In mixed martial arts, slowing down simply isn’t an option. Fighters and promotions alike need to be continuously pushing forward in order to keep up with the ever-evolving sport, and those who fail to keep pace are easily discarded and replaced by the next wave of talent on the come up.
This especially rings true for operations that are looking to progress and establish themselves on the current landscape of MMA, and of this collective, Titan Fighting Championships has proved to be a promotion on the rise.
While the organization has been around for a number of years, it took a regime change in the front office headed by the promotion’s new CEO Jeff Aronson to take things to the next level. The highly motivated and self-driven former Alchemist Management founder-turned-Titan FC front man took the helm in late 2013 and immediately set about carving out a place where his promotion could thrive in a market dominated by the UFC.
Aronson came into the fight game knowing the Las Vegas-based juggernaut was in a league of its own and attempting to chase down and usurp the premier organization in the sport would probably end in disaster. He’d seen several upstart organizations fall to pieces during his time in the fight business and knew traveling a different route would be the only way to find success.
Therefore, rather than go head-to-head with the UFC or relegate his operation to the B-League of MMA, Aronson decided to take a unique approach to establishing the new-look Titan FC as a product that fight fans could get excited for. Alongside his longtime business partner Lex McMahon, Aronson rolled out a multipronged approach that focused on developing up-and-coming fighters just as much as it did giving established veterans a platform to revamp their games.
The current landscape of the sport is filled with promotions either fully invested in developing young talent or stuck waiting for seasoned competitors to be cast aside by the UFC, and Aronson wasn’t interested in settling his company into either groove. He wanted to create a promotion that mixed both approaches seamlessly, but most importantly he wanted to promote fight cards that the passionate MMA fanbase could and would get excited about.
“Last year was a great year, and we are going to make this one even bigger,” Aronson told Bleacher Report. “2014 became more relevant given the state that Titan was in when I first purchased it because you look at the state that it is in now, and it’s going great. Titan is 100 percent considered one of the top three or four promotions in the country. You could even go higher on that list when you take fighter and fan appreciation into consideration. We have a lot of momentum right now, and we are going to keep rolling in 2015.
“I’m talking everything from television distribution, content distribution to sponsors. Titan has really become recognized as of late as a great place to fight. It’s culminating and steamrolling into something now that the fighters, fans and people internationally are getting to enjoy on a much bigger platform than I ever expected to happen this early on.
“Signing a guy like Pat Healy who always puts on exciting fights is a big move for us,” he added. “We also have Mike Ricci who is truly coming into his own as a mixed martial artist fighting for us. Those are both guys who people have always said have all the talent in the world but haven’t fulfilled their potential. They are both guys who have been right there on the cusp, but for whatever reason, just didn’t make it all the way through. Now, both of them have the opportunity fighting for us to show what they are capable of and go to the next level.”
Furthermore, the Titan CEO wanted to create a platform where fighters had multiple incentives to compete under his promotional banner. He instituted a performance bonus program for the fighters who truly gave something special on fight night, which is an element not often found outside of the UFC. Another interesting element—and perhaps the most unique detail of the new Titan ownership—came in the form of every fighter’s contract coming with a “Zuffa Out” clause.
Being dialed into the current state of the MMA game, Aronson’s vision for his promotion’s future came free of blinders and self-centered reasoning. Aronson is fully aware the majority of fighters are aiming to make it or return to the UFC, and he wasn’t going to allow a contract with his organization to prevent those moves.
“When you look at the fighters that fight for us, they aren’t fighting for us because we have them locked into these egregious contracts,” Aronson explained. “They are fighting for us because they want to fight for us. They are fighting for us because they are being treated better than they’ve ever been treated in their entire career and they know that we offer them something no other promotion does. The fans have rallied behind Titan for just that reason.
“We are also putting some of the stars of tomorrow on display today. You look at a guy like Desmond Green, and he’s waking up the world. He is the hottest prospect right now at 145 pounds outside of the UFC. And he’s just one of the fighters we have on the roster. If you asked me a year ago if I would have people like Rick Hawn, Cody Bollinger or Pat Healy on the roster I would have said no way. There has been so much growth in one year, and it has been absolutely amazing. My phone has been going off nonstop.”
Sure enough, several Titan FC fighters have received the call to compete inside the Octagon, and the promotion lived up to its word by allowing established fighters like Ben Saunders to pursue their ultimate dream. While allowing your highest-profile talent to evacuate and work elsewhere may seem to be a slippery slope to travel, Aronson’s ability to follow through on his word presented Titan FC with a newfound respect in the fight game.
Athletes were now confident they could come to Titan and compete without daunting contract stipulations hanging over their heads. And with the promotion securing a highly visible broadcast deal with CBS Sports, fighters were going to have a great platform to show the best of what they had to offer.
“I have read a couple of articles, and I’ve laughed when people have written about our Zuffa Out clause, and said by doing this we’ve hurt ourselves by losing a main event or whatever it is,” Aronson said. “While I appreciate the fact someone would feel that way, the truth is that I’ve gotten it all back tenfold. So many free agents out there have contacted me about fighting for Titan because they know they can come here, fight their hearts out and don’t have to worry about being buried under our contract.
“With the Ben Saunders situation, I did it because it was the right thing to do. I did the Mirsad Bektic deal because it was the right thing to do. The same with Colby Covington. It was just the right thing to do, and you’ll never see me going out there and talking about it unless I’m asked. The Saunders situation was a bit different because it got blown up in the press, but you’ll never see me go out there and talk about these deals. I just do the right thing, and because I do, things work out well for us.
“I’ve said it in a lot of interviews, but while our competition sleeps I sign,” he added. “I truly mean that, and I mean that in terms of fighters, sponsorship deals, network deals…you name it. We are constantly working. They may have been around longer than us. They may have different deals than we have, but there is no one who outworks us or puts in the time of day we do.”
In just north of one year of work at the helm of Titan FC, Aronson has succeeded in making the company an exciting option for fighters and fans alike. That said, he plans to take Titan, and everything and everyone involved with the company, to another level in 2015.
The first step in doing so will take place at Titan FC 33 on March 20 in Mobile, Alabama. The promotion has partnered up with Mobile AeroFest for a not-for-profit event that is focused on providing assistance to wounded veterans of military service. The two-day event will feature a large roster of musical acts, in addition to a music and arts festival. A technology expo will also be a part of the lineup alongside Titan FC 33, which will take place at the Mobile Aeroplex.
While the event will be the promotion’s first offering of the new year, a solid lineup of fights that will feature four title tilts is a good way to kick things off. The card is slated to be headlined by a championship scrap in the featherweight division between highly touted prospect and 145-champion Desmond Green and Kurt Holobaugh, in a bout that has all the potential to be an action-packed affair.
“We have four title fights coming up on this card at Aerofest,” Aronson said. “It’s going to be a great card and a great night of fights for the fighters and the fans. We wanted to put together something special. When we say that’s what we are going to do, then you can count on us delivering. We wanted to do something that was not only a big event but for a great cause as well. The proceeds from Aerofest go to the real warriors who have come home after defending their country and need some help. We are going to do all we can to make sure they get it.
“I really couldn’t think of a better way to start the new year for Titan,” he added. “This is a huge event, and we are honored to be a part of it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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