Press Release – In the past twenty years, extreme action sports have come to the forefront of the mainstream sports world. The X-Games, Tony Hawk, Shaun White, freestyle walking, and half-pipes have all entered everyday lingo, and as a result, extreme sports have become multimillion-dollar industries. Kids and teenagers alike idolize the sports’ young stars.
In the same way that skateboarding and snowboarding went from being a fringe element on the outskirts of the sports landscape to occupying a prominent spot in the national sports consciousness, mixed martial arts (MMA) has risen from dank little back alleys into the best and brightest lights the sports world has to offer. Fighters like Randy “The Natural” Couture and “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell are now mainstream stars, and as a result of the sacrifices of many in the early days, MMA has established itself as a force in the business world. Many are taking advantage of the resulting opportunities, and are making a mark of their own.
Mixed martial arts (MMA), in its most modern incarnation, began in 1993, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first event in Colorado. The event was a fight spectacle, plain and simple. Boxers, wrestlers, and barroom brawlers plied their trade in front of thousands of fans, each attempting to prove their toughness and superiority. While it wasn’t the smoothest beginning for a sports industry, it was a genesis, nonetheless. Eventually, the sport found itself knocking on death’s door due to the lack of rules and regulation. However, since that time, the sport has evolved to where it has not only become accepted, but is considered one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. In fact, an ESPN Magazine study in December, 2009 reported that MMA ranked as the top sport in the nation, surpassing the NFL, NBA, action sports, and NASCAR. The sport has truly gone mainstream.
As the sport of MMA has developed and expanded, many new companies are springing up to capitalize on its growth. Yet, few companies are able to experience truly sustainable success. Founded over a decade ago by Paul Reavlin, with a mission to create quality fight gear for professional fighters, Revgear has earned a reputation as an elite player in the MMA industry, backed by sound knowledge of the fight game and a true passion for the sport. Its training products have been seen and utilized by some of the sport’s best. Yet, it’s the company’s longevity in the sport, along with the martial arts background and passion of Reavlin that distinguishes it from many others that are now jumping into the red-hot, trend-setting industry that is MMA today.
Holding a first degree black belt in Krav Maga, Reavlin has been training in martial arts for years. In fact, the way Revgear came about testifies to just how big a martial arts enthusiast Reavlin is. “I was an accountant with a martial arts hobby and I always wanted to have my own company. I was training with my instructors in Krav Maga, and we were frustrated that the equipment we were using didn’t work out for our type of training. I set out to design equipment that could withstand a lot of punishment.” An idea was conceptualized that would eventually give birth to a lasting entity.
“I realized early on the products we designed for Krav Maga worked great for MMA. In fact, the first product I ever had made was a finger-free glove,” explains Reavlin. “It was designed so someone could punch and then easily grab and deliver knees. In effect it was one of the first MMA gloves that was marketed. When I first started the company, I sometimes found myself at small local events side-by-side with Charles “Mask” Lewis from TapouT. He only had a few t-shirt designs at the time and would be selling them at a table right next to me. At that time, martial artists weren’t associating themselves with MMA, as it was very much an underground activity. I marketed our products heavily to people who were heavy hitters, and that led me to MMA practitioners. Dana White owned a boxing gym at that time and he was one of our first customers buying boxing gloves.”
Reavlin didn’t start his company because it was the popular thing to do, or because he saw some statistic in a trade journal. Revgear began because there was a need, and because of Paul’s passion. “At the beginning I often drove door to door at martial arts schools to sell the five products I had…many times with heavy bags hanging out of my mustang convertible.”
This type of approach allowed Paul to truly understand the needs and sacrifices of a professional combat athlete. This has led to Revgear developing solid relationships with some of the top fighters in mixed martial arts. “The first fighter we ever sponsored was Marco Ruas. He was the face of the brand when we first got started. At that time he had just moved to the U.S. and was doing seminars with Bas Rutten and Peter Aerts,” says Reavlin.
Today, Revgear has built relationships with some of the top fighters in the sport. “Currently, we sponsor Gegard Mousasi, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Fabricio Werdum, Cris Cyborg, Nam Phan, L.C. Davis, Ricardo Lamas, the Ruffo Brothers, and others,” states Reavlin. The company has established itself amongst the most credible and recognized MMA brands in existence.
Leading the charge is Paul Reavlin, and with his passion and experience directing the company, the future is bright for the company, its fighters, and its customers.
If you’re interested in learning more about Paul Reavlin and the Revgear brand of fight produces, please check out the Revgear website at Revgear.com, where you can see the gear the pro’s use.