I've had the same conversation about 47 times this year.

A founder calls me, frustrated. They've been trying to land sponsors for months. They've reached out to brands, sent emails, made calls. Nothing's working.

"Brands just don't get combat sports," they tell me.

Then I ask them two questions:

1. What's your schedule for this year or next year?​
​2. Who is your distribution partner?

Nine times out of ten, silence.

These are the exact same questions every sales rep, agency, and brand manager asks before they'll even consider working with you.

And if you can't answer them clearly, the conversation is over before it starts.

Why These Two Questions Matter

Here's what they're really asking:

Schedule = Are you serious or are you winging this?

Brands plan budgets months—sometimes years—in advance. They need to know when you're running events so they can build campaigns around them, plan activations, and justify the spend internally.

If you're going event-to-event with no clear calendar, you're asking them to trust chaos. They won't.

Distribution = Will anyone actually see our logo?

It doesn't matter how exciting your fights are if nobody's watching. Brands need to know where their investment is going to show up. Network TV? Streaming platform? YouTube? Facebook?

If your answer is "we're working on it" or "we post clips on social," that's not distribution. That's hope.

Give Your Sales Team Ammunition

If you can answer those two questions clearly, then—and only then—can the real conversation start.

Now they want to know:

• What kind of inventory can you offer? (Canvas, broadcast, digital, hospitality?)
• What's your viewership? Real numbers, not "it went viral."
• What's your social media following? Engagement rates?
• What kind of content do you create outside of events?
• How does your brand stand out?
• Why should they sponsor you instead of someone bigger?
• Why would partnering with you elevate THEIR brand?

This is where most promotions fumble. They think sponsorship is about what they need. It's not.

It's about what the brand gets.

You have to give as much ammunition as possible to the people representing you. If you're working with an agency or a sales rep, their job is hard enough. Don't make it harder by showing up unprepared.

The Real Problem

Here's what I keep hearing from people in this space: "We can't get sponsors."

And I get it. The fight industry is small. Agencies and salespeople aren't as interested because there's more money and less headache in selling NFL, NBA, or tennis sponsorships.

So how do you flip the switch?

Look at smaller organizations in other countries who are selling out arenas. They figured it out. But they didn't figure it out by accident.

They have:

• A proper schedule that brands can plan around
• Proper distribution that gives brands confidence
• People who are willing to buy tickets (proof of real fan demand)

Once they had those fundamentals in place, then they brought in experienced operators in the sales department who could go out and sell, sell, sell.

You can't skip the foundation and expect sales to save you.

What You Can Do Right Now

If you're running a fight promotion and struggling to land sponsors, start here:

1. Lock in your schedule.​
Even if it's just 4 events. Put dates on the calendar for the next 12 months. Brands need predictability.

2. Get a real distribution partner.​
Not "we're in talks with" or "exploring options." An actual deal with a platform or network where brands can see their logo. If you don't have this, go get it before you pitch sponsors.

3. Build a proper sponsorship deck.​
Include your schedule, distribution, viewership data, social metrics, inventory breakdown, and rate card. Make it easy for them to say yes.

4. Show real fan demand.​
Selling tickets matters. It proves people care. If you can't sell tickets, why would a brand think their customers care?

5. Answer the "why you" question.​
What makes your brand different? Why would a sponsor look cooler being with you than someone bigger? This is where creative thinking comes in. Are you building a community? Telling stories differently? Reaching an audience others aren't?

6. Hire or partner with someone who knows how to sell.​
If you can afford an experienced salesperson, hire them. If you can't, partner with companies selling to the same demographic. Think about who else is reaching males 18-39 and package deals together.

The Bottom Line

Everyone in this space is stuck because the industry is small and agencies aren't interested.

But smaller organizations around the world have figured it out. They didn't wait for the industry to change. They built the fundamentals, got serious about operations, and brought in people who could sell.

You can do the same.

Answer the two questions. Build the foundation. Give your sales team ammunition.

Then go sell.

P.S. If you're frustrated about sponsorship, I promise you it's not because "brands don't get combat sports." It's because you haven't answered the two questions yet. Fix that first.

P.P.S. If you're a founder, promoter, or working in the business side of combat sports, I work 1:1 with a very limited number of founders and investors on a 12-week executive transformation advisory. Apply HERE​

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