Interview with Patrick Freitas, Director of Promotions for Icon (formerly SuperBrawl)

KMA-First of all Superbrawl has been around for years and has been a
spring board for many big MMA stars like Josh Barnett, Tim Sylvia,
Ricco Rodriguez. With the signings of Jason "Mayhem" Miller and
Robbie Lawler do you hope to become a destination for top fighters and not just a beginning?

 PF-First...thanks for giving this opportunity to speak with you. I love MMA...love talking about it. To a fault, actually. Beware, my answers tend to get long.

I think Icon Sport is both a destination and a starting place for fighters. We believe our main events are of the same quality as any major MMA event, be it UFC, Pride, whatever. As you said, guys like Ricco, Tim, Josh, Robbie Lawler, Matt Hughes, Frank Shamrock, Pete Williams, and Vitor Belfort (who fought his very first MMA match for us - a 12-second first-round KO win - with the name "Vitor Gracie") are just a few of the names of current and/or past Icon (a.k.a. Super Brawl) competitors. Most of these guys have been main events for the "big" organizations. 

As far as being a place to start fighters career...yes, we are that too. Mayhem is the best example of a guy who really "arrived" in the Icon/Super Brawl ring. We gave him the stage and the right opponents and he did the rest. He was undercard "nobody" who earned his keeps. He worked his way to our main events and then got a shot in the UFC. Now he's back...we just signed him to a multi-fight deal through 2006. Another good example is KJ Noons, who Pride is grooming in the Icon ring. That kid is a stud. He is going to make waves in the sport before his career is over.

With regards to this question of Icon being a destination or start-up, the one thing we don't want to be thought of is a "feeder" show or "stepping stone" to the major events (UFC, Pride, etc). We are a major event, too...like those shows. Its just that we are a major event in a small market...Hawaii. So, our resources, including fan base and, thus, revenue potential is more limited. But our main events are always on par with the best in the world. 

KMA-What are your plans for Icon? I understand the DVD sales have been
strong and the live audience attendance has been good too. Do you
plan on having live PPV events?

PF- We're one of the oldest, most established MMA events in the world (born in 1996). Our main job is to continue serving the Hawaii market by delivering the top-notch MMA entertainment that our top-notch fans expect! Do we look at growing our show to the mainland/globally? Yes, but with careful hesitation. Despite the DVD campaign's reach, Icon's revenues are still 95% based on local ticket sales. Growth is good, but it automatically means that our expenses will balloon. The DVD campaign is tremendously expensive, for example. We've spent a ton of money on advertisng. In business - and in life - its not what you earn, but what you spend that decides your financial success. Having said that, we are always in the process of analyzing opportunities in other markets. But I think that neither Icon, nor our Big Island competitor ROTR, have maximized our returns in Hawaii yet, despite the growth and popularity of MMA in our state. There are still many, many fans in this market that need to be introduced to our sport. They represent unearned revenue to me. Additionally, we still don't have the support of mainstream Hawaii advertisers/sponsors yet. I'd rather go after that revenue stream before spending a lot of money on a mainland event. PPV...we're are on delayed PPV on Hawaii's Oceanic, Channel 221. Mayhem v. Vitale will be available in just a few days. Live PPVs? Its tough to make money on that. Most fans don't realize that the UFC, until very recently, we're eating their PPVs. They were really struggling. The problem is two-fold: production costs and the biggie...marketing costs. It is easy to spend $1 million on advertising to reach a miniscule national audience. MMA websites don't reach enough fans to really sell a PPV event to major success. You need TV advertising. How many $39.99 buys does it take to pay just for a $1 million advertising expense? Thats something like 25,000 buys just to break even on the advertising. And remember, the PPV provider wants their cut of that too. And you haven't paid for production yet either. Nor the costs of making the PPV TV promotional spot..etc., etc., etc.

KMA-Will you be showing more free SuperBrawl fights on free TV?

