HOUSTON, TX< July 18, 2011 – As an aside from TXMMA’s continued coverage of events like this week’s Legacy Fighting Championship 7 in Houston and Xtreme Knockout (XKO) 11 in Dallas, we also aim to give our readers additional insight into the state’s mixed martial arts and grappling scene by focusing on individuals that work and support combat sports behind the scenes.
Recently, we’ve labored to deliver a unique perspective of the combat sports world via our interview with Michelle Drake Browning, the first female MMA referee in the state of Texas. Yesterday, we continued this trend with our article on the perspective of Texas Parents with kids enrolled in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. And today, we bring to our readers another vantage point of combat sports through an interview with MMA Manager Ragan McDaniel of B3 Sports.
We actually spoke to Ragan back in September of 2010. It was then when he shared with our readers how he got his start in combat sports and how that passion eventually translated into him developing hiw own management company.
With the scene changing so much in the last year and his company seemingly evolving along with the times as well, we revisited with Mr. McDaniel to get his retrospective view of the last year in MMA and his perspective on the future of the sport.
Read on for a unique perspective of the MMA scene with Ragan McDaniel of B3 Sports.
Ragan, the last time we talked to you was back in September 2010. It seems like B3 Sports has evolved since then, as our entire MMA scene has. Tell us a little about what’s changed for you in the past year.
First of all, it’s cool doing an interview with you again, Mr. Calimbas. I appreciate what you do for the MMA community. Now, for those that know me, they know that I am literally working if I’m awake, which is about 20 hours a day, much to the chagrin of the “bosslady”…Hi Lacey! I’m always looking at ways to improve on what I’ve already built with the help of so many people. Any time I get “satisfied” I get lazy, so I’m continuing to press the issue and run full speed at all times. Seeing that I’m no longer the youngster I used to be, I realized I needed some help if I wanted to continue to run B3 at the high standards that we have set.
I was lucky enough to bring on two of the most recognizable faces in Houston MMA…Richard Burmaster and Mike Jackson. Without those two, I would have continued to just spin in circles driving myself crazy and making everyone around me miserable. Both guys bring so much to the table and it actually completes every area that we need. Communication with promoters, establishing media interviews and marketing, setting up sponsors, handling design work, recruiting and signing new fighters…it’s all taken care of now by some of the best in the business. Again, I’m very lucky to have both Rich and Mike working along side of me each and every day.
Aside from Rich and Mike “The Truth,” it looks like you’ve signed a few fighters on over the past few weeks. Who are some of these guys and why did you decide to grow the B3 stable?
It took a few unfortunate situations to give me a “wake up call”. Things happen for a reason, so I’m actually thankful that I experienced that. It reenergized me and got me back focusing on what is important when it comes to B3. I made a list, along with the help of Rich and Mike, of the top amateur and professional fighters in the area. Once that list was completed, we all agreed that we wanted to sign the best, so it’s exactly what we did. Helping “non-contract” fighters out is one thing that I’ve done for a long time, but having fighters trust us enough to sign a contract and put their future in the hands of B3 makes me and my staff want to work harder and go that extra mile.
In the past couple of weeks, we have signed some of the best professional and amateur fighters in Houston. I sat down with Tony Orozco last week at Silverback and we discussed B3 managing some of his best fighters. Even though Tony is such a short and chubby little fella, he is someone that I trust and someone that has put his trust in me and my staff. To watch his relationship with his fighters at Silverback and the fact that he only needs to say “I trust Ragan with everything” and his fighters are 100% on board says a lot. We signed Derrick Lewis, David Armas, Tony Orozco, Jr., and Jacob Silva from there. Those names are on the top of the lists of both amateur and professional rankings.
We also signed Team Tooke’s #1 ranked and #2 ranked amateur fighters, Guilherme Moreira and Levi West to long-term contracts as well as professional fighters Shane Faulkner (San Antonio) and RJ Knepp (Houston). On top of those signings, we picked up Jared “Lights Out” Chaffee from Gracie Barra who is making his pro debut on the July 22nd Legacy card. We didn’t stop there though, recently signing Chris “Chop” Rucker from Paradigm. We have more, but I will release those “TOP” names soon…very big names….
When you sign a fighter, what do you hope to do for their’ career? Why does a fighter even need a manager and why would they choose to sign with B3 Sports specifically?
Very good question and one that can be answered in many different ways. My answer is what sets B3 Sports apart from other “management” companies, and it starts with one word: experience. Not only have I been in the MMA business for many years, but my staff also has the experience both in and out of the cage. We don’t make “false” promises to fighters, telling them that if they sign with us we will deliver the world to them. Trust me, that’s a misconception that a lot of fighters and managers have. What we do is be honest and straightforward with every B3 fighter, both amateur and professional. Whether we are booking fights, organizing sponsors, negotiating contracts, giving guys a ride to the gym, cooking a good coonass meal at my house, or whatever…the fighter always knows what’s going on and is always involved in the decision process.
