MMA Universe

Bobby Razak, the filmmaker behind the Legalize MMA documentaries and various Tapout short films, has released another interesting film about MMA, only this time he looks at the sport from the perspective of two children participants.

The Future of MMA By Bobby Razak from Bobby Razak on Vimeo.

Payout Perspective:

I’m not a film critic, but in my eyes Razak is a talented filmmaker and an asset to the sport of MMA. The latest offering is an interesting look at the growth of grassroots MMA and a glimpse of the types of born-fighters we can expect to enter the sport in ten years. However, the film and some of its content do raise some questions about the participation of children in the sport.

I’m not a pediatrician, either, but I do wonder what kind of physical toll the sport of MMA might take on the young, undeveloped brains and bodies of children. Is it safe? If so, where do we draw the line? What are the limitations?

I ask not because I don’t necessarily know the answers – my slightly educated opinion tends to believe that rolling, wrestling, and limited muay thai training is perfectly fine for children. I ask because I think this is something the sport of MMA really needs to think about and have an answer for.

MMA isn’t just about the live events anymore – it’s now truly becoming a lifestyle. It’s the way we talk, the way we dress, the activities we undertake, the music we listen to, and the people we spend our time with. The more this lifestyle is perpetuated – with things like UFC Gyms, the ubiquity of Tapout and Affliction clothing, etc – the more we’re going to see participation from those of all ages.

Someone is going to inevitably call MMA on the participation of children, and the sport needs to be ready to answer that call unequivocally.

Note: Give Tapout a pass for the near eye-rolling amount of product placement. The company has done a lot for the sport of MMA, and they likely funded the entire production. It should get some promo out of the film.

Don Frye announced a few weeks ago that he intended to quit MMA in favor of pursuing a career in acting, and now we’re seeing the fruits of the UFC and Pride veteran’s labor with AT&T’s “One Step Ahead” movie/commercial.

Frye also recently made an appearance in the Johnny Depp headlined “Public Enemies,” and has two movies in post-production per IMDB.com.

Payout Perspective:

It’s great to see that Frye has transitioned from MMA into his second career of sorts. He’ll probably never win an Oscar, but he plays the tough guy and silent CIA agent role pretty well.

A career and livelihood beyond the cage is increasingly becoming a more important focus for fighters in today’s era of the sport. The money is now there that many of them do not have to work second jobs to pay the rent, but what happens when the fight checks stop coming in the mail? Will these fighters have the skills to pick-up and continue living the same lifestyle, or must they make other preparations?

It’s an interesting question that shouldn’t just be dropped on the lap of the promotions. Many will argue – and perhaps rightfully so – that the UFC or Strikeforce need to provide pensions and other forms of benefits, but the fighters, too, have a responsibility to look out for themselves. That first means seeking help and asking for advice, and then having the discipline and foresight to follow through on that advice.

The MMA money train doesn’t run forever, and fighters need to be prepared.

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The commercial is interesting not only because of Frye’s involvement – in which he plays a CIA type agent running around looking for this AT&T user with GPS – but also the way AT&T uses of Facebook to customize the web movie to each individual user.

It’s clever, but also a little invasive – the web movie requires that you log into your Facebook account through the website and share your information, pictures, and contacts with its database. Some will call it brilliant marketing and customer data mining…others will be concerned about the privacy issues.

In any case, this is one of the ways in which companies are trying to use social networking to find better information on their consumer. The MMA community as a whole might want to take notice; with a traditionally younger, more tech-savvy consumer, it could apply some of these techniques in its own marketing strategies.

Steven Marrocco of MMAWeekly.com writes that Gina Carano is still missing in action when it comes to Strikeforce and MMA:

The face of women’s MMA may not be back until summer 2010, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.

 

Gina Carano, 27, is currently shooting a starring role in the Stephen Soderbergh-helmed film “Knockout.” She reportedly plays a fighter who’s hired by the government to become a spy.

 

When asked for an update on when Carano would return to the Strikeforce cage, Coker said, “that’s a good question.”

 

“Her agent and I have been in dialogue,” he added. “We had talked about having her fight again, but not fighting on Dec. 19. She’s going to acting classes, I heard, and doing a lot of weapons training, doing what they do.”

 

The Strikeforce executive has followed this route before. The promotion’s other crossover star, Cung Le, relinquished his middleweight title in September when a blossoming movie career overtook his fighting responsibilities. Le will return to the cage on Dec. 19 after a 21-month absence.

 

Coker said he wanted to meet with Carano before making any decisions on how to manage the situation.

 

“I’d like to sit down with her face-to-face probably in the next 30 days or so, and sit down and see where her head’s at,” he said. “By all means, we would love to have her back, and we would love to have her fight again. I think in her heart she’s still a fighter.”

Payout Perspective:

Coker and Strikeforce are likely seeking to put Carano and Fedor on the same fight card in order to further boost the exposure that the Russian gets in North America. The next CBS card is rumoured to be taking place sometime in April, which would ostensibly rule out the participation of Carano. However, the timing might be right to get Carano back on a summer CBS card that could also feature a Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship Bout (one that would hopefully involve Fedor).

Randy Couture’s next hollywood movie “The Expendables” saw the release of its first trailer yesterday. The film also stars Sylvester Stallone, Jonathon Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, and smaller appearances from the likes of Dolph Lundgren and Steve Austin.

Release date: Summer 2010

Payout Perspective:

Not much of Couture in that trailer, which leads me to wonder how big of a role he received in the overall movie.

Still, the fact that an MMA star is able to cross-over and work in the film industry bodes well for the entire sport. Couture is bound to generate interest for the UFC via his participation in the movie – especially in the promotional run-up to its release date. He’s also paving the way for other fighters to make the transition, and secure a paycheck without getting smacked in the face (for real).