Tag: Burt Watson

Burt Watson Joins Alliance MMA As Director Of Fighter Relations

Burt Watson

Former longtime UFC employee, effectionately known as “Babysitter to the Stars” — Burt Watson — has resurfaced in the MMA world this week.

Below is an official press release that was sent out on Tuesday to announce that Watson has joined Alliance MMA as their “Director of Fighter Relations.”

BURT WATSON JOINS ALLIANCE MMA AS DIRECTOR OF FIGHTER RELATIONS

MMA Legend to Help Cultivate Next Generation of Champion Fighters

NEW YORK, NY – November 8, 2016 – Alliance MMA, Inc. (“Alliance MMA” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AMMA), a mixed martial arts organization offering premier promotional opportunities for aspiring mixed martial arts fighters, today announced that MMA legend Burt Watson has joined the Company as Director, Fighter Relations, where he will serve as a motivational mentor for Alliance MMA’s regional promotions and their fighters.

In this newly created capacity, Mr. Watson will help shepherd Alliance MMA’s most valued product, its fighters, in their quest to become MMA champions. Applying his extraordinary inspirational talents, he will routinely visit Alliance MMA promotions to ensure consistency in the fighter relations process, and concurrently assist in nurturing the upcoming generation of professional fighters. Mr. Watson will help standardize the coordination of behind the scenes details for the promotions to help ensure that fighters are competing at the highest possible level of personal performance.

“Alliance MMA has already acquired five promotions, and we have plans to expand our operations aggressively in the coming months. Burt’s direct involvement will create a level of consistency for the promotions that we believe will result in our ability to ensure remarkably competitive opportunities for our fighters, while at the same time maximizing the entertainment value for our fans,” said Robert Haydak, President of Alliance MMA, Inc. “Burt has a unique talent for personalizing the fighter’s experience which creates a truly supercharged environment. He takes a sincere personal interest in every athlete, before, during and after each event. His infectious charisma inspires fighters preceding their bouts, and when necessary, he’s also the first person to provide compassionate consolation. We are absolutely thrilled to feature his larger than life presence as a key member of our team.”

Mr. Watson began his career in boxing more than 30 years ago coordinating events that involved boxing stars Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins and Wladimir Klitschko. Most recently, he served as head of fighter relations at Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), an Alliance MMA promotion. Before joining CFFC, Mr. Watson was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Event Coordinator for 14 years where he was intimately involved in producing some of their most memorable events. Prior to his association with the UFC organization, Mr. Watson served as the business manager for legendary fighter ”Smokin’ Joe” Frazier for several years, and coordinated a promotional tour featuring renowned boxing greats Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, George Foreman and Ken Norton. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Watson was responsible for coordinating televised sporting events featured on numerous networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO, Showtime, USA, BET and Telemundo.

“My passion is working closely with fighters, and now with the Alliance MMA opportunity, I get to work with both fighters and the regional promoters to deliver the best possible experience for all,” said Mr. Watson. “MMA is widely regarded as the world’s fastest growing sport, and as the fan base continues to expand, I am totally stoked to help produce the next generation of stars as a member of the Alliance MMA family.”

Alliance MMA is the first MMA company to be traded on a major stock exchange, and is currently the only way for the public to invest in the MMA industry. Earlier this month, Alliance MMA announced the successful completion of their IPO, their listing on the NASDAQ and their acquisition of seven companies including five MMA promotion companies, a digital media sports platform and an electronic ticketing platform optimized for marketing MMA events.

MMA is a full contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including, striking and grappling from various martial arts and disciplines including Boxing, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Karate & Muay Thai. Professional MMA fights are legal and regulated by state athletic commissions in all 50 states.

Burt Watson

Former longtime UFC employee, effectionately known as “Babysitter to the Stars” — Burt Watson — has resurfaced in the MMA world this week.

Below is an official press release that was sent out on Tuesday to announce that Watson has joined Alliance MMA as their “Director of Fighter Relations.”