As a fighter, their primary focus should be to train for their fight. We give them that opportunity, knowing all of the business is being handled. We allow the fighter to be as involved as they want, making all decisions. Some fighters want to strictly be told when things are done and finalized while others want to be completely involved in every step. Another thing that sets us apart from others is the fact that we take each fighter and treat them differently…we treat them like they need to be treated. It doesn’t take long to realize if a fighter needs more attention than another in different aspects of their fighting career and their personal life.
We have the tagline “treating fighters like family…” which is not for advertisement, it’s how we approach our business. I was raised to treat others with respect and to go the extra mile to make people happy, so it’s not something I have to “try and do”, it comes natural. We don’t have “turnover” at B3. Once fighters have the opportunity to experience the benefits of signing with B3, they are always 100% happy. We welcome them to our family, they become a part of my personal family, and they are treated as such.
Sorry for the long answer, this is just a topic that I feel really strong about. Our fighters are our brothers, our sons, our best friends, and more. When I say we treat each fighter different, I mean that in a positive way. We treat the fighter how they need to be treated, providing them with all of the opportunities that they deserve. We’re dealing with individual people, in and out of the cage, so they are not just a fighter to us, they are people that we take a great deal of interest in, personally and professionally. My degree in psychology comes in to play a lot…<laughs>
Is procuring sponsorship the primary role of a sports agent? How does that whole aspect of the business play out, generally speaking?
Sponsors are great for the sport, it helps fighters get the extra money in their pocket and at the same time allow the particular sponsor to get the advertisement they may have not been able to receive by other means. On that note, the term “being sponsored” is not completely understood by all fighters. It is a misconception that sponsors pay big bucks to local fighters. Plain and simple, unless you have an “inside” track to a local sponsor or if “Uncle Joe wants to sponsor me for $500”, local sponsors do not pay a lot of money for local fighters on local shows. A lot of fighters think that it’s as easy as saying “I’m fighting in a few weeks on a local show, get me some sponsors that will pay me a lot…”
If you know the MMA business, you know that doesn’t happen. Gear sponsors and “trade” sponsors are very easy to come by. Financial sponsors looking to pay a lot of money to a fighter that is not on television, not featured in a main event, or not getting the “media” coverage are few and far between. On a national scale, once we have fighters that are competing on television, it’s the exact opposite. We receive calls and emails daily from sponsors wanting to pay to have their image on the fighter. It’s just a misconception that because you see a fighter on television with a lot of sponsor logo’s it is easy to do the same for local shows or non-televised fights. We don’t promise our fighters that they will receive certain sponsors or certain financial benefits. We do promise our professional fighters that we will use all of our established contacts and relationships with all MMA sponsors to get them the best deals and most money possible.
Another thing that fighters do not understand, particularly amateur fighters, is that if you are not a professional, you can’t be financially sponsored – Not at all. It’s black & white, clear as can be. Until you get your professional license, you can’t accept financial sponsorship for a fight. You will be suspended as an amateur fighter. Most ammy’s do not know that.
While I’m discussing sponsors, I would also like to say that there is a growing problem in that area. There are some sponsors that do not understand what their role is, so I thought I’d help them out, seeing that I’m such a nice guy <laughs>. When a company sponsors a fighter, they agree to have certain things, from their logo being in certain places to having media opportunities with the fighter, depending on the type of sponsor that is on board. Lately there have been “new” companies wanting to get their foot in the door as a sponsor but don’t understand that they are a “sponsor”, they are not a manager or someone that needs to influence the decision of the fighter. You pay money or give gear for advertisement, not for decision making privileges.
From your perspective as the owner of B3 Sports, tell us about the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with the territory.
I’m not sure we have enough time to discuss this topic and keep it professional. I will try my best to answer without making this a rant <laughs>.
Let’s start with the good. What better job to have in this world? I get to deal with promoters and fighters on a daily basis, go to fights on weekends, and know that I’m helping someone achieve their goal as they continue to advance. It’s a very self-rewarding job being a manager that is as involved as I am. I have never looked at this as a “work” in the many years that I’ve done this. It is my passion to be involved in MMA and something I love and respect very much. Also, having my family involved in this sport has been a great influence to my children, and that is something that I thank God for in my prayers every night. Everyone that has met me at a fight has also met my oldest son, Blaine. He is only 12 but is considered “one of the guys” in the MMA world and I thank each and every fighter that has taken the time to tell him hello, shake his hand, and make him feel important. Thank you. Now my daughter Breland is starting to want to go see the fights, but I’m an overly protective daddy. Finally, my youngest son Brady was jumping on Blaine’s back at the age of one, setting a choke and saying “Tap! Tap!” I think those were his first words! So MMA has been a huge influence on my personal life, which is usually on full display through my business life. Again, thank you to every person that has made my family feel welcome.
