So suppose you're Scott Coker and trying to upstage Glory

First off, I don't mean to hate on Glory for doing anything wrong in particular. They're the only org that's kept any sort of English media attention on our sport over the past few years.

That said, if Coker is trying to start up a new org that raises some questions. I.e. is it really plausible to start up a new kickboxing org that can both out shine Glory and generate sustainable profits. He's a guy who's been in the fight promotion (incl. KB) business for a long time, so maybe he actually has a plan.

So as a thought experiment, what do you think would be the path to success here?

A few stock answers that I'm not really confident in
- Use money from Viacom to poach Glory top fighters and some holdouts (e.g. Saki, Spong)
- Promote talent crossover and have MMA fighters in KB matches to generate more mainstream US interest
- Buy SuperKombat and rename it UltraKombat cause SK has already surpassed Glory

Not sure any of these really fly tbh. Not sure Coker even has Bellator figured out at the moment, but let me hear your thoughts.

 

I'm with ya on everything but the part about SK. SK wouldn't do well in the US market. Too many guys from Euro countries that nobody over here has heard of.

 

Sarcasm, sorry mate haha

 

Why do you feel tapping into the MMA market is a bad model? Im a fan of kickboxing because I was an MMA fan and guys on sherdog posted K-1 videos. On the JRE podcast with Joe Schilling he talked about how winning a bellator fight got him exponentially more attention from the internet than winning the Glory world title did.

 

Glory isn't paying much. SK isn't paying at all (not once, not twice...). But if you ask me what enjoyed me more I will tell you - SK. Glory is boring right now and I'm european so I have to watch it in the middle of the night...

 

About Coker... he will run something with MMA and K-1.
If only K-1 is bad bussiness why could he invest more and more into it.
There is a lot of MMA promotions but there isn't too much those who can connect MMA and K-1.
Like FEN is doing in Poland (not telling ya that it's the best, but that's an example)

 

NOT calling it Spike Kickboxing would be a good start.

 

What is FEN? Legacy Fighting Championship has been running MMA and kickboxing shows on axs TV this year and it has been fun. My DVR has been busy and they have been fun cards with a few name fighters and some MMA strikers in the mix as well.

 

Im hoping Viacom gives him a silly budget. Im pretty sure one of the higher ups at Spike is a big kb fan, I swear I read this somewhere. If thats the case hopefully we see him pull the trigger on something like a mix of names from the past and bright young talent. Im hoping the build the American market with American cans is a Glory survival tactic and not a Spike push. Top level talent from the moon will get over if promoted correctly (i.e. fighter features, walking down to the ring with their corner people, post fight interviews etc).

 

It'd be like Bellator without it's own "tentpole" events but just for kickboxing. Spike wants weekly fight programming but they aren't going the UFC route of just doing tons more MMA.

 

I thought bellator wasnt breaking even on its own, now they want to start a new organization? lol the best they can hope for is just make bellator hold occasionally hybrid events. that would distinguish itself from being UFC's ugly brother.

imagine if bellator collaborated with not only kickboxing matches, but metamoris matches, fmt matches, wrestling/judo matches. that'd be something

 

I don't expect that Viacom will invest alot of money into kickboxing. I think that Coker's own kb-promotion will only be a supplement for the Bellator-brand. just to give talented MMA-guys with good kb-skills a start-up. i also think this will be some kind of an expirement if kickboxing got any potential with the right marketing-strategy.

 

I would watch for sure, but would average Joe watching spike tv? Im not sure about that.

 

hmm depends i guess. the average joe that doesnt train might not. but those that got into mma, through their individual discipline, whether it be bjj, kickboxing, boxing, etc., might watch separate martial arts bouts. i guess that crowd wouldn't be the average joe though lol but there is definitely potential for crossover (boxing fans watching for boxing bouts, then watching mma bouts)

 

I guess the question I have is this. Does Bellator really have MMA fighters that can generate publicity by doing KB? And if so, why can't they just make more money and gather more attention by doing MMA?

Its one thing if you're talking about how a kickboxer might be able to gain exposure by winning a MMA fight against an established fighter like Manhoef. Can say, Daley generate headlines by doing KB? Why can't he just keep doing MMA if he is that newsworthy?

 

This is a big reason why I think that it could still not happen. Coker may want it, but Bellator is still a money loser that needs Viacom to prop it up, are they really going to want to prop up another organization? Glory itself isn't that expensive to them compared to Bellator, wouldn't you just keep Glory and try to exert more influence?

 

They only reason they are still propping up bellator is because they only pay them 60k an event. If they paid them based on their actual ratings they should be able to afford to put on everything they have been outside of Tito or rampage fighting for them again

 

there is no way on earth they are only paying bellator 60k per event, where have you got that figure from??

 

That is what zach arnold told me back right before they signed rampage. I think he even put it in a article on fightopinion.com after but my memory has turned to shit lately so don't quote me on the article

EDIT: Here is one article and another with pics of tweets about it also
http://www.fightopinion.com/2013/09/15/nevada-keith-kizer-boxing-ufc/
http://www.fightopinion.com/2013/11/08/bellator-ufc-tv-exposure/

 

Fight Exclusive Night. Polis promotion, doind a lot of shows right now. Problem is that they try to do the same that KSW does.
Fights....ok, but SHOW MUST BE HUGE.