New program from BattlePass.com offers up-to-date event listings and money for MMA bloggers and website owners.

(OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE) BattlePass.com today announced the launch of a new affiliate marketing program that pays website publishers for referring ticket-buying visitors to the BattlePass.com website. Under the program, affiliates will be paid 35% of all net revenues collected by BattlePass.com for events ticketed through the BattlePass web site.

The program, the first of its kind for combat sports and MMA events, is also one of the first affiliate marketing programs to make real time RSS feeds available to website owners. By signing up with the affiliate program and implementing the BattlePass FightFeed®code, website owners can benefit from valuable, dynamic, and accurate content – the most comprehensive list of MMA fights and combat events on the internet – and make money for click-throughs that result in ticket sales. Publishers may also choose to carry provided graphic banners or text links to refer traffic to the BattlePass.com web site.

Signing up for the BattlePass affiliate program is free.

“The BattlePass affiliate program is going to be a win for everyone,” CEO Jeff Gale commented, “Website owners now have an easy way to monetize their sites and add a great section of relevant and updated MMA and combat events from the BattlePass FightFeed. MMA fans get better awareness of fights and events in their area.  And promoters can now instantly list their fights on BattlePass.com and have them spread across the BattlePass network of affiliates, exponentially increasing the exposure and credibility of their events.”

For details on the BattlePass Affiliate Program and instructions on how to sign up, please visit http://www.battlepass.com/battlepass/affiliate.aspx

About BattlePass.com: BattlePass.com carries the most extensive list of combat and MMA events and ticket information on the web today. Promoters can list their fights on BattlePass.com and the BattlePass affiliate network for free.  Additionally, promoters can get free ticketing and event marketing by signing up with BattlePass Pro, the only ticketing system custom built for MMA and combat events.

Wow. As we took the covers off of BattlePass Pro, our newest MMA Ticketing product earlier this week, we’ve seen the combat sports community react in an overwhelmingly positive way. It feels cool to launch a new product built specifically to the needs of the community of fight and combat event promoters, and we’re excited about the new partnerships and relationships we’ll form as a result of it. If you haven’t checked out BattlePass Pro yet, read the press release here and check out product details here.

Oh, and we’re offering free hard tickets to all promoters who sign up with BattlePass Pro this year, so if you’re in the market for a ticketing solution, check it out.

Because the TicketBiscuit core audience differs somewhat from the BattlePass core audience, we’ve decided to give BattlePass it’s very own blog. Starting now, we’ll carry all BattlePass-related news on http://buzz.battlepass.com. Not only will we feature product news and updates, but we’ll also feature in depth reviews and previews of fights that we ticket. It should be a very cool platform to expand the audience and awareness of our promoter clients,  so be sure to check it out.

Buzz.battlepass.com will carry all BattlePass related news from now on. Check it out!

What a way to kick off the week! BattlePass.com is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with The International MMA Expo (IMMAE). Under the partnership, BattlePass will be the exclusive provider of electronic ticketing systems and online floor plan management services for all IMMAE events. In addition, the IMMAE sales force will be exclusively selling BattlePass.com ticketing and event marketing services to its network of contacts.

You can check out the full release here. The next two IMMAE events are in Hawaii June 26-28 and Los Angeles August 28-30. IMMAE plans to have other regional events across the US in the upcoming year. For more info on IMMAE, visit www.immae.tv.

Videos of the fight now posted to YouTube and embedded below.

BATTLEPASS.COM - YOUR TICKET TO LIVE COMBAT

Weigh In:

Entry and Round 1:

Round 2 (partial):

Round 3:

Judges Decision:

It was a dream come true for Kyle Maynard, who made his MMA debut April 25 at Auburn Fight Night in Auburn, AL (Battlepass.com was title sponsor of the event). Unfortunately, opponent Brian Fry was able to elude Maynard and consequently, Maynard was never able to execute any grappling moves.

Brian Fry won the bout by unanimous decision after the third round.

Here are a few photos of the event; I will post some video tonight.

Last night I attended the weigh in for Auburn Fight Night, which will be Kyle Maynard’s MMA debut. For those of you out of the loop, check out this post, or this post, or just open up any MMA site today and you will see his picture on the front page. This is MMA history.

Kyle’s Opponent tomorrow night will be Brian Fry from Madison Wisconsin. He weighed in at 137 pounds. Kyle weighed in at 134.

Get your tickets to Auburn Fight Night by visiting BattlePass.com. I’ll update again after the fight with some video.

Me and Kyle Maynard at the Weigh-In

(Atlanta, GA, March 20, 2009) – One month after his 23rd birthday, Kyle Maynard will fulfill what has been a lifelong dream. He will compete in his first Amateur Mixed Martial Arts match. The match will take place on Saturday, April 25 in Auburn, AL at The Auburn Covered Arena in an event titled “Auburn Fight Night.”

