SANTA ANA, California (March 20, 2007) – New Era Fighting (NEF) president/CEO Ron Kort has announced that his hot, new MMA organization is offering an unprecedented even split of the gate, after expenses, to all of its participating fighters at future shows.
NEF also is offering the highest purse in the history of Mixed Martial Arts competition — $1,000,000 – to the winner of its revolutionizing “World’s Toughest Man” (WTC) contest winner if in a winner-take-all fight he defeats legendary combat fighter Kimo Leopoldo, who recently issued a challenge to UFC president Dana White because of derogatory remarks White made about Kimo and NEF.
“UFC is generating roughly $3,000,000 at the door and roughly $20,000,000 a show,” Kort explained the reasoning for his revolutionary offer to fighters. “I believe UFC made $222 million in 2006. NEF is willing to take 50-percent of the door and split the rest between fighters for any of our events, in addition to giving the fighters their regular purse. That way they will have a bigger stake in their fights and, in a way, will be ‘part owners’ of NEF.
“So, fighters entering our WTC contest may also be offered a promotional contract, whether they win or lose and that, in turn, means the WTC also represents a scouting mission for future NEF ‘owners’ in addition to a shot at $1,000,000. NEF has been built on the belief that it is for the fighters, by the fighters, and by the audience for the audience, not like other groups like the UFC that are political motivated and/or into promoting only favored fighters. NEF’s goal is to balance a fight organization in favor of fighters and audience members equally.”
NEF, featuring the raw violence of UFC and WWE-like entertainment outside of the ring, plans a series of international level tryouts, tentatively scheduled to begin June 15-17, at a venue in Orange Country, California. Each tryout in the proposed series will be conducted during a three-day tournament in an 8-10 month period. Selected fighters will advance to the next round, where they will fight each other in a tournament format to eventually determine the remaining 10 survivors.
The 10 tryout-survivors and some fighters already signed to NEF promotional contracts will compete on a show in either California or Las Vegas. The winner will be crowned “World’s Toughest Man” and be offered an anticipated $1,000,000 winner-take-all fight against living legend Kimo, headlining a full card for a pay-per-view broadcast live from in Las Vegas at a date to be determined.
For more information about New Era Fighting call 877.6.NEW.ERA (877.663.9372)/714.448.9999 or go on line to www.newerafighting.com.