Ed Soares on RFA’s past, present, and future
Ed Soares: “We’re not making a ton of money, but we are making money. There are maybe two or three shows on TV that are making money.”
Fight promoters do not enjoy a uniformly warm and fuzzy reputation in mixed martial arts. Sometimes all you can say is “well, he’s not Don King.” Don King killed two people, one of them with his feet. The deceased’s last words were “Don, I’ll get you the money.”
However, some MMA promoters are beloved, too. Invicta FC’s Shannon Knapp is more popular among her fighters than a French Braid. And you can add Ed Soares to the list, too. In addition to running Black House, and managing the careers of fighters like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo, Soares owns Resurrection Fighting Alliance.
He’s made it work. The promotion recently had its fourth anniversary, has done 33 shows, and is doing well on AXS TV. Soares is smart, and has no pretensions of taking on the UFC; instead, he sends fighters up to it. rsad Bektic, Sergio Pettis, Pedro Munhoz, Dustin Ortiz, and Zach Makovsky are just a few of the RFA vets that moved up to the UFC.
In an exclusive interview with Scott Harris for B/R, Soares talked the promotion’s past, present, and future.
“Before I got involved, I knew the guys who started RFA off, said Soares. They had some pretty decent names fighting for them, for being a startup promotion. It kind of got me interested. …They approached me [about working with RFA]..
My background is in (nightclub) promotion. I had thought for a long time about getting into the MMA promotion business. I was thinking about it and thinking about it, and back in 2012, I said ‘Yeah, I’ll give it a shot.’ I wanted to get my feet wet and see what it was all about.”
“We want better shows, creating a better product. We have a great partnership with AXS TV, and we want to build on those sorts of relationships.”
“Our whole purpose is trying to get fighters to the next level. It’s a developmental league because it’s a step up in competition, and it’s a fight under the lights and in front of the cameras. They see what it’s like when it’s time to move up to the UFC or to Bellator. They feel better prepared. … We develop them not just inside the cage, but when you’re a [RFA] main or co-main, you have media commitments. You get used to those duties outside the cage. You learn how to go out and promote your fight.”
“It’s a lot of little things when you’re on the other side. You’re constantly negotiating. There’s a lot of little things such as having tape and gauze, having ice and water. Making sure the ambulances are there. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
“Sometimes, guys let their ego get away from them, they overspend and start losing money. We’re not making a ton of money, but we are making money. There are maybe two or three shows on TV that are making money.”
We want to do two to three RFA vs. Legacy shows next year, if at all possible.”
“Nothing excites me more than seeing a guy who fought for us move up. I’m realistic about where we are. You’re not going to get rich fighting for us. You’re fighting for an opportunity.”