BURT WATSON JOINS ALLIANCE MMA AS DIRECTOR OF FIGHTER RELATIONS

MMA Legend to Help Cultivate Next Generation of Champion Fighters

NEW YORK, NY – November 8, 2016 – Alliance MMA, Inc. (“Alliance MMA” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AMMA), a mixed martial arts organization offering premier promotional opportunities for aspiring mixed martial arts fighters, today announced that MMA legend Burt Watson has joined the Company as Director, Fighter Relations, where he will serve as a motivational mentor for Alliance MMA’s regional promotions and their fighters.

In this newly created capacity, Mr. Watson will help shepherd Alliance MMA’s most valued product, its fighters, in their quest to become MMA champions. Applying his extraordinary inspirational talents, he will routinely visit Alliance MMA promotions to ensure consistency in the fighter relations process, and concurrently assist in nurturing the upcoming generation of professional fighters. Mr. Watson will help standardize the coordination of behind the scenes details for the promotions to help ensure that fighters are competing at the highest possible level of personal performance.

“Alliance MMA has already acquired five promotions, and we have plans to expand our operations aggressively in the coming months. Burt’s direct involvement will create a level of consistency for the promotions that we believe will result in our ability to ensure remarkably competitive opportunities for our fighters, while at the same time maximizing the entertainment value for our fans,” said Robert Haydak, President of Alliance MMA, Inc. “Burt has a unique talent for personalizing the fighter’s experience which creates a truly supercharged environment. He takes a sincere personal interest in every athlete, before, during and after each event. His infectious charisma inspires fighters preceding their bouts, and when necessary, he’s also the first person to provide compassionate consolation. We are absolutely thrilled to feature his larger than life presence as a key member of our team.”

Mr. Watson began his career in boxing more than 30 years ago coordinating events that involved boxing stars Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins and Wladimir Klitschko. Most recently, he served as head of fighter relations at Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), an Alliance MMA promotion. Before joining CFFC, Mr. Watson was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Event Coordinator for 14 years where he was intimately involved in producing some of their most memorable events. Prior to his association with the UFC organization, Mr. Watson served as the business manager for legendary fighter ”Smokin’ Joe” Frazier for several years, and coordinated a promotional tour featuring renowned boxing greats Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, George Foreman and Ken Norton. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Watson was responsible for coordinating televised sporting events featured on numerous networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO, Showtime, USA, BET and Telemundo.

“My passion is working closely with fighters, and now with the Alliance MMA opportunity, I get to work with both fighters and the regional promoters to deliver the best possible experience for all,” said Mr. Watson. “MMA is widely regarded as the world’s fastest growing sport, and as the fan base continues to expand, I am totally stoked to help produce the next generation of stars as a member of the Alliance MMA family.”

Alliance MMA is the first MMA company to be traded on a major stock exchange, and is currently the only way for the public to invest in the MMA industry. Earlier this month, Alliance MMA announced the successful completion of their IPO, their listing on the NASDAQ and their acquisition of seven companies including five MMA promotion companies, a digital media sports platform and an electronic ticketing platform optimized for marketing MMA events.

MMA is a full contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including, striking and grappling from various martial arts and disciplines including Boxing, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Karate & Muay Thai. Professional MMA fights are legal and regulated by state athletic commissions in all 50 states.

Six UFC Fighters Who Knocked Themselves Out

Of all the ways to lose in the UFC Octagon, one of the rarest and indeed most embarrassing is when a fighter somehow manages to knock themselves out. Given all the preparation that goes into getting ready for a fight, from the grueling grind of cardio workouts, the endless rounds of sparring, the hours spent

The post Six UFC Fighters Who Knocked Themselves Out appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Of all the ways to lose in the UFC Octagon, one of the rarest and indeed most embarrassing is when a fighter somehow manages to knock themselves out.

