Shawne Merriman has opened up about why the UFC is so successful as he aims to provide an opportunity for fighters to progress from his shows to the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization.
On May 10, the NFL legend’s Lights Out Xtreme Fighting returns with LXF 24 at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, USA, with a main event between PFL veterans, Tyrell Fortune and Carl Seumanutafa.
However, while the headline attraction will undoubtedly deliver a barnburner, the former Chargers star is equally excited to give up-and-comers like Jake Babian an opportunity to thrive.
After Merriman fell in love with MMA through a brutal training session with Randy Couture, he’s made it a massive part of his life, and now hopes to increase his involvement even further.
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Shawne Merriman says the UFC did a great job of building a brand
Shawne Merriman has enormous praise for what Dana White and the UFC have managed to achieve in MMA.
Now, with his next big card coming up, he’s excited to continue on the journey to making his company one of the most respected in the fight game.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he explained: “Carl Seumanutafa vs Tyrell Fortune — I’m really looking forward to seeing this one. It’s crazy, we’re starting to get more marquee guys.
“We believe that a lot of these guys can have an opportunity to go to the UFC if they have a streak with us. We want to get as many fighters on the verge of that and build a lot of the ones that we believe in that are already state champions as amateurs and already have a following. That’s the recipe for us.
“We’re not trying to jump out of the gate with big-name fighters, and I hate to throw other promotions under the bus. This is not an easy business; from the production side to the fight side, there are a lot of nuances that go on in this business.
“There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors because everybody wants to be that next step to the UFC. We’re doing it the right way, we’re going to keep building.
“This is the honest truth. The UFC is the UFC because they built the brand for 30 years, and to build the brand, you need to do things the right way, with the right promotion, letting people know who you are.
“So, you have to build and gain trust with the fans. We wanna be around for the long haul, we wanna be one of the most legitimate promotions in the country, and I think we will.”
Shawne Merriman calls out NFL legend for a massive fight between two football icons
While Merriman is dedicated to promoting the stars of the future, he’s also passionate about training himself.
After growing up boxing with his uncles, who were professional fighters, and then honing his craft extensively with Randy Couture, the ex-Buffalo Bills superstar has an itch to compete that he’s not yet scratched.
With that in mind, he’d love the opportunity to put on the gloves and go to battle.
Recently, Merriman called out a fellow NFL legend for an epic superfight.