The second most popular question I get from readers who contact me through the site (First being "How do I fight for SportFight X?") is "How do I find a good manager, where do I start looking? Do you know any good ones?"
In a perfect world for a fighter, he or she would simply have to train their ass off for 6-10 weeks and when it comes time to fight, handle their business inside the cage take a short break and do it all again. The less thinking, decision making and added stress the better. Not saying they are incapable, just that would be the perfect scenario. However it is not that easy, fighters have to think about dieting, supplements, cutting weight, finding sponsors, paying for training and those supplements, working around their training schedule, finding fights, trying to get a better purse, getting tickets from the promoter, selling those tickets, keeping track of the money from those tickets, getting blood work done and getting properly licensed. That is just leading up to the fights. Then there is always, worrying about travel, getting to the hotel, what room to check into if need be, what time to be up, when and what to eat before weigh ins, getting to the weigh ins when you can't find the location and you are extremely cranky and starving, properly rehydrating all while keeping yourself focused while you are preparing for battle the next day.
This can take it's toll on a fighter's mental state and make it very difficult to perform at their maximum capabilities. Wouldn't it be great to have someone there who ironed out all these things for you before hand. Someone who would say, you train and fight and let me take care of all this. All the fighter would need to do is be present and focused on his mission. Enter the world of the manager. I decided to post on this to give people insight who aren't sure where to start or what to expect from a manager in the first place. I've sent questions to a few managers that I feel stand-out at what they do.
With all this being said, finding a good manager involves more than asking just anyone to do it. By the time they figure out what the hell they are doing you could have missed out on great opportunities. Like recently we have put together a 155 pound grad prix tournament sponsored by REDLINE VPX, and scouted talent from around the country to invest our efforts into and help jump start their careers with good purses, publicity, a championship belt, (not just some cookie cutter belt, a custom championship belt) and this one particular guys brother calls me and says he is very interested in getting his brother involved. We took a look at the fighter and told them we would possibly interested and sent over the terms. You could tell this particular must have had very little experience dealing with promoters or fighters in general because he tried to counter offer us a ridiculous amount that didn't even seem serious.
And to top it off, the guy lives several hours from us and he wanted 100 free tickets included in the package... WTF? Getting a hundred people to a show for one fighter is very difficult and not many can do it. Getting 100 people to drive 4 hours to see a show would take damn near an act of god, unless you are a local celebrity and Rampage or Randy Couture was going to be at the show too. So I could tell reality was not a friend of this gentleman and we parted ways.
On the flip side, a good manger is going to help you manage your own expectations. As they say, 'Your only as good as your last fight' in this business and as unfortunate as it is, it is 90% true, half the time....huh? Anyways, people often feel that they have trained hard and they are going to be the next big thing in the MMA world so you deserve several thousand in sponsorships and anyone who doesn't believe that is wrong. Well before you stock up on sharpies to sign autographs, let's see what actual professional managers have to say. I interviewed several of the top managers that I work with regularly who have fighters that fight or have fought in the UFC, WEC, XFC, Bellator and SportFight X...of course.
So let's get to the nuts and bolts,
What is the best thing a fighter can do to attract a good manager? When scouting for guys, what do you look for?
Tim Holman of Shark Sports Management which manages a few dozen up and coming fighters in the Southeast region says"The first thing I ask a potential client is 'What makes you unique?' And I am not going to take answers such as 'I have these awesome tattoos' or 'I always wear a bandana/Hannibal mask/Jason mask during my walk-out'; I truly want a fighter to tell me what sets them apart from the rest of the pack. Fighters should really figure out what makes them unique and why they are involved in the sport of MMA because my second question is always 'Why do you fight?' I need a solid hook to help reel in sponsors and fans to support a fighter throughout their MMA career; and if a fighter has already thought about their marketability and what makes them unique then that makes my job a whole lot easier."
You can read my marketability blog post here for more ideas on how to become more of an attractive prospect for managers, sponsors and promoters. If you are a fighter that is... or even if your just nosey.
What is the role of a manager in a fighters career?
Direction and support says Jeff Chassner of Sponsored Fan Sports Management"A manager's role is not just about "showing me the money." With each client that we represent, our fundamental responsibility is to help build the fighter as a brand into something marketable. So the long-term benefit for the fighter and the management company is the ability to command higher rates for fight purses, endorsement deals and all the other intangible benefits that professional athletes receive."
What should an amateur fighter expect from a manager?
The same respect and treatment as a professional fighter according to Michael "Cornbread" Allen of Bread and Butter Management of Charlotte, "A status defined not by skill, but often by regulation should in no way affect how a fighter is treated. The one thing that has made my company popular among fighters in this region has been my willingness to embrace the amateurs as professionally as I do my pros. Meaning they should expect arrangements to be made, schedules to be defined and an honest attempt at finding new opportunities potentially sponsorships." Although finding a company to invest in you at that level should not be an expectation or a deal breaker.
Some management companies like Shark Sports Management, will not even accept cash from sponsors for amateur fighters. "Amateurs should come into a management relationship with an understanding that the manager/agent will be building long-lasting relationships with apparel companies and fight promotions that will be instrumental in developing their career toward turning Pro. We will not except cash payments from sponsors for our amateurs, but we will be sure that the companies provide our clients with a lot of gear to train in and some gear specifically for fight night." Says Holman
As a pro?
