Smackgirl Gets Smacked

by Luke Thomas on Jul 11, 2008 9:47 AM EDT in MMA News

According to Jordan Breen and Tony Loisleleur, one of the best and prolific outlets for women's MMA (Japan or otherwise) might be in serious financial peril. Notable quote:

A strong source within the Japanese MMA industry has revealed to Sherdog.com that Smackgirl's recent financial troubles are the result of a prominent sponsor pulling its support of the promotion. According to the source, the undisclosed sponsor, thought to be an Australian-Japanese information technology company, was responsible for the funding that allowed Smackgirl to forge a relationship with BS Fuji, a digital television channel affiliated with Fuji Television, one of Japan's six major broadcasters.

Although Smackgirl events have aired in the past on J-Sports, Japan's ESPN affiliate, the Feb. 14 ReMix tournament opener aired on BS Fuji. However, according to the source, the aforementioned sponsor pulled its support immediately following the February card.

As a result, the April 25 Smackgirl card did not get a BS Fuji telecast. Given the costs of production and programming, the source estimates that Smackgirl may have spent in the realm of $100,000 USD to get its February event on BS Fuji, and, without sponsorship to recoup those costs, may be facing much of the bill themselves.

When asked for comment on the claims that the promotion had been facing sponsorship trouble, Katsui stated simply, "That is only an assumption."

We now have both Pancrase and Smackgirl in debt, though Smackgirl seems to be on far more wobbly legs. While this isn't the end of the world for women's MMA and I'm certain DEEP would be more than happy to acquire some of Smackgirl's talent, this helps illustrate the difficulty female fighters face in getting suitable opposition in stable, long-lasting promotions. Additionally, this underscores the truth that providing quality MMA accessible to fans while trying to remain financially solvent as a promotion is a far more difficult task than many realize. Dana White is right: the UFC makes making money in MMA look easy.

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Comments

Sad...

I love me some Smackgirl, but there’s not many scenes/regions in the world that could support an all-female MMA promotion (yet).

by Chris Nelson on Jul 11, 2008 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

MY CHAUVANISTIC 2 CENTS

I may be out of line here, because I have not watched a whole lot of Smackgirl—

But Womens MMA only works when pretty girls are involved (Gina Carano). If a fight is promoted with 2 ugly females who were good fighters, I’d still rather watch 2 men fight of equal skill level.

by steak_knife on Jul 11, 2008 2:24 PM EDT reply actions

To each his own

But that’s a pretty flimsy reason.

by Luke Thomas on Jul 11, 2008 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions

A lot of people don’t like to make comparisons across sports, but female sports generally run way behind male sports in terms of interest. There are a few exceptions. MMA isn’t an exception. Most MMA fans are men just like most NBA fans are men,. That fact bolsters the “pretty girl” argument a bit. I think you really need more female interest in the sport to make an all female promotion go.

With that said, I think EXC has got the right idea by including one female fight on cards with male fights. That tactic doesn’t open up many spots for women wanting to make a career out of MMA, but I believe it’s the reality of the current situation.

by Cannon Jacques on Jul 11, 2008 7:31 PM EDT reply actions