacements for injured fighters and post available fights to a wide network of MMA practitioners. The site is an e-commerce platform as well, and promoters must put money in escrow to pay any fighter who lands a fight gig through the platform. This prevents the horror stories created when fly-by-night promoters decide not to pay fighters if the gate turns out to be less than expected or other reasons make the show a disaster. http://www.mmaxm.com/ could potentially revolutionize and unite the MMA industry and keep fighters, promoters, and managers on the same page.