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Shane Carwin on MMA Management, Retirement, and a Potential Comeback
On his MMA management endeavor:
“When sitting in the gyms us fighters talk, when at the events us fighters talk and I have seen the struggle and heard the horror tales, I also failed to take advantage of my career in my first 8 fights. I was 8-0 and a UFC Heavyweight making maybe 8 grand a year in sponsors. I hired a company called Ingrained Media and as an agency they made me millions going 2-2. They helped make my fights and the earnings some of the biggest. I want to take their model and apply it to athletes that deserve such a treatment. That means digital marketing, SEO, endorsements, sponsorships, promoting the fights, building and leveraging their brands. We have legal support, financial planning, post-sport planning, PR and crisis management, fight procurement, social media support and activation. I have associates in China, Russia and here in the US, ready and willing to help.”
“Have you heard my interviews? I am not that interesting and I would rather build the sport versus build my brand or bank account. Nothing against those platforms and I plan on looking at them for my athletes, but I want to build millionaires not build on my millions.
If he thinks Ronda and Conor are look models for his athletes to follow:
“Nope, I look at them and see the puppet strings, I want to make sure my team can stand without the strings. It is a great thing to have Zuffa’s PR team pushing you. You have to leverage that and capture it. Not squeezing Zuffa at every turn, but using their hype and your hype to get as many deals as you can. Retaining the spotlight, extending your time in it and having some control over the narrative and timeline.”
His view on the Reebok deal:
“I love guaranteed money with an option to gain an endorsement deal, I love the big brand exposure. My plan is to sell the athletes and their platforms year round. Not the old eat what you kill when you are allowed to hunt type of model. My deals were annual deals. If I was injured I got paid, if I was fighting I got paid. I just got paid. I plan on doing it the Ingrained way. They built a few champions and ushered in monthly deals and out of cage endorsement deals. They even got me paid on the UFC video game that I wasn’t in. I will take all the guaranteed checks offered and work hard to create more opportunities.”
Weight cutting:
“Weight cuts almost killed me and cost me my title, i think that is the smartest move that I have seen in a long time. A lot of people do not know this but I brought USADA to the table. Roy Nelson wanted to test me but he wanted to use some agency that was also sponsoring him and had slandered me. So I went looking for a true independent lab and got Zuffa and USADA talking.“The sport needs blood level testing and adhering to WADA or higher standards, for the safety of the athletes, all athletes.”
Possible comeback:
“I struggled with retirement every day, I did not do everything I wanted. I think about it constantly. When I watch the Heavyweights, I am seeing myself in the ring. Then I board a jet and enter a board room trying to close company executives. After my failed NFL bid, after going from a top draft pick to not a draft pick, I missed competing. I went from not being good enough to play pro sports, to winning a national title and pinning my opponent in the finals. I then went on to beat some of the best athletes in the world. I have no regrets, but I would love one more run.Is it possible? I am rehabbing and pretty much recovered, I am pondering a comeback. I just need the right motivation or opponent. I’d like to get the belt and retire after defending it. Or just beat up Brock again.“I still compete with the best of them and could beat any of them."
https://www.getmoresports.com/shane-carwin-on-mma-management-and-potential-comeback/
On his MMA management endeavor:
“When sitting in the gyms us fighters talk, when at the events us fighters talk and I have seen the struggle and heard the horror tales, I also failed to take advantage of my career in my first 8 fights. I was 8-0 and a UFC Heavyweight making maybe 8 grand a year in sponsors. I hired a company called Ingrained Media and as an agency they made me millions going 2-2. They helped make my fights and the earnings some of the biggest. I want to take their model and apply it to athletes that deserve such a treatment. That means digital marketing, SEO, endorsements, sponsorships, promoting the fights, building and leveraging their brands. We have legal support, financial planning, post-sport planning, PR and crisis management, fight procurement, social media support and activation. I have associates in China, Russia and here in the US, ready and willing to help.”
“Have you heard my interviews? I am not that interesting and I would rather build the sport versus build my brand or bank account. Nothing against those platforms and I plan on looking at them for my athletes, but I want to build millionaires not build on my millions.
If he thinks Ronda and Conor are look models for his athletes to follow:
“Nope, I look at them and see the puppet strings, I want to make sure my team can stand without the strings. It is a great thing to have Zuffa’s PR team pushing you. You have to leverage that and capture it. Not squeezing Zuffa at every turn, but using their hype and your hype to get as many deals as you can. Retaining the spotlight, extending your time in it and having some control over the narrative and timeline.”
His view on the Reebok deal:
“I love guaranteed money with an option to gain an endorsement deal, I love the big brand exposure. My plan is to sell the athletes and their platforms year round. Not the old eat what you kill when you are allowed to hunt type of model. My deals were annual deals. If I was injured I got paid, if I was fighting I got paid. I just got paid. I plan on doing it the Ingrained way. They built a few champions and ushered in monthly deals and out of cage endorsement deals. They even got me paid on the UFC video game that I wasn’t in. I will take all the guaranteed checks offered and work hard to create more opportunities.”
Weight cutting:
“Weight cuts almost killed me and cost me my title, i think that is the smartest move that I have seen in a long time. A lot of people do not know this but I brought USADA to the table. Roy Nelson wanted to test me but he wanted to use some agency that was also sponsoring him and had slandered me. So I went looking for a true independent lab and got Zuffa and USADA talking.“The sport needs blood level testing and adhering to WADA or higher standards, for the safety of the athletes, all athletes.”
Possible comeback:
“I struggled with retirement every day, I did not do everything I wanted. I think about it constantly. When I watch the Heavyweights, I am seeing myself in the ring. Then I board a jet and enter a board room trying to close company executives. After my failed NFL bid, after going from a top draft pick to not a draft pick, I missed competing. I went from not being good enough to play pro sports, to winning a national title and pinning my opponent in the finals. I then went on to beat some of the best athletes in the world. I have no regrets, but I would love one more run.Is it possible? I am rehabbing and pretty much recovered, I am pondering a comeback. I just need the right motivation or opponent. I’d like to get the belt and retire after defending it. Or just beat up Brock again.“I still compete with the best of them and could beat any of them."
https://www.getmoresports.com/shane-carwin-on-mma-management-and-potential-comeback/
