Easy Reader - The South Bay's Hometown News

Wed, Dec 2, 2009

Home

Back Issues

Open Houses

Classifieds

Coupons

Advertising Information

Real Estate

Staff

Mixing the punch

by Randy Angel
Published August 6, 2009

Former Redondo Beach neighbors Jorge Guimaraes and Ed Soares reunited to form a management team that handles some of the top fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Many call it brutal. Senator John McCain termed it “human cockfighting.” But the 21st Century’s version of gladiators has made mixed martial arts (MMA) the fastest growing sport in the United States.
MMA manager and South Bay native Ed Soares believes it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“In the next 10-15 years, MMA will be the biggest sport in the world. It will be bigger than soccer. It’s not a matter of if, but when,” he said.
That may be a bold statement, but if anyone has the qualifications to make the prediction, it’s Soares. The 37-year-old Redondo Beach native has witnessed first hand the rise of an emerging sport.
Three days before the X Games celebrated its 15th year last weekend with events at the Home Depot Center and Staples Center, Soares reminisced about his youth and working at ET Surfboards.
“I remember Tony Hawk doing skateboarding demonstrations in the parking lot to help sell his decks,” Soares recalled. “Who would have said 20 years ago that Tony Hawk would be making $55 million a year skateboarding?”
Like the highly-skilled athletes he manages, Soares has utilized a mix of techniques acquired from years of experience to become one of MMA’s most prominent figures.
Soares’ passion for athletics began with surfing, baseball at Central Redondo Little League and high school football at Redondo and then Mira Costa. After high school, he developed a passion for skiing and moved to Big Bear for three years where he became a ski instructor and race coach.
After returning to the South Bay Soares managed bands including The Neighborhoods, Cottonmouth Kings and Brand X and ventured into the night club scene, promoting events at local venues such as Orville & Wilbur’s and H20 and various Hollywood clubs.
When Soares learned he was going to become a father, he decided to leave the night-club lifestyle and entered the apparel business as a sales rep for Sinister, a club-wear line of clothing. He was moving a lot of product but with internal problems and the company in debt, Soares applied at Von Dutch Clothing for a position as national sales manager.

Opportunity knocks
“While I was giving notice at Sinister, I was surprisingly given the proposition of taking over the company,” Soares said. “The owner would pay off the bank loan and I would take over the other assorted debts. I convinced each vendor to give me a chance and six months later, in July of 1998, I had everyone paid off and the company was mine. For two or three months, I worked for free, but I was able to buy the company for $45,000.”
In a round-about way, Soares’ acquisition of Sinister became a stepping stone into the increasingly popular world of MMA. For years, he had been training in jiu jitsu with the legendary Gracie family and the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) first star Royce Gracie.
In 2003, after Soares designed the shorts with hanging icicles worn by UFC star Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, he accompanied the fighter to Japan for an event promoted by Pride, an MMA organization later bought by UFC. It was there that Soares renewed his friendship with Jorge Guimaraes, who had lived next door to the Soares family when Ed was a teenager growing up on Barbara Street in Redondo Beach. Their common ties to Brazil were the foundation to their relationship and would eventually lead to a lucrative business venture.
Born to Brazilian parents, Soares speaks English, Spanish and is fluent in Portuguese.
“When I was little, my mom only spoke to me in Portuguese,” Soares said. “When I went to kindergarten, I didn’t understand why the other kids looked at me weird when I talked to them.”
Guimaraes had moved to the South Bay from Brazil with Rorian Gracie in 1979, after attending architecture school. He found it fortunate to have next-door neighbors who were Brazilian.
“Ed’s mom used to help me with my daughter, who will be 22 in September,” Guimaraes said. “I eventually moved to Hermosa and six months later, to Manhattan Beach where I’ve lived ever since.”
The coincidental meeting between Soares and Guimaraes in Japan turned out to be more than a reunion. It marked the beginning of a partnership and the formation of Tough Media, Inc.
“When I met Jorge in Japan, he was producing Passando a Guarda (Passing the Guard), a weekly one-hour television show in Brazil,” Soares said. “I began helping Jorge with post-fight interviews and with some of the filming. One thing led to another and we brought the show to America in April of 2004.”
Soares and Guimaraes launched Passing the Guard on KDOC. At the end of its first season, it was the second rated show at midnight on Saturday nights in the Los Angeles area, running until December 2006. Guimaraes continues to produce the show in Brazil which is now in its 13th year.
“At that time, MMA was only being aired on cable stations and pay-per-view in the United States,” Soares said. “We wanted to air it on free TV. We built strong relationships with all the organizations… UFC, Pride, WEC. We were promoting events around the world to a hot market in LA and got to know fighters from post-fight interviews.”
In what Soares called a “natural evolution,” Tough Media transformed from a producer of a television show to a management company for MMA fighters. The company’s clientele has grown to include 15 fighters, with five competing in the UFC, the marquee organization within the sport of MMA.