 PF-We will be working more with local TV for sure. It looks like we struck gold with our pre-event 30-minute specials we've been running on K5 (KFVE-channel 5). If you haven't seen them, we are now airing these shows at 11pm on K5 in the ten consecutive days prior to a live event. So, we've done a Niko v. Lawler and Niko v. Mayhem show for each of our last two live events. We just saw the ratings of our July and October TV specials and we know for a fact that over 22,000 households tuned into these shows. Thats huge success. I'd like to get our live events broadcast on local TV for free as well. Again, the events are available on Oceanic Channel 221 for digital customers. But it would be cool to a once/week or once/month "fight night" on a local station. We are always talking to our TV reps about this. I think it will happen in the future.

KMA-Jason "Mayhem" Miller is in my opinion the most electrifying MMA
fighter in Hawaii's history because of his fighting skill, his heart
and his charisma. Jason is the type of athlete that transcends his
sport. I was surprised the UFC didn't lock him up. Do you feel Jason
can elevate your promotion closer to the UFC?

 PF-Again, I think our main events are on par with the UFC. Its our undercards that differ. But I agree that Jason is electrifying. He's a freak of nature! So talented and gifted. Like GSP said, "he's a rubber man." But he's much more...he's so charismatic, witty, and intelligent. I really value the times I've had with Jason when we're just sitting around talking about TV, politics, pop culture, girls, family, etc. He's a really good guy to know. Most people think he is just this insane "Honkey" (as he says)...but he's also a really bright guy who has a big heart. I'm really happy that Icon and Mayhem have come together.

But don't forget Robbie Lawler! A number of fans have written him off but they forget that he is just 23 years old! He still has so much more to give this sport. The guy was in the UFC at 19 years old. The fans need to realize that he is still learning the sport...and he was dangerous when he was just starting out. If he trains hard and continues to learn I predict that he will be a fighter who seizes the respect of the fans in the near future.


KMA-Jason is also very popular with the hardcore fans on the internet.
Other pro fighters have been run off the Underground forum by rude
fans. Why do you think that Jason Miller seems immune to this and
seems to have a cult like following?

 PF-Jason is amazing. I credit all his abilities to his intellect. He's really smart. And he does something I wish I could do...have the ability to say something insulting while still coming across as likeable. He just did this blog at mma.tv where he says he loves Hawaii "from the giant Samoans to the tiny Viet-fobs." Hilarious! If I said it I'd get pounded. He says it and its funny and acceptable. I think the key to his fan support is that the fans perceive him as one of them. In fact, I think fans see themselves in him. Face it, 99% of us are geeks, whether we like it or not. We can't talk to girls. We wish we had a better body or a more handsome face. Wish we had more money. A better car and better clothes. Jason lets people know that he is comfortable being a geek. He's humble. But inside the ring, he's the man. I think the fans see Jason as their geek hero. How many of us truly see ourselves in Chuck or Vandy or CroCop? None! Most of us, beneath the tattoos, piercings, and sunglasses and outside our jacked-up Hummers are vulnerable geeks! Jason said it best: "Yeah, I'm weird...so what?" 

The UFC has cut or not re-signed a lot of quality fighters and have
seemed to push their TV reality show fighters. Do you see this as an
opportunity to load up on top fighters with lots of name recognition? Absolutely. Think of all the TUF fighters who may fight once or twice in the UFC. Where will they end up? And what about the "old school" UFC guys like Tank and Kimo who are still active? Where do they go? Could they come to us? Sure, if it was beneficial for both parties.

I foresee a future problem for a lot of fighters out there - not just UFC and TUF veterans - that there are more good fighters than there are good shows for them to compete in. I'm putting together our Feb 18 card right now and I've got a real problem...too many guys want in and I don't have enough slots to put them into. Some fighters won't be happy with this. I fear that this economic problem may drive good fighters to lesser shows where they are fighting for peanuts and treated poorly. 

KMA-What are your feelings on the Hawaii MMA fans compared to the mainland? 

PF-No comparison. Per capita, we've got to be the number one place for MMA fans in the world. But I also think the Hawaii fans are changing rapidly. 2005 was a crazy year for MMA. TUF and the UFCs SpikeTV contract changed everything. My grandmother occassionally watched TUF this year! And she thinks I work in boxing, no matter how many times I've said to her," Its not boxing...its called mixed martial arts." She doesn't know what it is, but she's fascinated. 2005 also saw the rebirth of Super Brawl into is new incarnation Icon Sport, marked most dramatically by Falaniko Vitale's amazing flying KO of Masanori Suda in May. That one punch, I believe, drew a whole new group of fans to our show. Non-fans saw it on the news and they realized that they better check the MMA scene out. Couple that event with TUFs success, and the 2005 growth of the Hawaii fans is easy to understand.

