Prime Fighting President Alasdair Mackenzie is determined to create an environment that will promote growth and economic stability for young athletes in the Pacific Northwest. With each show that wraps up, Prime Fighting is reinvesting in its fighters and business with the idea that they will be able to offer fighters pay and promotional opportunities befitting of a professional athlete. The opportunity for sponsorships coupled with the new television partnership Prime has with Comcast SportsNet Northwest (CSNNW) will allow fighters to not only collect a good check but advocate for themselves on television with thousands watching. With this plan in place, Mackenzie and his team from Prime Fighting are now working on a new endeavor, PDXMMA.
“For young fighters who are training really hard, there isn’t really a clear path [once they turn pro]. The dream is Bellator, the UFC, maybe World Series of Fighting. But there’s nothing in Oregon or Washington that’s really a major path forward,” Mackenzie told me.
PDXMMA is a new, all amateur fight promotion that aims to prepare amateur fighters for careers as professional mixed martial artists. Mackenzie tells me that he intends to hold seminars to introduce fighters directly to potential sponsors. This will allow the fighters to have open discussions with these companies to gain a better understanding of what companies expect of someone representing their product. Beyond that, for fighters without representation, they will be going over contract information so the fighter can better understand what they are agreeing to if they intend to go pro. With this structure in place, the team at PDXMMA will be seeking out amateur fighters who are one or two wins away from going pro and giving them the opportunity to earn a three-fight professional contract with Prime Fighting should they make the right impression.
“We aren’t going to just give the contract to the guy who wins. These are three-fight contracts, we don’t want to give it to just anyone. We want to give it to the guy who understands how sponsors work, who understands the path to success,” said Mackenzie.
Mackenzie went on to explain that he wants to build a platform for fighters who are taking the business of fighting serious. Whether the fighter is the type of person who would make it to the UFC or not, PDXMMA hopes to be there to better prepare them for that possibility. Mackenzie believes that this will not only benefit the emerging local talent, but will also make the Oregon and Southwest Washington fight scene a more desirable place for those from other state who are looking for a fight. Another amazing benefit of PDXMMA is the partnership with CSNNW. The PDXMMA cards will also air on CSNNW, giving the fighters one last chance to impress potential fans, sponsors, and maybe future employers.
PDXMMA is a new and unique opportunity that by all accounts seems to be a great route for up and coming amateurs who want to hit the ground running when it comes to their pro careers. For those who are looking for a clear path to the pros and guidance they will need to help them reach their highest earning potential, this opportunity might just be for you.
