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Posted on 2010-08-11 at 08:15:14 by Tony Reid
Thiago Alves has had well documented issues with making weight before this past weekend at UFC 117, coming in over weight twice in the UFC including being over a ridiculous 8lbs at UFC 85 against Matt Hughes. He walks around at or right around 200lbs. That is a huge cut even in a sport like MMA, where a 10, 15, 20 lb cut is the norm. Georges St. Pierre is said to be comfortable cutting between 10 and 15 lbs leading up to a fight. Leading up to the weigh ins for UFC 117 and his fight against Jon Fitch, Alves stated that this was his easiest cut so far, that there were no problems making weight but when it came down to it on the scale he was 1 ½ lbs over and didn’t even take the opportunity to cut the last half pound. He forfeited 20% of his purse without even giving it a second thought. What is more alarming to me than the physical aspect of this is the mental aspect of the entire situation. Joe Rogan must have mentioned the 20% forfeiture of his purse 1,000 times during the fight with Fitch and I think it speaks volumes about where Thiago is mentally. And I am not just talking about this particular situation. He has made a number of excuses in response to why he has had issues making weight in the past, from injuries to layoffs to lifestyle choices. Hopefully this is the (second or third) wakeup call he needs. He is bringing in guru Mike Dolce to oversee his diet and will even have him move in with him leading up to his next fight. I think this will help Alves reign in his weight problem. At welterweight, he can be very dynamic at his best and slow and lethargic at his worst (when having issues cutting weight). Rogan also stated something to the effect of "Dude, you don't need pecs that big". All joking aside, I think there is definitely something to that statement. Alves could cut out the Mr. Olympia type of bulky muscle in place of more functional strength that would better suit him in a mixed martial arts fight. There are still interesting fights for him at welterweight, as long as he realizes his place, which is not at the top of the division. He is a second tier guy that could have very exciting fights against guys like Dan Hardy, Mike Swick Paulo Thiago, and even Marcus Davis. Imagine if Paul Daley was still around, too!
If not, the other option would be jump to middleweight. One thought (which I hate) that always seems to surface when a fighter loses is the bright idea to drop a weight class. In this case the opposite would be true. Everyone is talking about him jumping up to middleweight. I personally think this would be a really bad move. He is listed at 5’9” but is more like 5’7”, which at middleweight would be extremely short. His reach would be on the extremely short side of that weight class as well. The only middleweight that is close to his size is Rousimar Palhares, who has had mixed results and who also implements a much different game plan and style than Alves. Palhares is known for his ground game, particularly his leg locks which can be effective on the ground against larger opponents but if your game is to stand and trade and implement a Muay Thai and striking style than it could be a long road to success at that size in that weight class. He would be facing monsters like Silva, Sonnen, Marquardt, and company who are all be much bigger fighters than Alves. I think Thiago is an exciting fighter and I hope he gets his weight and mental state under control and remains in the welterweight division. For Thiago it’s welterweight or bust.
Posted on 2010-07-11 at 11:29:57 by Tony Reid
This was a piece I wrote exclusively for themmadigest.com about a year after launching Reid Fight Wear.
“Tony Reid, owner of Reid Fight Wear, was nice enough to put together this article on “The Top Five Misconceptions About Starting an MMA Clothing Line”. With fashion in the MMA world popping up like wildfire, many people are taking their stab at making a clothing line. It ain’t easy and Tony lets us know what you might not know some of the pitfalls of the MMA clothing business.
The Top Five Misconceptions About Starting an MMA Clothing Line
Tony Reid
Special to The MMA Digest
1. You are going to become GSP’s new best friend- I have been fortunate enough to meet many fighters over the years. I have met many as a fan, some in a business context and even a few that I am lucky enough to call friends. Let me start by saying that I have met well over a hundred Mixed Martial Artists and I have not had one negative experience to date. That being said, there is a distinct difference from meeting a fighter as a fan and meeting a fighter in relation to a possible sponsorship opportunity. Do yourself a favor and don’t take this attention as anything other than a business transaction. If you have a the ability to help a person support their family, finance a home and other things of this nature I assure you that you will probably have that person’s undivided attention. I have been in a situation where the sponsorship money I paid a fighter (in the UFC) helped him pay his rent and get a place of his own. That was one of the best feelings I have had in my involvement in the sport. I have also been in a situation where I worked with a well known agent in the sport and my logo was slapped on guy after guy and there were times that the only way I knew I sponsored a particular fighter was by seeing pictures online or by getting a text message after the fact. I have also had my children to a well known fighter’s child’s birthday, because we are truly good friends. You will need to be able to separate who is a business acquaintance and those that are truly your friend.
2. You will open your doors (or launch your site) and the orders will pour in- In a word…no. You will need to have a comprehensive business plan just as you would create for the success of any other business. You will need to build your brand from the ground up. As the sport evolves even further there will be more and more interested parties grabbing a piece of the action. So far, many of these “parties” have been dishonest, greedy and just involved to make a buck but as the sport gains mainstream acceptance there will be more and more legitimate, intelligent and well established companies and business people making their way into the sport we love. What I’m saying is that you will need to step your game up to compete with the big boys. You will need to have a real vision of what you want to accomplish, total beleif and dedication to this vision, the right message, the resources to make it happen, the proper advertising mix of print, online and sponsorships..well you get the picture. But maybe most important of all, aside from all of the logical things I have mentioned you must also be a little crazy. By crazy I mean having the will to stick it out through the lean times and even sticking it out well beyond the point when you should have called it quits.
3. You automatically become a rock star/fighter/celebrity- Again in a word…no. If you weren’t a BJJ Blackbelt before starting your business you won’t become one just by creating BJJBlackbeltGear.com. TMZ will not be following you to McDonald’s either just because you created Snap, Crackle and Pop Fight Gear. If you are in it to get some attention for yourself you will be very disappointed. Aside from the icons at TapouT how many clothing company owners can you name?
4. Automatic universal worldwide acceptance- So yeah, just start your very own MMA Clothing Line and your set. Just walk into any gym around the world and tell them you want them to carry your new line. Heck, the good folks at Xtreme Couture, Jackson’s, etc. will make room for you right there on the spot. On the way back home stop by the mall and get your stuff in Champ’s (they will put you right in there with TapouT and their friends Premier Fighter). Don’t forget to stop by Buckle and get a few tables next to Affliction and Sinful.
5. It’s so easy anyone could do it- All you have to do to get started is: Work with fighters on sponsorships, work with agents on other sponsorships, create and maintain an effective advertising campaign including managing print and online advertising, create and maintain relationships with advertising agencies including graphic artists (to share and make your vision a reality) the account executives and everyone else in the building, deal with suppliers and their timelines, handling all the legalities including (to name a few) registering the business with all the proper parties, handling and being knowledgeable about all tax implications, trade marking, copyright law, etc. as well as having the capital to keep your upstart business moving forward including but not limited to: inventory, online costs, advertising, staffing (if you are lucky enough to have a staff) and monthly operating expenses that alone could eat you up if you are not careful. All of this on top of having a “real job” until you are making enough to support yourself. So yeah, its pretty easy when you break it all down.”
You can also check it out at http://www.themmadigest.com/2009/06/the-top-five-misconceptions-about-starting-an-mma-clothing-line/
Tapout Magazine
Digital Edition
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