has a profile piece (courtesy Kelly Crigger) about the metro Washington, DC promotion that's making a name for itself:
UWC rule No. 3: Showcase a mix of local talent and national names.
Local fighters are the meat and potatoes of the UWC, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for bacon bits and steak sauce. The fight cards feature East Coast products, but with a mix of young guns from nationally known camps, like Greg Jackson’s MMA, Lloyd Irvin, American Top Team, FIT NHB, and others. With that model, the UWC fans get to see solid MMA action while also having an opportunity to see marquee names that they would otherwise have to road trip to the West Coast to get a glimpse of. The UWC’s third show also had young fighters from notable gyms on the card who brought their marquee trainers with them. So while Zach Light was fighting in the cage, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was in his corner.
"We’ve been fortunate that we can have these big names like, "Rampage," "Shogun" (Rua), (Andrei) Arlovski, Hermes Franca, Carlos Condit, Urijah Faber, Brandon Vera, and others as our guest at the shows," Foran said. "We know there has to be a certain balance between entertainment and great fights." But the big names are just a means to an end.
"Their presence helps us grow awareness and gain exposure for MMA as a sport in the D.C. area -- which is really what we set out to do from the start -- while the local talent pool keeps them coming back," Foran said.
It's ingenious marketing, and the end result is a loyal fan base and a consistent stage for the mid-Atlantic fighters to get better on. "We want to build our own fighters that rise up through the ranks and become UWC champions. We want to showcase the top local guys and hone their skills before they go off and conquer the rest of the world."
I encourage everyone to read the piece. Stay tuned for fight card announcements that will make any fan of MMA take notice in the coming days.
DISCLOSURE: I am the color commentator for the UWC. I believe in the UWC, but I confess to being an employee for matters of integrity and candor.