Now as far as the bad and ugly when it comes to the “business” side of MMA, there are different aspects that can be discussed, but I will keep it simple. It’s no secret that for the most part, MMA is all about who you know. That can be good, bad, and ugly <laughs>. It is also about loyalty. From strictly a personal standpoint, I love helping as many fighters as I can, whether signed with B3 or not. I can’t count the amount of people that have told me to “stop being so nice” and to “stop doing things and getting nothing in return”. That’s my nature and how I was raised…to do things for others, even if it means I have to sacrifice personally to do so. But I guess that being stabbed in the back multiple times in the past several years has taken its toll. It has also given me the energy to go out and sign fighters to contracts, deal with those fighters only, and give them the attention they deserve. For the most part, I don’t recognize when/if I’m being taken advantage of, whether on purpose or by accident. When others would tell me so, I would ignore that because I was doing something I wanted to do…help fighters out. As I finally stopped and stepped back for a minute, I really wish I would’ve listened to those people. Now all I get is the “I told you so” comments <laughs>. It’s the nature of the business though, so I take it in stride. You can’t hold grudges when something happens that you don’t agree with, whether it is right or wrong, so I just keep smiling and moving forward. MMA is a crazy world and one that will swallow you up if you allow it to, so I learned that when one negative thing happens, go out and do two positive things to make up for it.
What else has been going on for you? I know Legacy FC’s debut on HDNet is coming up this Friday. Do you expect your production duties with Legacy to also keep you busy?
Here is another example of doing something I really love, which requires a lot of time and dedication, but I could never consider “work”. I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work for Mick Maynard at Legacy and handle the production of the shows. Watching the reactions of the crowd when something I created is on the screen is very self-rewarding. Mick has given me the opportunity to do so and to be a part of what I consider the best promotion in the world, all things considered. For those opportunities, I am extremely thankful to Mick and consider him one of my close friends. He is the hardest working promoter I’ve met and someone that I look up to in the world of MMA. For those that have never had the privilege to get to know Mick, take the time to do so. You won’t be sorry, as he is #1 on my list of those I respect.
As far as the production side, it has become somewhat funny as a fight approaches to see who is not going to turn in their music. I get several questions as I walk around the arena before the event starts asking “who didn’t turn in music?” and “what are you going to play?” It is also funny to watch those fighters that forgot to turn in music once they first realize it…along with those that try and bring a CD to the event itself. Mo chagren cher, I got it already covered (the coonass side of me comes out)…but I look at it like this…I have a job to do and I take it serious. I want the production to continue to be perfect and one that the fans enjoy. To do so, I am on my computer working on videos, rendering everything, and organizing all of the intro’s for hours every night leading up to the fight. That is a lot of work, giving me absolutely no sleep the week of the fights. So I take it personally when fighters don’t turn in music. It is disrespectful to me, as the production director, that they may not feel it is important to have these things handled…or maybe they don’t even know (I know a good management company that will do that for you…just sayin). So, when a fighter doesn’t have the respect to get their music to me, I show the same back to them when they enter the cage. Trust me, I win those battles <laughs>.
What else has been going on outside of the fight game? Anything else you’ve been focusing on or working with that deserve attention?
My family. Chasing around three kiddos is “work”. Forget the MMA stuff, this is the hard work <laughs>. I coach Blaine’s football team year round which keeps me busy most Saturday mornings. My daughter is about to get back in to gymnastics, which will occupy some nights during the week, and my youngest is about to get started in sports and learning some jiu-jitsu. There are no “down days” in the McDaniel household. If I am ever at home and sitting for more than about 30 minutes, I feel uncomfortable like I am supposed to be doing something. Good thing I have the best wife in the world to keep me organized…known as the “bosslady”.
I thank God in my prayers every night for the opportunities that I have been given in my life. My dad, John McDaniel, has provided me with the opportunity to support my family while continuing to work as vice president of his engineering company. Being a part of a family business allows me to focus on my immediate family and help develop something to pass down to my children. I am very thankful for these opportunities and am very fortunate.
I’m also starting a noodling career. Anyone wanna join? I will sign the best noodlers around and we’ll invade every lake and river throughout Texas and Louisiana. Damn, I never should have let the cat out of the bag though…I’m sure some local noodling companies will start popping up…
Any last words for our TXMMA.com readers and all the MMA fans out there?
My best friend, Allen Watson, found out recently that his 5 year old niece was diagnosed with a rare disease called Batten Disease. I’m sure people have read the link that I continue to post on my Facebook page, but if not, please visit ‘Prayers for Olivia‘ on Facebook and simply click the “like” button. Why? If there is a chance that it makes her smile or if it adds one more person saying prayers, I will continue to spread the word. Please take the time to do so. Thanks to my good friend Stan Farm for also helping spread the word. Greatly appreciated.
Next, I always get myself in trouble when thanking people because it never fails that I leave someone out. I’m still going to try, so thanks to my wife Lacey and kids for sacrificing their time with daddy. I’m trying my best to limit my time away. Thanks to my best friend and the one person I know I can count on regardless, Mr. Allen Watson. Thank you to my boys Rich and Mike because you two allow me to actually spend more time with my family. Thanks to my friends and associates at the gyms here in Houston including Tony at Silverback, Jeremy and Bob at IVoz, Chad at Gracie Barra, Travis at Team Tooke, Paradigm MMA, and Westside MMA (GB Katy). Also thanks to my good friend Mike Barga at Malicious Beatings, the crew at Armbar Submission Gear, Xplosive Athletics, and Raul at Team Gacho.
Now I’m off to noodle…
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