KMA-I have never heard anything bad about SuperBrawl or Icon in the way
that fighters are treated or compensated. What is your philosophy on
doing business? 

PF-Thanks for the compliment. We think we know how to take care of the fighters. We pay fairly and make sure visiting fighters receive fair accomodations. Also, we match fights well and don't try to give anybody easy wins or set guys up for easy losses. Why did Robbie and Mayhem sign with us and not any other organizations? I'd like to think that they understand that they are treated well by Icon Sport. Its the same reason that Niko nor Egan never defected. At the same time that we try to keep them in our organization, we don't try to limit their opportunities as well. We helped Niko get to the UFC. We helped Anthony Torres get into TUF2. We look out for these guys like a shepherd looks out for his herd. They need us and we need them, so we treat them well. Thats why it drives me nuts when I hear bad stories about know-nothing, amateur promoters who have only short-term thinking. The fighters always end up paying for the actions of poor promoters.

KMA-I heard Niko was considering retiring after his fight with Jason
Miller. Has he given any indication to you on his desire to fight in
the future? 

PF-Do you think he can sit comfortably in his chair on Feb 18 and watch Mayhem and Lawler go at it? I think he's going to squirming...wanting to get back in there a.s.a.p. My prediction? I think he will return in 2006. I think he finish his training with Matt Hume at AMC Pankration - like Luke Skywalker returning to Yoda's camp - and Niko will emerge a Jedi. In his fight with Mayhem he looked awesome. I mean no disrespect to Mayhem, but Niko was catching him with shot after shot in their contest. It just so happens that he got caught by Mayhem in the 2nd round, but Niko clearly dominated the first round of that fight. He also dominated Lawler in the first round of their fight. Bottom line...Niko has a lot more to give to this sport. He'd be a fool to give up now because I think he has a good chance of beating both Lawler and Mayhem in a rematch...WITH the continued AMC Pankration training.

KMA-Hawaiian fighters seem to have had a tough time against their mainland
opponents lately, what in your opinion can they do to regain their
status as some of the best fighters in the world? 

PF-More need to go away and train on the mainland...like Niko. The pool of talent - just like football, basketball, etc - is too small in this market. And those who leave to train need to come back and teach...also like Niko. 

I think there's another reason why some local fighters have not done as well. At Icon we only import "good" fighters to compete in our events. We're not going to drop airfare for fighter and his corner, hotel, and taxi/car rental on "Glass Joe." If we're going to spend that kind of money, we're going to bring in a quality fighter. Take Joe Jordan for instance. Kolo Koka fought him twice...lost both times, but both fights were exciting. We brought Joe in knowing how good he is. Kolo had his hands full. I could've given Kolo a "nobody," but what does that do for Kolo? Big friggin deal if he gets one more win. But is he any better for it? No. Kolo gains the opportunity to improve by fighting a high caliber fighter at the expense of marking his loss column. Losses are bad only if fighters aren't using the opportunity to learn from them. 

KMA-Any last words for the MMA fans around the world? 

PF-To the Fans...Spread the gospel of MMA! Inform the non-believers that this a strategic, exciting, and beautiful thinking-mans sport. Let them know that MMA fighters are not barbarians...they are amazing athletes. For Christmas, take you dad, wife, friend, brother or coworker to an Icon event if they've never been. If we keep filling the Blaisdell well make the mainstream - TV, journalists/media, and, especially, sponsors - come to us even more. As we get more mainstream support, the Icon shows will get better and better talent. It will be a win-win for fans, fighters, and sponsors. But the fans come first!

To the MMA athletes...You are the sport's dimplomats. Be responsible, humble, and look out for yourselves...as your image goes, so does the sport's. Treat the fans with kindness and gratitude. They keep the MMA sport alive! 
Happy Holidays!