Strikeforce is all grown up now, cruising into next year with a TV deal and support from Showtime and parent company Zuffa.
But a decade before that, it was a small kickboxing operation that later segued into the MMA craze, and with some hard work and smart talent acquisition, it blossomed into a major force on the scene.
Promoter Mick Maynard said that kind of rise is what he aspires to in the business, and on the day of Legacy Fighting Championships' ninth event, he hopes that his promotion is on that path.
"Our hero has pretty much always been Strikeforce," Maynard told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMAjunkie.com Radio | MMAjunkie.com). "I don't have $40 million to blow through until we can get this thing right. So watching Strikeforce build it from a grassroots level all the way up to what they became and what they've become has been our role model."
Legacy Fighting Championship 9 takes place tonight at Arena Theater in Houston. The event's main card airs live on HDNet.
Legacy inked a TV deal with the cable channel six months ago, and it brought the Texas-based promotion to a wider audience. Maynard said he knew from the start that a TV deal was necessary for him to get to the level of Strikeforce, though he's not as sure on booking big-name talent.
Strikeforce was able to gain national recognition by nabbing huge names such as Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, who were massive draws in the San Jose, Calif. area, where the promotion operated.
And it's not that Maynard wouldn't like to populate his cards with the kind of names who draw crowds. But with those crowds come bigger financial obligations, and he's convinced that his road is to build stars from the regional level and hope they are collectively able to fill that role.
HDNet has been a perfect platform for that aim since the channel specializes in domestic promotions showcasing regional talent.
"I did have a pretty good idea that TV was going to be key, and we've been very fortunate because HDNet is an incredible partner," Maynard said.
The promoter cites Legacy fighters such as featherweight champ Daniel Pineda, Andrew Craig and Mike Bronzoulis as three examples of homegrown talents who have made an impact in Legacy. Featherweight champ Pineda appears tonight in a non-title bout while Bronzoulis attempts to take the welterweight belt from Jorge Patino in the headliner.
Of course, it's possible Maynard could one day lose all three to Strikeforce and the UFC, and he said the first two have gotten looks from major organizations.
Recently, the UFC came calling for "The Ultimate Fighter 8" winner Efrain Escudero, who had already signed a multi-fight deal with Maynard. Maynard, however, said that it would have been unfair of him to hold back Escudero.
"We could have been jerks about it," he said. "It just would have been an ugly deal. We want [Efrain] to go to the UFC. We want what's best for him, and until we become that level and raise their kids and make a career out of fighting for Legacy, that's how I'm feeling."
So even if he loses fighters to the big show in the future, Maynard said he'll continue to scout for new talent and building a strong regional event.
"After Strikeforce got bought, I noticed that a lot of promotions all tried to become that next No. 2, and I'm sure the aspirations of getting bought and making $44 million (were attractive)," he said. "But the difference between Strikeforce and a lot of the other organizations is they actually had something to buy. You have to have some talent; you have to end up with more than a really cool name."
Right now, Legacy has a modest TV deal and a stable of regional talents. It's quite a distance from being the next Strikeforce, but the longer it does its job, the more possible it is that Maynard will get the same phone call that put the California promotion under the umbrella of the world's biggest fight organization.
Then, Maynard will decide whether he wants to play with the big boys.
But a decade before that, it was a small kickboxing operation that later segued into the MMA craze, and with some hard work and smart talent acquisition, it blossomed into a major force on the scene.
Promoter Mick Maynard said that kind of rise is what he aspires to in the business, and on the day of Legacy Fighting Championships' ninth event, he hopes that his promotion is on that path.
"Our hero has pretty much always been Strikeforce," Maynard told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMAjunkie.com Radio | MMAjunkie.com). "I don't have $40 million to blow through until we can get this thing right. So watching Strikeforce build it from a grassroots level all the way up to what they became and what they've become has been our role model."
Legacy Fighting Championship 9 takes place tonight at Arena Theater in Houston. The event's main card airs live on HDNet.
Legacy inked a TV deal with the cable channel six months ago, and it brought the Texas-based promotion to a wider audience. Maynard said he knew from the start that a TV deal was necessary for him to get to the level of Strikeforce, though he's not as sure on booking big-name talent.
Strikeforce was able to gain national recognition by nabbing huge names such as Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, who were massive draws in the San Jose, Calif. area, where the promotion operated.
And it's not that Maynard wouldn't like to populate his cards with the kind of names who draw crowds. But with those crowds come bigger financial obligations, and he's convinced that his road is to build stars from the regional level and hope they are collectively able to fill that role.
HDNet has been a perfect platform for that aim since the channel specializes in domestic promotions showcasing regional talent.
"I did have a pretty good idea that TV was going to be key, and we've been very fortunate because HDNet is an incredible partner," Maynard said.
The promoter cites Legacy fighters such as featherweight champ Daniel Pineda, Andrew Craig and Mike Bronzoulis as three examples of homegrown talents who have made an impact in Legacy. Featherweight champ Pineda appears tonight in a non-title bout while Bronzoulis attempts to take the welterweight belt from Jorge Patino in the headliner.
Of course, it's possible Maynard could one day lose all three to Strikeforce and the UFC, and he said the first two have gotten looks from major organizations.
Recently, the UFC came calling for "The Ultimate Fighter 8" winner Efrain Escudero, who had already signed a multi-fight deal with Maynard. Maynard, however, said that it would have been unfair of him to hold back Escudero.
"We could have been jerks about it," he said. "It just would have been an ugly deal. We want [Efrain] to go to the UFC. We want what's best for him, and until we become that level and raise their kids and make a career out of fighting for Legacy, that's how I'm feeling."
So even if he loses fighters to the big show in the future, Maynard said he'll continue to scout for new talent and building a strong regional event.
"After Strikeforce got bought, I noticed that a lot of promotions all tried to become that next No. 2, and I'm sure the aspirations of getting bought and making $44 million (were attractive)," he said. "But the difference between Strikeforce and a lot of the other organizations is they actually had something to buy. You have to have some talent; you have to end up with more than a really cool name."
Right now, Legacy has a modest TV deal and a stable of regional talents. It's quite a distance from being the next Strikeforce, but the longer it does its job, the more possible it is that Maynard will get the same phone call that put the California promotion under the umbrella of the world's biggest fight organization.
Then, Maynard will decide whether he wants to play with the big boys.