Auburn Fight Night tickets and more information can be found at www.BattlePass.com. 

Kyle Maynard went 35-16 his Senior year wrestling in Georgia

Maynard, a congenital amputee with no elbows or knees, burst onto the national scene when he graduated from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, GA with a wrestling record of 35-16 in his senior season and a 3.7 GPA. He is the recipient of a 2004 ESPN Espy Award for Best Athlete With A Disability and has been featured on many radio interviews, talk shows and television programs including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. 

Currently he works as a speaker for the Washington Speaker’s Bureau, specializing in motivational speeches. He is also the author of the memoir No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life.

In 2004, at the age of 18 while a student at The University of Georgia and a member of its club wrestling team, Maynard told a USA Today reporter “I’d love to fight in that” when pointing to a Randy Couture UFC poster hanging in his dorm room. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is often times referred to as the pinnacle of Mixed Martial Arts fighting. 

Maynard will get his first opportunity to fight in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts on Saturday, April 25 in Auburn, AL. He will become the first congenital amputee to compete in a Mixed Martial Arts match. 

Maynard was originally hoping to fight in his hometown of Duluth, GA nearly two years ago. The fight did not occur due to the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission denying Maynard a license to fight. The state of Alabama has no Athletic Commission that governs the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. 

“I’ve been promoting fights since 2002, nearly 50 events combined, and I’ve never seen someone with the drive that Kyle possesses,” said promoter David Oblas. “I’ve seen Kyle overcome every obstacle put in front of him and on Saturday, April 25 he will overcome yet another. This is something that Kyle has wanted to do for years now and something that I’m happy to help him achieve.”

Kyle Maynard added, “The first question that I receive from everyone is do I fear for my safety while fighting in the cage? Absolutely not. Despite my lack of limbs I can protect myself just as much as the average fighter. I have been preparing for this fight for years and I cannot wait for Saturday, April 25 to arrive. There is no challenge and no goal that I have worked as hard for as this one. I would like to thank all of my family, friends and training partners for their support as I enter the last 30 days of my training camp.”

For additional information and for ticket information regarding Auburn Fight Night please visit www.BattlePass.com. The Auburn Covered Arena will be configured to fit 7,000 people for this historic fight. Tickets are on sale for $20 in advance and $25 the day of the fights for General Admission. VIP tables of eight are available for $400. Auburn Fight Night will consist of both professional and amateur Mixed Martial Arts fights with several Auburn residents fighting on the card. 

CONTACT: 

David Oblas
Undisputed Productions, LLC
404-579-9404
dave@UndisputedProductions.com 

Promoter Website: www.UndisputedProductions.com 

Event Website: www.BattlePass.com 

BATTLEPASS.COM - YOUR TICKET TO LIVE COMBAT

BattlePass.com is proud to sponsor New York Times bestselling author and congenital amputee Kyle Maynard in his first ever MMA event, scheduled to take place April 25, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. Kyle’s story is amazing. From Wikipedia: He has no elbows and no knees, yet he competed in the 2004 Georgia High School Wrestling Championships. He graduated from Collins Hill High School with a wrestling record of 35 wins, 16 losses and a 3.7 GPA. Kyle has been an inspiration to thousands, appearing on such shows as Larry King Live and Oprah. You can read more about Kyle here, and find out more info about the fight by visiting battlepass.com.

Kyle Maynard Makes His MMA Debut April 25 in Auburn, AL

BattlePass.com is making a sort of debut of its own. Our MMA promoter clients talked, and we listened. We’ve redesigned the site to be more fan friendly, and have teamed up with some of the biggest names in the sport to bring you the most events, the best deals on gear, and other special offers tailored for BattlePass.com web surfers and MMA ticket buyers. The goal? Help promoters sell more tickets and gain more visibility nationwide for their events.  Check it out today.

I found some very cool news in my inbox this morning. One of our newest BattlePass clients, Xtreme Fighting Championships, has inked a very cool deal with MTV.

XFC President John Prisco and crew put on shows in Tampa to crowds averaging over 10,000, making him the largest regional promoter in the United States. In this deal, the XFC will host tryouts for the MTV reality show “Made”, the winning contestant will then train at the XFC training facilities, and the newly made fighter will debut on the April 18 fight card in Knoxville, Tennessee. The “made” episode will air in 2009.

John is a savvy promoter, so say the least. I encourage anyone in the marketing or public relations fields to read his Anatomy of a Fight Promotion series on mmajunkie.com. His strategy is pretty straightforward: tell an honest story, tell a compelling story, and aggressively court the “free” media to help you tell your story. This MTV deal is evidence of that strategy in action. How much free community exposure will John’s operation get when MTV comes to town and hosts tryouts? How much free national exposure will the XFC brand and franchise-able training facilities get when the show airs on MTV?

John knows the difference between commercials and media – commercials create awareness, media creates action. Oh, and media is a LOT cheaper.