Given all the preparation that goes into getting ready for a fight, from the grueling grind of cardio workouts, the endless rounds of sparring, the hours spent carefully crafting a gameplan for an opponent, and the sleepless nights spent envisioning all the possible ways the fight could play out, it must be a particularly bitter pill to swallow to know that, in the end, they themselves inadvertently proved to be their own worst enemies.

In this article we’ll take a look back at several classic examples of these freak occurrences in the UFC over the years, including instances where the fighter didn’t even make it to the octagon before delivering the knockout blow that would take them out of the fight.

The post Six UFC Fighters Who Knocked Themselves Out appeared first on LowKick MMA.

It’s Official: Burt Watson Leaves the UFC After 14 Year Stint


(Watson, seen here showing Flava Flav how a *true* hype man accepts an award. via Getty)

Rumors have been swirling for days that longtime UFC site coordinator Burt Watson had left the promotion following a mid-show dispute with management at UFC 184. While most of us were hoping that those rumors were just that, today brings the confirmation that Watson has in fact departed from the UFC after a 14-year stint as their “Babysitter to the Stars.”


(Watson, seen here showing Flava Flav how a *true* hype man accepts an award. via Getty)

Rumors have been swirling for days that longtime UFC site coordinator Burt Watson had left the promotion following a mid-show dispute with management at UFC 184. While most of us were hoping that those rumors were just that, today brings the confirmation that Watson has in fact departed from the UFC after a 14-year stint as their “Babysitter to the Stars.”

The news was broke by none other than the man himself, via Twitter this morning.

I’ll be honest, I never really knew exactly what Watson was responsible for behind the scenes (pep talks? pre-weigh-in hype?), but he always seemed like an energetic, infectious personality that fighters and (diehard) fans will surely miss. Here’s hoping that HE BE ROLLLIIIINNNNNN to another great opportunity.

[VIDEO] A Brief Profile of the UFC’s Man Behind-the-Scenes, Burt Watson


(CAAAANNN YOOOUUU DIG IT?!!) 

If you’ve ever found yourself entranced by a raspy, baritone voice calling out “We’re rollin!” from the locker rooms of a UFC event, then you are undoubtedly familiar with the UFC’s “babysitter to the stars,” Burt Watson. I will be the first to admit that in my infinite wisdom, I once failed to recognize one of the most crucial members of the sport’s highest promotion when he was caught on camera during one of Dana White’s infamous Danavlogs. It is to this date the biggest mindfart I have ever farted (which is saying something), but needless to say, without Watson shuffling fighters around, organizing them for press conferences, and getting them amped up for their fights, the UFC would be a shell of the “well-oiled machine” that it truly is.

Wanting to recognize the crucial role Watson plays in the UFC, Sportsnet recently dedicated a brief video to his greatness, reeling in such UFC stars as Georges. St Pierre (who does a hilarious Watson impression when prompted), Frank Mir, Junior dos Santos, and even the boss man himself to sing his praises. So check it out if you’ve got a couple extra minutes, and leave your own praises in the comments section.


(CAAAANNN YOOOUUU DIG IT?!!) 

If you’ve ever found yourself entranced by a raspy, baritone voice calling out “We’re rollin!” from the locker rooms of a UFC event, then you are undoubtedly familiar with the UFC’s “babysitter to the stars,” Burt Watson. I will be the first to admit that in my infinite wisdom, I once failed to recognize one of the most crucial members of the sport’s highest promotion when he was caught on camera during one of Dana White’s infamous Danavlogs. It is to this date the biggest mindfart I have ever farted (which is saying something), but needless to say, without Watson shuffling fighters around, organizing them for press conferences, and getting them amped up for their fights, the UFC would be a shell of the “well-oiled machine” that it truly is.

Wanting to recognize the crucial role Watson plays in the UFC, Sportsnet recently dedicated a brief video to his greatness, reeling in such UFC stars as Georges. St Pierre (who does a hilarious Watson impression when prompted), Frank Mir, Junior dos Santos, and even the boss man himself to sing his praises. So check it out if you’ve got a couple extra minutes, and leave your own praises in the comments section.

