In the year and a half he’s been at the helm, Titan Fighting Championships CEO Jeff Aronson has been working to take his organization to new levels of visibility. The deal he signed this past Saturday with the UFC to put all of the promotion’s upcoming events on Fight Pass is his biggest move yet.
Under Aronson‘s leadership Titan FC has experienced notable gains in the talent they’ve been able to sign as well as the production value of the events they have hosted. Titan FC scored their most successful year to date in 2014 as they established themselves as one of the top MMA promotions outside of the premier league in the sport. Continued progression has been Aronson‘s primary focus, and inking a deal that puts Titan FC’s upcoming events, in addition to their collected fight library, on the UFC’s digital network will ensure that happens.
“I think on the landscape of MMA this really is a game-changing event,” Aronson told Bleacher Report. “You have a promotion who has always lived by the mantra ‘Fans, Fighters First,’ and who has always put the fighters ahead of themselves. To give young talent and veterans working their way back both the opportunity get to the UFC is something we’ve always made a priority, but with this things only go further in that direction. This deal give fighters international exposure, but it brings fighters one step closer because we are in direct partnership with the UFC.
“The UFC is watching these guys, and I can’t think of a better place if I were a hot prospect or a tough veteran where I would want to fight. I think this deal changes the whole dichotomy of the MMA landscape right now. I really do.”
It is no secret the majority of fighters competing at the professional level are aiming to claim a roster spot with the most successful promotion in MMA, and Titan FC has never shied away from that element. The organization has taken notable lengths in the past two years to allow fighters to take advantage of that opportunity when those avenues have opened up, which has served to benefit veterans like Ben Saunders and a rising prospect like Mirsad Bektic alike.
Titan FC’s “Zuffa Out” clause they put into their contracts has been a major appeal to fighters who have signed with them, and Aronson believes the Fight Pass deal will also help in attracting even more quality fighters than have come on board in the past. While Aronson isn’t going to label his promotion a feeder or minor league program for the UFC, he is confident the move to Fight Pass will serve as a benefit to both promotions going forward.
“Being partners with the UFC in this deal is a huge benefit for us,” Aronson said. “Being able to get their publicity through the UFC PR machine and getting Titan commercials during UFC events is huge. I’m telling you this is a landmark deal. This is a groundbreaking deal with Fight Pass and more parts of it will come out in the months to come. There is a lot to this deal and the people it will benefit the most are the fighters and the fans.
“They are going to get the opportunity to see some of the coolest things they’ve seen in a long time. This isn’t like any other deal that’s out there. Fans are going to see the landscape change and it’s going to be a great thing for both fans and fighters. Just give it a couple of months and watch what happens with this deal.”
With the Fight Pass deal in place, Titan FC becomes the 20th promotion to have their fight catalog under the UFC banner, but one of few who will be airing live events on the streaming service. Aronson‘s organization is set to make their debut on the network with Titan FC 34 on July 18, which is slated to feature a main event tilt between Mike Ricci and Pat Healy—both of which are former UFC fighters.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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