Can Shark Fight Promotions swim in the big ocean?

Starting a mixed martial arts promotion is not an easy thing to do.

Gary Shaw, one of the best boxing promoters in the history of the sport, tried and failed with Elite XC. Affliction Clothing, one the fastest growing clothing manufacturers in the country, also went up in flames.

From Bodog Fight to the World Fighting Alliance to countless others, no one - with the notable exceptions of the UFC and Strikeforce - has been able to sustain any true success in the United States.

Now, there is a new entrant into the MMA field - albeit on a much smaller scale. Shark Fight Promotions has started to promote MMA events in Amarillo, Texas. They are attempting to grow their business in much the same way Strikeforce did. When Strikeforce started out, they were a localized promotion in San Jose.

Shark Fight Promotions matchmaker and Vice President Brent Medley believes that is the right model to copy.

“We’re grassroots level like Strikeforce was,” Medley said. “Everything we do, we look at as how can we market it. We don’t have our head in the clouds.”

As Shark Fights prepares for its sixth show, they already have a track record of successful marketing. The fifth show, which took place on July 18, 2009, had an attendance of 10,603.

Looking towards the upcoming show on September 12, Medley believes it will also do well. The arena holds 7,000 fans.

“Ticket sales are good,” Medley said. “Amarillo is predominantly a huge walkup crowd. Normally, if we hit 1,500 to 2,000 presold, we generally sell out, and we expect that. For a population of 200,000 in Amarillo, 7,000 people is a big event.”

What goes a long way in drawing fans to the event is the appeal of the fighters. With a main of UFC and Pride veteran Don Frye against former EliteXC star Dave “Pee Wee” Herman, Shark Fights believes they have accomplished that.

“We have the most stellar card yet.” Medley said. “Don vs. Dave is a compelling fight. If Don rises to the occasion, he could beat a guy in Dave Herman that is 15-1.”

However, much like many other fight cards, the show has not come off perfectly. Herman’s original opponent was supposed to be Paul Buentello. That fight did not materialize.

“I was in negotiations with Paul Buentello,” Medley said. “We were at a stalemate. Buentello’s agent wanted to make sure the UFC or Strikeforce did not want to pick him up. We did not want to be second choice to the prom. To this date, he still hasn’t signed with anyone. I spoke with Scott Coker and Joe Silva. His agent was calling them.”

In his place, Medley signed Frye.

“I saw that Don Frye was pulling out of M-1, and he fought for us before. I picked up the phone and called his agent. He fought with us before. It was a good fit.”

The important question is, why should anyone believe that that Medley knows what it takes to be successful where so many others have failed?

Medley believes it all has to do with his experience in the MMA world.

“I’m a fighter myself,” Medley said. “I have 16 pro fights. I’ve been around the business for 15 years. I have the experience in the business.”

In order to grow the company, Shark Fights needs to increase their fan base. They believe they will accomplish that by having two ways to follow the upcoming show.

The first outlet is the conventional Internet PPV on their website. The second is through a new media outlet for MMA. The card will be available to local fans in the Amarillo area on ESPN radio. That could be a strong way to build local popularity and awareness.

“We want to do something that has never been done before,” Medley said. “We want to get out of that cookie cutter world. The first time I would tune in just for curiosity. We have to make sure they enjoy the show.”

With six cards under their belt and a seventh about to take place, Shark Fights has a chance to be successful on the local level. They believe they can provide a good alternative to the two major MMA promotions.

“Fighters are looking at like if I can’t fight in the UFC or Strikeforce, they can still receive a lot of exposure with us,” Medley said. “I’ve had former UFC fighters say we take better care of them then the UFC. I receive over 200 phone calls and 200 e-mails per month from fighters wanted to get in from all over the world.”