Here’s what Dana White had to say about the man behind the scenes:

Burt actually started from day one. I brought a lot of boxing guys into the UFC. Burt was actually a friend of a guy who used to work for us. We got introduced to Burt and he is literally the best in the business. He is a guy that all the fighters respect. He’s a guy that’s been in the fight game forever. He’s a good man. Whatever [the fighters] need, Burt’s there for them, and when Burt needs what he needs, they respect that and do what Burt tells them to do. [Ed. note: Unless they are Jason Miller.] Burt literally runs [the] backstage. He runs the show from backstage and people would be shocked to realize what a big job that is and how hard it is.

Really, everyone in the fight business could not speak highly enough of Watson.

Frank Mir: “[Watson] is definitely the general that keeps the machine running.”

Jake Shields: “He’s one of the more important people in the UFC that no one knows.”

Greg Jackson: “He’s an amazing individual. The UFC, honestly, wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for Burt Watson taking care of all the fighters.”

Mark Bocek: “I really don’t think the UFC would be the same without him.”

When asked about Burt’s signature rally cry, guys like Roy Nelson, Donald Cerrone, and Carlos Condit all related it to “the work horn,” or that final bit of preparation that readies them for the cage. Nick Diaz, of course, is not a huge fan of it:

I don’t like it, but I mean, I’m used to it though. That’s where experience comes into play, and I’m ready for Burt. I’m like, ‘Come on Burt, where you at?’

I swear to God, Nick Diaz could hate the first ray of sunshine after a storm.

–J. Jones

Jason Miller Announces Retirement ‘For Right Now,’ Explains Mysterious UFC 146 Backstage Incident

Following his decision loss to CB Dollaway at UFC 146 and immediate firing, a somewhat depressed-sounding Jason Miller went on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour to discuss his uncertain future, and the retirement that he promised if he lost to Dollaway. On the one hand, Miller seemed like he’d come to terms with his failure in the UFC and departure from MMA:

“I feel a little bit free, in a weird way…I know that sounds strange when I’ve devoted my entire life to fighting. I feel like life is unlocked for a whole new set of adventures…I don’t have the need to super-impress one person in particular and make them happy. I can focus on making myself happy. I don’t have the pressures of a commissioner chasing me around with a piss cup. I don’t have the pressures of everybody verbally abusing me for every one one of my missteps via social media. I feel like a weight is lifted…Every fighter gives the same answer when they say they’re retired. Pretty much every fighter says ‘I’m retired until I need money.’ But I’m a pretty smart dude, and I have a lot of avenues available to me.”

But at other times in interview, Miller’s down-in-the-dumps vibe came off as alarmingly self-destructive:

Following his decision loss to CB Dollaway at UFC 146 and immediate firing, a somewhat depressed-sounding Jason Miller went on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour to discuss his uncertain future, and the retirement that he promised if he lost to Dollaway. On the one hand, Miller seemed like he’d come to terms with his failure in the UFC and departure from MMA:

“I feel a little bit free, in a weird way…I know that sounds strange when I’ve devoted my entire life to fighting. I feel like life is unlocked for a whole new set of adventures…I don’t have the need to super-impress one person in particular and make them happy. I can focus on making myself happy. I don’t have the pressures of a commissioner chasing me around with a piss cup. I don’t have the pressures of everybody verbally abusing me for every one one of my missteps via social media. I feel like a weight is lifted…Every fighter gives the same answer when they say they’re retired. Pretty much every fighter says ‘I’m retired until I need money.’ But I’m a pretty smart dude, and I have a lot of avenues available to me.”

