Shawne Merriman Champions New MMA Fighters’ Growth

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00:00You know, now, of course, you've been a big part of the MMA scene since you've retired.

00:07You've been big into it.

00:08I saw, you know, some videos of you training as well.

00:11How much does that, you know, push you with these fighters as well?

00:14How much do you think that helps you, you know, when you're dealing with them, when

00:17you're working with them, knowing what they go through to get ready for fights, knowing,

00:21you know, the ins and outs of this?

00:22You're not just a guy.

00:23You're not just a promoter that's trying to make money off these guys' backs, you know,

00:26that you've gone through, you put your body through the same thing that they're going

00:29through.

00:30How do you think that helps you relate to these fighters that you're putting on lights

00:32out?

00:33Yeah.

00:34You know, I just got the utmost respect, you know, for these guys and these women in this

00:37sport because there's something different, obviously, playing football, coming from that,

00:42making that transition to the MMA world.

00:44But you know, I've been around this thing for almost 18 years now.

00:47And that video you guys showed, I was at Extreme Couture, and I was over there with my trainer.

00:52But on the other side is where they had the live sparring and big glove training that

00:57day with, you know, I'm sure Strickland and all those boys over there.

01:01So I stayed on the easier side where I didn't have to go and bang around with those guys.

01:06But I just had the utmost respect being around them.

01:09I still jump and fight camps myself.

01:11And I just, I love the sport, man.

01:12I love training just to stay disciplined, stay in shape.

01:16And then too, it gives you a whole new appreciation for what they put their body through.

01:21And so just being around it, man, it's been great.

01:23Now I get a chance to promote these up and coming guys, man.

01:26We got some real superstars that we're growing that's just coming to the lights out of Extreme

01:29Fighting that will be in the UFC, no doubt about it.

01:33They will have that opportunity to get there.

01:35We just had, I think, two in the last few months to get called up to the UFC, man.

01:40We want to keep producing these next up and coming superstars of the sport.

01:44Yeah, I saw that when you just recently had a guy called up.

01:47And that's great too.

01:49And obviously you have your fight league, and you're big into it.

01:52You're doing what you can with these guys.

01:53And I love to see them go to a different level.

01:55Like there's plenty of people who obviously would not be happy that a guy who could be

02:00a main attraction for them, who could draw people, who could be on the main event of

02:03these cards is moving on.

02:04But I saw that you're out there, you're congratulating these guys.

02:07You're happy with their growth as this sport continues on.

02:12Yeah, man.

02:12And look, I'm as close as you can get to that.

02:14Because I'm back there and I watch these guys get their hands wrapped up.

02:17And I just, again, I've missed that part of going out to the stadium, the pregame.

02:22So just even for me to be around it, it's like a little bit of satisfaction to hear.

02:28Just to kind of watch them get ready, not only physically, but

02:31mentally prepared to go in there for battle.

02:33And so there's a lot of relation, man.

02:36Like I get them.

02:37I mean, and so I'm both sides of it.

02:39Obviously, I run a lot, big part of the production.

02:41And everything that happens with a sponsorship, a distribution,

02:46everything that happens with the company is me.

02:48But man, I'm still an athlete at heart.

02:51I love being around these guys and feeling that energy.

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