- 1). Start small. Like any investment, you don't want to get into a position where you are "all in" when there's no peak on the horizon. Go to local shows where you think you might find the next big superstar fighter who could dominate the competition. Follow that fighter through a few fights and take notice of who he travels with and who his manager and trainers are. Once you are convinced he is your best potential endorsee, approach him directly after a fight and see if you can arrange a meeting with the fighter and his supportive cast.
- 2). Consider both the options of being a product sponsor or a financial sponsor. Cash is always better in any marketplace for anyone with whom you hope to make a deal . Still, if you have a valuable product such as a supplement line or workout powder, a product sponsorship could work as well. Write up contracts for 1 or both contingencies and explain the terms in full detail. The length of the contract, the types of responsibilities the fighter will have for branding, the amount of payments or product deliveries, and all other pertinent portions of the expectations and deliverables should be laid out in plain English. If the fighter speaks and/or reads another language, it is important to take the time to have a trusted translator involved or draft the documents in the fighter's native tongue.
- 3). Brand the fighter with your logo and business model when you ink the contract. Provide the payments promptly, plan out how you want the fighter to promote your brand at events and appearances and get involved to work the public relations machine as much as possible. Typically logos on fight shorts and corner posters at big events play very well and don't force you in many cases to pay the promoter as well as the fighter. For the largest shows you may need a "finder's" or negotiating fee to get your way into a plan with the top brass for mutual benefit.
- 4). Look for honest managers and get in touch with the best coaches as you develop a name for being involved in the MMA industry. Fighters in this business are operating at a stage at which the sponsor payments and benefits are sometimes more lucrative than the fight purses are. Treat the fighters well, and they will think of their own unique ways to pump up your brand and market your name and product or service. Success is contagious, so try to develop a stable of fighters over time. Cross-promote each other and do your homework on who you choose to endorse and work with.
- 5). Remain dedicated to the MMA business and gear some of your Web site content and business activities toward the sport if you can. Keep the fighter under contract busy with activities she can accomplish while not fighting and create benchmarks she can strive for in order to obtain bonus payments. The brightest talent often comes out of nowhere and bursts onto the scene, so you always have to be on your toes looking for the next prodigy to emerge. MMA is a young sport and always evolving. It's a perfect time to get involved and help a young, hungry fighter get to the next level and promote your business on her way to the top.
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