As a recent MBA graduate, a black belt in Taekwondo and an avid fan of Mixed Martial Arts, I approach this venture not as a traditional blog, but as an outlet for the development and functional application of the key takeaways from my MBA experience. This site aims to explore the nuances of the MMA industry and subculture thru the lens of business. The end result will hopefully be a portfolio of unique ideas and a deeper understanding of the underlying opportunities and corporate strategies present in the fast-paced and increasingly global industry of MMA.
Categories of Blog Posts:
These posts represent an attempt at applying key learnings from the MBA classroom to the business side of MMA. As a new concept is introduced into the classroom, I will ask the questions: How might this apply to the MMA industry? Could this idea bring positive change in the growth and marketability of Mixed Martial Arts? Many of these posts will be Marketing oriented as this is my concentration throughout the final year of my MBA at Case Western Reserve University, but I hope to incorporate a diverse set of business perspectives as the year progresses including Organizational Development and Diversity, Design Thinking, Advanced Business Planning and more.
These post will focus on relevant news stories which pop up periodically throughout the year. Examples might include developments regarding both domestic and international sanctioning efforts for the sport of MMA; business sponsors, partnerships or joint ventures; television deals; and any other actions taken or decisions rendered by the major promotions or MMA-related businesses. My goal will be to post relevant quotes followed by thoughtful analysis.
A bit of a catch-all category, Mixed Opinions is reserved for me to document my personal thoughts on various topics related to the business of MMA. I also plan to use this category as a place to develop my own ideas and suggestions related to the improvement of the sport as it relates to the topics of strategy, marketing, global expansion, and fair competition.
This category comes from a personal tendency to disagree with just about every MMA fighter ranking system. As an opinionated fan of the sport, I just can't help myself. Instead of complaining, I've decided to create my own rankings using the US Today Consensus Rankings as my starting point. Please see the MMA Fighter Rankings tab for more information.
Contact Information:
Matt Janecek, MBA
Case Western Reserve University
VP of Student Clubs, GBSA Representative
414.559.0990
mej33@case.edu
http://mba-mma.blogspot.com
