Interested Parties

[sugarshane]

I think Stumac has some very convincing points and to just right his idea off just because you don't fancy it or never thought of it....is folly.
the wka is totally diffrent to a bunch of promoters in it being;
independent and recognised.
oh aye?

[Mc6pack]

I think Stumac has some very convincing points and to just right his idea off just because you don't fancy it or never thought of it....is folly.
the wka is totally diffrent to a bunch of promoters in it being;
independent and recognised.
oh aye?

WKA are a kickboxing GB, we are an MMA GB, both combat sports, surely there is some lessons we can learn from WKA's current plight ?

[paul james]

Very pleased to see people trying to get behind this a push it forward. I will obviously give my support where I can.

I Have been involved as a promoter in MMA for 4-5 years now and I seen this come up many times and have sat round tables with other high profile people in the sport trying to establish a governing body - however we are still sat here mid way through 2009 without one...

The idea is great and I will support it however I do fear that this will vanish as it has in the past due to lack of funding and people not wanting to put their hand in their own pocket or work for nothing!!!!

(I hope I am wrong!!!)

[Stumac]

Promoters don't need Reps negotiating with venues they need to be governed and regulated. And recognition will come from that

And again the WKA is no different to a bunch of UK MMA promoters sitting down and doing it themselves

governing body HAS to come from outside the box, the combat sports sphere. Existing combat sports players will not be good enough

Any negotiating with venues would still be done by the promoters, it is not down to a rep body to run the business of any promoter. Maybe you dont have a problem in the areas you work in regarding the use of venues for MMA show's, if that is the case you are one of the few. A rep body would negotiate with local authorities and police etc to allow for the use of public venue's for MMA. Any rep body trying to do this would have to be involved with the regulation of the sport otherwise they will have no credibility, and will not get the attention of the authorities.

If all the promoters got together and formed a GB then I think it would be the best thing to happen in UK MMA, but lets face it this has been talked about for years and the chances of it happening are slim to none. I have spoken to many promoters and coach's etc and they all want GB but do not have the time to do it. Full time job, part time gym (hope it will be full time one day), fight team commitments, show promotion, oh and a full time family in there somewhere to, sound familiar.

I dont have a problem with anyone trying to take this sport forward be it a Governing body, a rep body or commision, but please tell me what outside body is going to come and do this and not want to make millions of the back of it. Personaly I would rather see the money being made by the fighters first and then think about paying others, after all without them we can all spend more time with our families. I am not what you would regard as a player in UK MMA if I was I think I would be insulted that you dont think the people involved in the sport in this country are "good enough" to look after their own business, that you think it has to come from "outside the box".

I dont mean this to sopund like a rant if it does sorry, but this has been talked about long enough, it is clear from what has been discussed over the course of the last week that there are people out there willng to give their time and commitment to helping protect and unite the sport in the UK. All I ask is you listen to what they have to say, in the end if it's not for you then that's ok, it wont have cost you anything.

Stu

[Mc6pack]

Very pleased to see people trying to get behind this a push it forward. I will obviously give my support where I can.

I Have been involved as a promoter in MMA for 4-5 years now and I seen this come up many times and have sat round tables with other high profile people in the sport trying to establish a governing body - however we are still sat here mid way through 2009 without one...

The idea is great and I will support it however I do fear that this will vanish as it has in the past due to lack of funding and people not wanting to put their hand in their own pocket or work for nothing!!!!

(I hope I am wrong!!!)

Great too have you onboard Paul, your experiences and views from a promoters stand point will serve us greatly.

[r-v]

Im in if i cant offer much but if at any point We the MMA community are raising funds to get this of the ground im more then happy to give a few houndred and quote me on that.

My only concern if we were to have a GB How easy is it for a here today gone tomo promoter staging a non license event etc like some toughman boxing events do.

but like i said im more then happy to contribute any way i can

[Shaolin Exile]

I've only skim read the first six pages so apologies if this has already been said..

Earlier on, someone mentioned Dale Adams's original BAMMA and kainer mentioned the need to get the UFC on board. I seem to remember that Dale and BAMMA were involved with setting up UFC 38 back in 2003 so getting Dale involved might be the best way to get UFC on board. Just a thought

[Gerrysea]

Flame away - My Blog on the Elliott / Saville fight and more 23/07/09:
Good to see a lively, intelligent (Ignorin’ the trolls) and positive debate on an old chestnut with some determined effort at starting to make some form of progress.

However, I have to admit to bein’ surprised and somewhat disappointed at seein’ what appears to be Marc Goddard’s sound advice …..……. bein’ so quickly pushed aside, if not ignored. To my mind his suggestions have great merit; I would imagine that the BBBoC has the wherewithal, background, expertise and administrative services and processes that would be needed, already in place and so avoid much of the research and learning curve pitfalls that would undoubtedly lie ahead and probably also the faces and personalities to open many necessary doors?

I know, I’m not a promoter or a fighter, just a fan, but it all seems to make sense to me, utilising the services and expertise that already exists but redirected into MMA, if they could be persuaded to work with UK MMA in that way. Would it not be possible to join forces with someone like Marc Ratner, Vice President of UFC Regulatory Affairs and add the weight of the UK MMA community in a combined effort to get the BBBoC interested, to bring their the experience, history, knowledge and logistics to the table and take the reins? Surely the benefits in doin’ it this way must make it worth considerin’, if not a try?

This is probably easy said and much more difficult to do, I know. But just my thoughts.

I previously posted a similar question (Above) within another thread, but assumed from the lack of response that such an idea was dead in the water?

[Frank Bowen WKMA]

Being involved in Kickboxing, Thaiboxing and MMA as a participant, trainer and promoter for many years and being the president of WKMA/BIKMA I have seen the issues and problems of groups trying to form a governing body before. Our group was actively involved in negotiation with the sports council together with BTBC, WKA, ISKA, BMTA, BKBU, SIMTA, WAKO and CKO some 12 years ago to form a governing body for Kickboxing and Thaiboxing, it was going well until two of the groups thought they were so above everybody else that they started to apply for separate recognition and were negotiating as individual groups behind the joint groups back obviously this ruined everybody’s chances.

Even though I promote Kickboxing as well as MMA I would suggest that MMA proceeds as a separate group. I would be most willing to get involved in any way I can to help our sport.

May I suggest that it's important that many of the top trainers get involved not just guys who are purely promoters who do not run clubs as by virtue of the beast their main objective is to make money out of the sport regardless of what they say. It was the people who did not coach or participate in the sport of Kickboxing who tried to gain recognition as individual groups. One association head purchased the association and was purely a business man, the other was on similar grounds neither was involved in the sport. Their aim was to further themselves not the sport.

Therefore I believe it needs to be a well rounded group consisting of top trainers, named fighters, promoters, referees/officials, medical officers, MMA website owners and people who have certain skills - legal, media etc, and the group needs to have national representation.

All the best

[The ZT Team]

Were happy to be a part of it...

Sol & ZT Fight Skool