This is where Elite XC got it wrong. They spent too much money too quickly and failed to establish a brand that could compete with the UFC. I don’t know if Prisco is interested in competing per se with the UFC, but it is apparent he has the foundation and skills to carve out a significant share of the market for the sport. And we’re in his corner.

This week, Jeff and I had the distinct pleasure of traveling to Southern California to promote BattlePass and our new relationship with Roy Englebrecht Promotions. As you may remember from an earlier post, Roy is one of the nation’s top promoters, and has been promoting fights in California for almost 30 years. Next year marks the 25^th anniversary of his Battle In the Ballroom Series, for which we will be the official ticketing provider. Anyway, from this past Friday until Monday, Roy held Fight Promoter University Five, a four day seminar and experiential learning curriculum targeted at wannabe promoters. Since Jeff and I were very interested in establishing relationships with these guys, we decided to sit in on Roy’s classes.

Boxing and MMA Promoters have gotten a pretty bad rap recently, thanks largely to the antics of Don King and a few other shady characters. What I learned, though, is that promoters like Roy adhere to a few solid business principles that make them successful. Here are ten that I picked up this past weekend, that seem to drive Roy and his team.

1. Always pay attention to details. The professionally printed fight card won’t make people buy tickets, nor will the police beacons above the ring poles. But, they do convey a sense of uniqueness and professionalism. These sorts of subtle clues can influence your credibility in a big way. Which leads us to #2:
2. Credibility is everything. You have to cultivate relationships in business in order to last. The degree to which you can make and keep commitments and continuously deliver a phenomenal product at a great value is directly related to your longevity.
3. Have fun. Though Roy got a bit stressed immediately before the fighter weigh in, he always looked in control and like he was loving it. As the night unfolded, Roy took on the persona of a master puppeteer, as his meticulously crafted show unfolded to the delight of the sold out crowd. He was entertaining 1500 people, and having a ball.
   

   Yours truly with Michael Buffer. "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"

4. Bartering is good business. You have something of value. You need something of value from another businessman. In a world where cash is king, the act of bartering buoys many a small business. Roy is a mastermind at the act of trade. Professionally printed fight cards? 20 seats. Fight Staff? Internship credit at the local junior college. Even Richard Schaeffer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions (on it’s way to becoming the largest fight promoter in the country), stressed the importance of bartering. Many of their sponsorship deals for their upcoming MMA fight have some sort of trade aspect to them.
5. Do good. This one is pretty self explanatory, but for Roy, it is central to his character and his operation. If you do good, good things happen. Not just to you, but to the people around you, your sponsors, your fighters, employees, and so on.
6. Empty seats breed empty seats. Roy will barter huge blocks of seats in exchange for products or services. While the exchange itself is valuable, there is also value in his attendees’ perception of a full house. It’s like verification that they are doing the popular thing. If you went into a restaurant at lunch hour and the place was empty, how confident would you be in the quality of the meal? In a more generic business sense, find out how much of your product you can afford to give away in order to establish a sense of presence in the market.
   

   The "Winterfist" Fight sold out completely.

7. Try some crazy ideas. Jeff and I got pretty tickled hearing about some of Roy’s ideas. The most memorable was one where he set up a barber’s chair in the back of the boxing arena and ran a hair cutting promotion in the middle of a boxing match. For every crazy idea that didn’t work though, Roy had ten examples of things that did. Never be afraid of risk.
   
8. Know who your customers are. You don’t sell out 19 straight shows on accident. Roy spends no money on radio, TV, or print advertising either. What he does do is create exciting incentives for every show attendee to provide their name and contact information. Roy used a cash prize promotion, a pretty straightforward idea. But, he incorporated principles of showmanship (calling out the winner and inviting them to a ringside seat for one bout) and instant and visible gratification (the winners were paid, in the ring, in front of everyone) to make it almost impossible to resist.
   
9. Great people make a great operation. As part of the curriculum we got to watch one of Roy’s MMA fights. There were seven incredible bouts, many by fighters making their professional debut. Roy’s matchmaker, Arnold Berger, has a huge future in the business. The degree to which he spends his time and effort really getting to know the fighters was evident in the quality of the matches. The two hour show never got boring, even in between the bouts, thanks to Mike Hart, the ring announcer. Mike carried on a conversation with 1500 people with a smooth as butter style. And don’t even get me started on the ring girls. Roy hires right, period.
   
10. Passion breeds achievement, achievement breeds success. This sounds like one of those cheesy inspiration posters, but it is nonetheless true. Only through the continuous relentless dedication of themselves to producing top quality shows has Roy and team been able to enjoy the success they have. You can’t fake it in that sort of pressured environment. Without passion, you burn out quickly.

    

    Jeff and “Razor” Rob McCullough

Check out Roy’s website at www.battleintheballroom.com.