Ed Soares: The Man Who Made MMA Mainstream

Описание: Ed Soares joins Erik Apple to take us back to the "Dark Ages" of MMA, where finding the sport on television was nearly impossible. Ed shares the incredible story of how he brokered a deal to air Passing the Guard on KDOC, effectively putting the UFC on free television before they ever had a deal with Spike TV.
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In this deep dive, Ed reveals the business side of the legendary clothing era, from manufacturing gear for Charles "Mask" Lewis and Tapout to creating Chuck Liddell’s iconic icicle shorts with his brand, Sinister. He also discusses the massive royalty checks fighters like Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell used to earn and his perspective on why the UFC’s move to uniform sponsorships was actually the right move for the business.
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🚨 TIMESTAMPS: MUST-WATCH MOMENTS 🚨

(1:07) – The "Dark Ages": When you couldn't even watch MMA on TV.
(1:45) – Managing Anderson Silva and the rise of LFA.
(2:16) – Origins of the "Passing the Guard" TV show.
(4:06) – The hustle: How Ed tricked a TV station into airing a Portuguese show.
(6:04) – Manufacturing for Tapout and the bond with Charles "Mask" Lewis.
(7:42) – Promoting the UFC on free TV before the Spike TV deal.
(9:01) – Sinister: Creating the first fighter T-shirts and Chuck Liddell's shorts.
(10:00) – The "Golden Age": When Silva and Liddell made $300K/year on merch.
(11:54) – Why the UFC sponsorship change wasn't "taking money" from athletes.
(14:36) – From MMA to PacSun and Hot Topic: The retail evolution.
(15:46) – Heritage: Speaking Portuguese and being 100% Brazilian