Fight time. But how does MMA bouts and contracts actually come about?

So,

I do Krav Maga. And I fight Mixed Martial Arts. What’s the difference, people ask me all the time.

Well, the following post will explain the fundamental differences between the two!

So you want to be a fighter? You find a gym; you start training; you start sparring; you bleed, you sweat, you hurt, you smile. The natural step to follow is to get a fight. So you have some amateur fights and now you turn pro. Now, all of a sudden the hobby/the fun/the sport/the martial art becomes business:

- You decide what weight you will fight at.

- You find a matchmaker or a matchmaker finds you (sometimes through your gym, sometimes through your manager). This matchmaker works for a promotion, who will now be your employer. Either for a fight or for several fights, if you sign a contract.

- The matchmaker then finds you an opponent (usually a match-up that the match maker things is “fan-friendly”. I.e. will be a fight that the crowd will enjoy)

- Next step, you negotiate a purse. Not a Christian Dior one but rather the amount of money that you will be paid for the fight.

- You go into training camp for X amount of weeks, where you train harder than you ever have trained before.

- You step into a cage and perform in front of paying customers/clients/fans/crowds – somewhat like a modern day gladiator.

 

So how does this differ from Krav Maga? Well, the first 2 lines explains it all: You decide you want to fight. And a matchmaker finds you an opponent. In Krav Maga, you might not want to fight. There’s no matchmaker to find a “suitable opponent”. In fact, having to use violence might be the furthest thing off your mind when the situation appears.

Thus, Mixed Martial Arts and Krav Maga serve two completely different purposes.

For you that do watch MMA – or for you that have never seen it but want to experience it live, for that matter – I went through all of the above and I will be fighting on June 4th for Respect in the Cage in Pomona. I’m in my last week of training camp and I’m ready to go.

As for all my fights, I will donate 10% of my purse to the Marni Fund, in research for a cure for cancer. Get your tickets from one of our locations!

Want to follow my fight preparations? Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/marcuskowal

 

2 Responses to “Fight time. But how does MMA bouts and contracts actually come about?”

1. Lilit says:

   May 26, 2011 at 10:56 pm

   for tickets…u mean at krav maga location, right??

   Reply
   • mkowal says:

     May 30, 2011 at 10:10 pm

     Yes, at either one of them!

     Reply