Going into the relationship with a manager as a pro, there should be set expectations that are defined in the contract explains Holman "Pros should come into a management relationship expecting that the manager/agent will solicit and negotiate fight contracts on their behalf, solicit and negotiate with sponsors on their behalf, and contact media outlets to do interviews and articles to help get the fighters name out to help advance their profile and name recognition in the MMA community. A Pro fighter should expect their manager to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism at all times. Pro fighters should also hold their managers accountable if they cannot deliver with good paying sponsorships and matchups on good promotions - "I'm doing my best to try and help you out" is not an acceptable answer if your manager cannot deliver on his contractual obligations to you."
What are some common red flags someone should identify when dealing with a potentially bad manager?
"I always tell a prospective client to be weary of a manger who will promise you the world. Unfortunately, many will say whatever they have to in order to get a contract signed. When meeting with a fighter, I always tell them to go home and sleep on their decision. Whether they decide to sign with Sponsored Fan or another company, the decision they make, is the most important in their career and should not be made on impulse. And I would rather under-promise and over-deliver than the opposite." Says BJ Hedger of Sponsored Fan Sports Management
What would be some reasons you would drop a fighter and choose not to work with him/her anymore?
"There are three fatal flaws that a fighter can commit to get automatically released from SSM:
- Showing disrespect for their sponsors
- Showing disrespect for promoters, matchmakers, or opponents before/during/after a fight
- Showing disrespect for trainers or training partners
The reason being is because it interferes with our relationships with these companies and it could potentially harm the careers of other fighters on the SSM roster and that will not be tolerated amongst our fighters."
Any management horror stories, fighters who were ripped off in some way... worse case scenario?
"One instance that is always on the top of my head was from about five years ago in Ohio. I have a great friend who is also a great fighter and UFC veteran. Well, as we were making our way up, we all had the same "manager". Looking back, he wasn't much of a manager...but at the time there weren't very many organizations...he just happened to know everyone in the area that held shows. "
Explains BJ Hedger of Sponsored Fan Sports Marketing
"Anyway, my friend and I were fighting on a card and he was told his contract was for 200/200. (Amazing how the fight purses have grown)...so he goes out, wins the fight via KO and collects his 400 dollars. Pays out 80 bucks for our "manager" and called it a day. About three weeks later, through pure "luck" we were talking with the promoter and discussing the show. He told us how this was the most expensive fight card he had put on and that my friend was the highest paid fighter on the card. The promoter said that for his next fight he would like to increase his purse to fight but couldn't go anymore than 1k/1k. My friend was ecstatic! He told him he couldn't believe he was willing to increase his pay nearly five times. The promoter looked at us with a stunned look . My friend said, 'I am humbled that you would take me from 200/200 to maybe 1k/1k!' The promoter said, 'Ummm, we paid you 600/600 the last fight...' We both looked at each other...used a few superlatives to describe our "manager" and realized we were on the wrong end of a financial knockout."
How much does a manager typically make?
Depending on what he negotiates, however don't get bent over says Holman "The absolute most you should ever agree to pay your manager is 20% of purses or sponsorships, anything more than that is a deal-breaker. If your manager is asking for the proper amount of money on your sponsorships and fight purses then 20% should be sufficient for the amount of time it has taken them build the relationships with your sponsors and the fight promotion. For the record, I have never asked for more than 15% from my clients."
Finding a Fight Manager
What is the best thing a fighter can do to attract a good manager? When scouting for guys, what do you look for?
What is the role of a manager in a fighters career?
What should an amateur fighter expect from a manager?
What are some common red flags someone should identify when dealing with a potentially bad manager?
What would be some reasons you would drop a fighter and choose not to work with him/her anymore?
- Showing disrespect for their sponsors
Any management horror stories, fighters who were ripped off in some way... worse case scenario?
"One instance that is always on the top of my head was from about five years ago in Ohio. I have a great friend who is also a great fighter and UFC veteran. Well, as we were making our way up, we all had the same "manager". Looking back, he wasn't much of a manager...but at the time there weren't very many organizations...he just happened to know everyone in the area that held shows. "
"Anyway, my friend and I were fighting on a card and he was told his contract was for 200/200. (Amazing how the fight purses have grown)...so he goes out, wins the fight via KO and collects his 400 dollars. Pays out 80 bucks for our "manager" and called it a day. About three weeks later, through pure "luck" we were talking with the promoter and discussing the show. He told us how this was the most expensive fight card he had put on and that my friend was the highest paid fighter on the card. The promoter said that for his next fight he would like to increase his purse to fight but couldn't go anymore than 1k/1k. My friend was ecstatic! He told him he couldn't believe he was willing to increase his pay nearly five times. The promoter looked at us with a stunned look . My friend said, 'I am humbled that you would take me from 200/200 to maybe 1k/1k!' The promoter said, 'Ummm, we paid you 600/600 the last fight...' We both looked at each other...used a few superlatives to describe our "manager" and realized we were on the wrong end of a financial knockout."
How much does a manager typically make?
Depending on what he negotiates, however don't get bent over says Holman "The absolute most you should ever agree to pay your manager is 20% of purses or sponsorships, anything more than that is a deal-breaker. If your manager is asking for the proper amount of money on your sponsorships and fight purses then 20% should be sufficient for the amount of time it has taken them build the relationships with your sponsors and the fight promotion. For the record, I have never asked for more than 15% from my clients."
Special Thanks to:
Sponsored Fan Sports Management
Shark Sports Management
Bread and Butter Management