Fight Business Podcast #18: Jesse Nunez building Elite Amateur Fight League to be the NCAA of MMA

Welcome back to the Fight Business Podcast, your weekly show dedicated to the business-side of mixed martial arts.

In this episode, host Patrick Auger is joined by Jesse Nunez, CEO and founder of Elite Amateur Fight League.

The Elite Amateur Fight League is a national team vs. team, state vs. state MMA organization that utilizes a similar format to popular NCAA tournaments. In the Elite Amateur Fight League, teams compete in a playoff-style tournament to become the national champion.

Nunez explains the origins of the company and how it all began after an intensive one-year research and development phase. During this phase, EAFL realized that there was a significant opportunity in the market — a dedicated amateur sports league that would enable young, up-and-coming fighters to build their brand and their careers on the amateur circuit before making that step to a professional career.

The Elite Amateur Fight League likely won’t host another event until March 2021 and it’s possible that the season will see 16 teams compete instead of the 8 in previous years.

Timestamps:

0:36 – About Elite Amateur Fight League
3:39 – Navigating the amateur pathway
7:12 – Why amateur and why teams?
13:30 – Logistical challenges and other difficulties
15:38 – COVID-19 impact
18:00 – Invest in Elite Amateur Fight League
24:35 – Professional fighter support
26:53 – Overall objectives
27:48 – Accommodating for amateur fighters
30:32 – Initial research & development

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