Nick Diaz has come up with a concept for an MMA promotion, WAR MMA. This promotion is starting out better than most. Why? Well, it’s owner has instant credibility in the MMA scene, as he is one of the most successful fighters in the game. As such, he has the necessary connections to get good fighters (and good unknown fighters) to fight for his promotion, with the assurance that they’ll get more exposure than on most local MMA events. Also he has connections with advertisers and could start making money right from that first event.
Now Diaz doesn’t have connections to get a T.V. or PPV deal right off the bat, but he already has a workaround in the meantime by streaming his event live through his website NickDiazPromotions.com. This gives everyone around the country a chance to check out his show while giving him a medium to see what type of numbers he could pull if he were on TV or were to go the PPV route, numbers that can also give him leverage when negotiating a TV deal.
Now WAR MMA 1, as the first event is being referred to, will be fought under the unified MMA rules, except no elbows to a grounded opponent (which let’s us know how Nick Diaz feels about action on the ground). This will force opponents on the ground in top position to either create space to punch, or work on getting a submission so as to not be stood back up. Also WAR MMA will be using a ring instead of a cage and if a ref pauses a match, fighters will be placed in their previous positions (love this, reminds me of the PRIDE days). Best of all, if a fighter holds onto the ropes, a ref can forcibly remove their hands from the rope.
There are definetely some interesting ideas going on here, and the execution will be what tells us if this venture will have a chance to grow or whether it will be DOA. I certainly hope WAR MMA gets a chance to grow, because it seems like Diaz is putting together a good product and is going about it the right way. If you’re interested in seeing the WAR MMA 1, check out the full poster below and click on it to check out Nick Diaz’s site for more information.
What do you think about WAR MMA? Think this is a good idea for Nick? Comment below or reach out on twitter @TheGuyBlog
