Jerry Millen: Vadim not in it for the money
M1-Global Exec Says They Are Not In It For The Money They are here for the betterment of MMA! In…
M1-Global Exec Says They Are Not In It For The Money
They are here for the betterment of MMA!
In the part 2 of the interview conducted with M-1 Global vice president Jerry Millen on MMA Junkie, Millen states that competition is good for business and that M1-Global are in the fight business for the betterment of the sport. Below are some highlights:
On Competing with the UFC
“Competition breeds success,” Millen said. “You have to have competition. There can’t be a McDonald’s without a Burger King. [The UFC] didn’t invent the sport. Sure, they helped grow it. They’ve got great fighters. They’ve done a lot to expand the sport, which I think is great. But they didn’t invent MMA.”
On UFC Having the Best FIghters
“For [the UFC] to say they have the world’s best fighters, its not true. They have some of them, but their rankings are manufactured for the UFC. There’s a lot of guys out there that are great fighters. There are fighters out there that will beat UFC champions. Will they get that chance in the UFC? I’m not sure. I know that Strikeforce and M-1 Global will give those fighters that chance if they want to compete. We’re always open to working with other people.”
On M1-Global Not In It For the Money
“M-1 Global, which was started in Russia by (current president) Vadim Finkelchtein – and Fedor’s a big part of it now – they’ve been [promoting fights] a long time,” Millen said. “Vadim does this for the love of the sport. Make no mistake that Vadim doesn’t make his money from MMA. He’s a businessman in Russia, and he loves the sport. He’s not in it for the money.”