New Waves in Professional Boxing
United Fight Events, a premium event, showcasing the very best in combat sports. There has been a meteoric rise in martial arts within the last 5 years with the different arts and styles gaining huge attention.
United Fight Events currently showcases Muay Thai and Traditional Boxing and will host its first, much anticipated event, #UNFC1, on October 22nd at Riverside Leisure Centre in front of 1100 supporters.
The main event features Marcel Gaines, who has recently returned from three years of competition at the highest level in Thailand, who will be competing against Leif Taggart, a recent British Kickboxing champion. Other competitors include local up and coming fighters and experienced regional champions which promises to bring an evening of exciting entertainment, fine dining and a technical spectacle unlike anything the South West of England has ever seen.
#UNFC1 promotes a fair and safe platform for fighters to compete at local, national and international levels. It is the first fully regulated organisation for Muay Thai boxing and sits shoulders above many organisations based here it he UK working in the area of white collar boxing. #UNFC1 pioneers change in this industry.
#UNFC1 would like to invite you to its very first, exclusive event on 22 October 2016.
Link to purchase ticket - https://www.unitedfightevents.co.uk/unfc1-tickets-e/
Interview with Charles Mason
1. Your age, your background:
I’m 21, my background as a martial artist was MMA from the age of 15/16 I fell into it by pure chance and ran with it. Before MMA I had no really sporting background, MMA brought me to a level of sporting performance that I would have never reached I now truly belive that it’s all about finding the right sport for the individual not that individuals don’t like sport. As a entrepreneur you could say I picked up a lot from my family, my grandfather has been the director for many years of Davis Estates a no longer active but once renowned housing estate builder and my mother an ex market trader who now owns a shop on the quay. My life seems to have been leading me inadvertently down this road and hopefully to future success.
2. What have the challenges been to date?
My first challenge was with the council finding out there was a ban on professional boxing and therefore any kind of professional combat sport within Exeter I had to act swiftly and decisively to defend the company and make sure that the event could g ahead by working with the council to resolve the issue. I know hope to work with the council to overturn this ban and keep changing attitudes of the sport. Other challenges have been rival promoters seeking to keep the status quo in order as they have found a niche for unregulated, badly paid events and naturally weren’t best pleased when I started raising standards.
3. What are the pressures of working in the business you do?
There are a lot of pressure chiefly ticket selling, there is always the looming worry that you wont fill a venue but as in the nature with events people tend to buy tickets at the last minute, saying that I am extremely pleased that we have sold over half the tickets for the event already and we have smashed the attendance record of any other fight event in the southwest! I also have to spend my time dealing with some colourful characters who have various needs and demands but it comes with the territory they are all nice people to deal with but every day throws up a new challenge. The only other pressure I have is my desire to make a success of this, I really want to create something that is better for the public and better for the fighters I feel that I have a dtuy to present combat sports in a better light and enable fighters within the southwest a more accessible to the mainstream platform in which to launch their careers.
4. Do you feel the art of fight is well regulated?
Regulations is a big problem within the UK and within the sport as a whole, the Uk has made leaps in terms of regulation however there are no mandatory regulatory bodies so it’s a bit of the wild west with pockets of civilization throughout. I think that what I am putting in place with UNFC will create a well-regulated model that can be looked up to and be seen as a world class system that is the front runner in regulation while retaining the true nature of the combat sports.
5. Who are your biggest inspiration’s:
I don’t tend to find that I get inspired by people and have never liked to put others on a pedestal. I respect others for their achievements but don’t revere them. The way I see it the more time you spend looking up at others the less time your spending climbing the ladder.
6. Is the local community behind your project?
I feel like the reception I have from everyone I talk to speaks to itself everyone involved from the fighters, coaches, referees, medics etc. really appreciate the way in which we are bringing something new, refreshing and professional to the market. Shaking up the stagnation of the southwest!
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully I’ll still be on this wild ride and maintaining my composure! Honestly I can only see the expansion of UNFC I’ve got some big plans and some great leads. Lots is on the horizon already including TV deals, more national shows and we are looking already at potentially some international shows.
8. What is it about UNFC1 as an organisation that excites you/makes it unique?
To me it’s everything I ever wanted in terms of brand, promotion and entertainment. In my eyes I took the mistakes of others turned them around looked at it from the market who wouldn’t touch this type of events perspective and made the changes to create an accessible and inclusive event that caters for the VIP’s to the standard ticket holders with the same respect.
9. And, finally your upcoming launch event – highlights as far as you are concerned?
Highlights for UNFC1 would have to include the main event Marcel Gaines is an unknown on the UK scene his performance could be jeopardised by the fact he has not fought in the last two years however he spent 10 years plus in Thailand becoming a stadium champion at multiple weights and quite frankly beating the Thai’s at their own game, it remains to be seen if he will be able to bring the same ferocity into this fight! Also the two Co main events are ridiculously exciting. As for highlights of the journey I would say my biggest has been realizing how steep the learning curve has been but every second of it has been more enjoyable than the last. Right now I just can’t wait for a great night with great people enjoying some great fights!
