Ones to watch: Combat sports (2024)

Audie Attar

Founder, CEO, Paradigm Sports Management

As the agent of Conor McGregor, Attar helps run the business of arguably the most well-known and eccentric fighter of this generation. Attar has worked with McGregor since 2013 and, in addition to managing the Irish UFC legend’s fighting career, has helped McGregor launch several businesses, including Proper No. Twelve Whiskey, which sold a majority stake to Proximo Spirits for $600 million in 2021. He negotiated the highest global pay-per-view buy rate in history for McGregor’s exhibition boxing match versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. Paradigm works with well over a dozen other professional fighters and Attar is now expanding the agency into the scripted and unscripted entertainment space. His next big move will be negotiating McGregor’s return to fighting following the injury he suffered in 2021.

Nakisa Bidarian

Founder, BAVAFA Sports

While Jake Paul has been disrupting the combat sports industry in recent years, Bidarian is the one helping the social media star formulate his plot. The former CFO of UFC and CEO of Fertitta Capital, Bidarian now runs the BAVAFA Sports investment firm and, in conjunction with Paul, Most Valuable Promotions. On top of routinely driving millions of social media engagements and views, Paul is a 6-0 professional boxer who has earned tens of millions of dollars through fights, underscoring the value Bidarian has helped unlock. In 2022, Bidarian promoted the first women’s boxing event to ever headline and sell out Madison Square Garden, and he negotiated a deal with the Professional Fighters League to have Paul try out MMA.

Hunter Campbell

Chief Business Officer, UFC

While Dana White is the face of UFC, Campbell is one of the foremost cogs getting deals done behind the scenes. Having started as chief legal officer and general counsel for UFC in 2017, and promoted to his current role in 2019, Campbell now routinely helps the Endeavor-owned property negotiate its endless number of contracts with fighters. Those negotiations are being watched closely as some UFC fighters have challenged how much they are paid. Beyond his work with fighters, Campbell’s other blocking and tackling duties include overseeing relationships with state athletic commissions and the UFC’s anti-doping program.

Leonard Ellerbe

Chief Executive Officer, Mayweather Promotions

As the driving force behind Mayweather Promotions, Ellerbe has been part of some of the biggest boxing matches in history and continues to shape the company behind Floyd Mayweather Jr. With Mayweather’s global popularity, and deep pockets, the company plays a role in organizing marquee fights and building the sport’s next stars. In addition, Ellerbe remains involved in setting up the numerous exhibition matches that Mayweather has taken in recent years, keeping the fighter in the spotlight to showcase his skills and flamboyant personality.

Stephen Espinoza

President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime

Espinoza is one of the busiest men in combat sports and can routinely be found behind the mic at a press conference hyping the biggest fights in the world. Showtime has made a huge investment in combat sports as it airs boxing matches on a weekly basis and also airs the Bellator MMA property, which, like Showtime, is owned by Paramount Global. Espinoza could have a big 2023 on tap as he works to put together two potential mega fights in Gervonta Davis versus Ryan Garcia, and Errol Spence Jr. versus Terence Crawford. Given Showtime’s commitment to combat sports, Espinoza’s moves will be watched closely.

Brian Kelly

Chief Revenue Officer, Top Rank

As the person charged with driving new revenue to one of the most historic promoters in boxing, Kelly is working to make the sport cool again with corporate America. Bringing on blue-chip partners like Bud Light, sponsorship revenue grew 185% from 2021 to 2022 for Top Rank, which promotes or co-promotes stars like Tyson Fury, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko. Kelly also helped Top Rank’s revenue from social media increase by triple digits last year by incorporating sponsors as he works to connect the sport more to younger and diverse audiences.

Matt Kenny

Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions, Pro Basketball and Combat Sports, ESPN

Combat sports have become an important vertical for ESPN, and the man who makes things happen in the space for the media giant is Kenny. While also helping the network oversee its pro basketball coverage, Kenny is a key point person between ESPN and UFC, which has become one of the foremost drivers of subscriptions for the ESPN+ streaming service, one of Disney’s most important initiatives. Kenny also oversees ESPN’s work in boxing, which includes a media rights agreement with promoter Top Rank. In addition to his work with live bouts, Kenny served as executive producer for the UFC reality show “The Return of the Ultimate Fighter.”

ShannonKnapp

Founder, President, Invicta Fighting Championships

As the only woman to lead a major MMA property in North America, Knapp occupies a unique role in the fighting space, particularly as growth around women’s sports explodes. Invicta FC, founded in 2012, distinguishes itself by featuring only female fighters. Knapp has promoted more than 400 bouts including with fighting greats such as now UFC legend Amanda Nunes. She’s brought innovative scoring ideas to Invicta and plans to expand the organization into other forms of combat sports in the coming year. While a small player in the space now, Invicta’s approach could garner more attention in the years ahead.

Joe Markowski

Chief Executive Officer, North America, DAZN

Markowski has led DAZN’s major push into the U.S. in recent years and combat sports have been a key element in generating subscriptions for the streaming service. The strategy last year featured fights with the likes of Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and the first sold-out women’s main event at Madison Square Garden. Markowski has been pushing DAZN into other parts of the combat sports realm, such as celebrity boxing with the X Series, and bringing on social media influencer KSI as a partner to give the series a big name as its face and to further amplify upcoming matches.

Peter Murray

Chief Executive Officer, PFL

Plenty of MMA properties through the years have aimed to be the main contender to the market-dominating UFC, but Murray thinks he’s on to something with the Professional Fighters League. Backed by former AOL executive Donn Davis, the challenger brand has a media rights deal with ESPN and recently made global headlines by signing social media superstar and pro boxer Jake Paul to try out MMA. To capture the sport’s popularity globally, PFL is launching regional leagues throughout the world toward the ultimate goal of creating a champions league of MMA.