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   If you enjoyed this episode of The Fight Business Podcast, you can watch Patrick Auger's other episodes right here on our channel.   And make sure to hit the like and subscribe buttons!  Follow Patrick Auger on Twitter: @AllDayAuger  Subscribe to The Body Lock: https://bit.ly/35iN7bzLike The Body Lock on Facebook: https://goo.gl/Xm7sASFollow The Body Lock on Twitter: https://goo.gl/zt6naTRead more: https://thebodylockmma.com