But at other times in interview, Miller’s down-in-the-dumps vibe came off as alarmingly self-destructive:

Yeah, I said I would [retire] and so I am. I didn’t get the job done and that’s what I’m saying. I’m done for right now. Who knows what the future holds but at the same time, what’s the point?…I’m looking for the next thrill. I’m thinking of just getting a life-insurance policy to be donated to charity and then just taking on some ultra-hazardous activities. Like, I’m gonna go jump off a bridge. [Helwani: “But jump off a bridge the safe way, right?”] With a condom on? Yeah, I was joking…I’m gonna BASE jump.

As for the “crazy shit backstage” that allegedly clinched his firing from the UFC, Miller explains that it was the result of a poorly-timed run-in with “Babysitter to the Stars” Burt Watson:

“It was my mask. Burt suddenly started yelling about my mask. I had a gas mask for the troops underneath my paper bag, and Burt started telling me right as I’m walking out for the fight. I’m trying to get focused instead of arguing about a paper bag. Maybe it was my fault for, I don’t know, I thought we had an understanding once I start walking out to the cage that now I’m working, but obviously we’re not on a playing field of mutual respect. I wish I would have heard about it before so it would be easier to deal with. But here I am walking to the cage, and suddenly I started getting yelled at. I’m like ‘what, I’m trying to focus here’.”

And so, Mayhem Miller rides off into the sunset, hopeful for what lies in front of him, even if it’s a tragically botched jump off a bridge. He didn’t quite go out on top, but at least he went out on his own terms, opting to skip the humiliating end-stage of many fighters’ careers where they’re fighting unknowns on regional cards and still getting KTFO’d. Personality goes a long way, but it’s not much of an advantage in a cage-fight; we support Miller’s retirement decision and look forward to his next cable-TV hosting gig.

Must-See: Rampage Jackson’s Rap Music Debut in Tokyo [VIDEO]

A million arigatos to our friends at TerezOwens for sending us actual footage of the rap concert that Quinton Jackson did in Tokyo immediately following his loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144. We can’t tell if this clip is an excerpt from Rampage’s new “doggy style” tribute, but either way, the lyrics are $kala-caliber. FYI, the performance went down at a club called Vanity in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. (As in, “vanity project.” As in, “My God this vanity project.”) Allow us to half-assedly transcribe:

Rampage:
Get on sowaggichain
Get down with Rampage
We party like we paid
Move! Yo ass, like you wanna get laid
Now shake it, *you* shake it
I wanna see that ass butt-naked

Rampage’s Asian hype-man:
Yo, whassup?
Everybody get down on the floor wuhsay
HALT! Sup?
New York [Ed. note: You’re in Tokyo, idiot.]

The video was uploaded to the YouTube account ShuHirata1968; Hirata is like the Ed Soares of Japan, and he always seems to have his video camera with him. For example, here’s another recent clip from Shu’s account that made us even more uncomfortable than Rampage’s rap show…

A million arigatos to our friends at TerezOwens for sending us actual footage of the rap concert that Quinton Jackson did in Tokyo immediately following his loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144. We can’t tell if this clip is an excerpt from Rampage’s new “doggy style” tribute, but either way, the lyrics are $kala-caliber. FYI, the performance went down at a club called Vanity in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. (As in, “vanity project.” As in, “My God this vanity project.”) Allow us to half-assedly transcribe:

Rampage:
Get on sowaggichain
Get down with Rampage
We party like we paid
Move! Yo ass, like you wanna get laid
Now shake it, *you* shake it
I wanna see that ass butt-naked

Rampage’s Asian hype-man:
Yo, whassup?
Everybody get down on the floor wuhsay
HALT! Sup?
New York [Ed. note: You’re in Tokyo, idiot.]

The video was uploaded to the YouTube account ShuHirata1968; Hirata is like the Ed Soares of Japan, and he always seems to have his video camera with him. For example, here’s another recent clip from Shu’s account that made us even more uncomfortable than Rampage’s rap show…

That’s UFC “babysitter to the stars” Burt Watson, by the way. As the video description puts it, “Burt Watson and we went out to the hostess bar in Roppongi!! :) ”

So yeah, Burt slammed that chick afterwards.