JOE caught up with MMA impresario John Ferguson to discuss the upcoming series of seminars with UFC Hall of Famers Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie.
By Fergus Ryan
It started as a rumour in early January that some big names from the international MMA scene were coming to Ireland. “Yes I can confirm that Ferguson Sports Group have teamed up with NJM Promotions to bring UFC stars including Ken Shamrock (above) and Royce Gracie to Ireland in 2011,” John Ferguson told JOE over the weekend.
Ferguson, a successful promoter, manager of fighters and general MMA exponent expanded on how the deal came about. “I was approached by NJM to see if I wanted to do a seminar in Ireland, but doing just one didn’t interest me.
“We then put together an exclusive deal where I would team up with NJM and bring a full series of MMA legends to Ireland. It’s a natural progression for the group really, we already have Europe’s largest MMA TV distribution with Cage Contender and we are leading the way on MMA news and social networking with www.fight.ie. I’m really looking forward to expanding our portfolio in 2011.”
Constantly pushing the boundaries for MMA in Ireland, Ferguson boasts television deals in over 50 countries for his Cage Contender promotion and recently hosted the Irish MMA awards ceremony on the 22nd January. 16,000 votes were cast and the winners were:
Young Fighter of the Year: Alan Philpott
Female Fighter of the Year: Aisling Daly
Coach of the Year: John Kavanagh
Team of the Year: Straight Blast Gym
Personality of the Year: Rodney Moore
Promotion of the Year: Cage Contender
MMA League Teen Fighter of the Year: Ryan Curtis
MMA League Adult Fighter of the Year: Danny Casey
Fighter of the Year: Norman Parke.
Broadening his portfolio of MMA wares the first seminar will feature MMA’s first global star, Ken Shamrock, on March 2nd in an event that will be hosted by Cork Sambo at Redmond’s Hurling & Football Club. This will be followed by a further three seminars with Royce Gracie in June. These will take place in Cork, Dublin and Belfast.
The seminars will be as much about promoting the sport as tapping into some of the greatest minds in MMA. “There will be a half hour photo session at the beginning, then a two-hour training seminar and finishing with a half hour Q&A session,” explained Ferguson.
A potential critic might question the relevance of Shamrock and Gracie in the sport today but Ferguson remains philosophical. “Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion. Let’s be clear the guys are hall of fame legends, a chance to spend time with and train with these guys is a massive thing,” said Ferguson. JOE couldn’t agree more.
While Shamrock and Gracie may no longer be competing, their presence in Ireland is significant in an international context. Both UFC Hall of Famers actively tour the world imparting their wisdom and why wouldn’t they spend some time in Ireland, given the increase in popularity of the sport and the burgeoning talent the island now boasts.
Ferguson has a track record in bringing MMA “firsts” to Ireland and whether you like the names or not, the series of seminars represents another significant first in getting Ireland on the international MMA map.
When we quizzed Ferguson on whether the seminars would be annual events and if there was anything else coming down the track, he assured us, “Yeah and I will update you guys at JOE every step of the way”.