Tough business
Tough Media’s top fighter, Anderson “The Spider” Silva, has a 24-4 record and will be a featured attraction in Saturday’s pay-per-view event, “UFC 101: Declaration,” to be held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
Considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the MMA, the 6-foot-2, 205 lb. Silva takes on former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.
“Not many management companies can say this, but I believe in my heart that every one of our fighters is, has been, or has the ability to be a champion,” Soares said. “Silva, Lyoto Machida (15-0) and Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera (31-5-1) are proven winners.”
Soares is also impressed with up-and-coming fighters Paulo Filho (16-1), Diego Nunes (12-0), Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos (8-1) and Noguiera’s twin brother Antonio Rogerio (16-3).
It’s no surprise that all but one of Tough Media’s fighters hail from Brazil. Soares’ ability to speak Portuguese is a vital tool in handling contract negotiations, sponsorship endorsements and movie deals.
“We have a business management firm that handles the accounting,” Soares said. “The last thing you want is the manager involved with the money. At the end of the day, we work for them and help them make the right choices to benefit their careers.”
The only non-Brazilian fighter is recently-signed Chase Gormley, a heavyweight who was an All-American wrestler at Torrance High School in 2001.
Soares and Guimaraes transformed a warehouse in Gardena into offices and a training facility they call Blackhouse.
“All our fighters train here when they are in town,” Soares said. “Only people signed by us or invited by us can train here. It’s like these guys have a nice new Bentley sitting here in Los Angeles. When they’re here, they get to drive it. When they’re not, it just stays parked.”
The success of Tough Media has not gone unnoticed. The July 2009 issue of Fight Magazine names Soares and Guimaraes as No. 12 on its Power 20 list of most influential people in MMA. Guimaraes is not surprised.
“To tell you the truth, I feel I’ve earned it,” Guimaraes said. “Besides managing many top fighters with Ed, including two UFC champions, I’ve been involved with the sport since the beginning when it was called Vale Tudo [the Brazilian name before it became MMA]. I also started the first MMA TV show “Passando a Guarda” and created and produced 12 editions of Meca World Vale Tudo, the most hard core event ever. I’ve always promoted the sport, so I think it’s well deserved.”
Soares recently received a phone call from Joe Rogan, former host of the television show Fear Factor and longtime color commentator for UFC events.
“Joe called me while he was doing voiceovers for the new UFC video game,” Soares said. “He told me that I was one of the characters in the game and it looked just like me. I was so flattered. The funny thing about it is they have me portraying a trainer and I don’t know the first thing about training a fighter, but at least they gave me a good tan.”
Soares said the UFC projected two million in sales for the video game, but sales have topped three million.

MMA mentor
Although Soares is enjoying his success, he admits there are drawbacks. With an average of three to four events each month, travel keeps him apart from his wife, Lynn, daughters Ava, 6, and Ella, 11, and their Hollywood Rivera home more than he would like.
“Since January 1, I’ve traveled 123,000 miles on United alone, including three trips to Brazil, two to Japan and one to Europe,” he said.
Flights to Las Vegas are almost weekly rituals.
“I’ve traveled all over the world. To me, the South Bay is the best place to live in the world. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Soares’ local roots are strong and his pride in the area make him quick to help promote the South Bay any way he can. He is excited to see the success enjoyed by local promoter Todd Meacham, who is president of Total Fighting Alliance (TFA), a South Bay-based organization that holds MMA events featuring up-and-coming fighters. TFA will hold its 16th event — Battle in the Bullring – on Saturday, Sept. 21 at a venue in Artesia used for “Bloodless Bullfights.”
“It’s both an honor and a pleasure to know and work with Ed Soares,” Meacham said. “He is one of the true pioneers of mixed martial arts, whose leadership role in the industry is unquestioned. Ed is a visionary. He saw the Total Fighting Alliance for what it might become at the very beginning and backed our play with sponsorship money and brilliant Brazilian fighters from his world famous camp. Many of our fighters have gone on to other leagues after being discovered and built up here in Southern California by the Total Fighting Alliance, including Bobby Green at Affliction, and both Chad Griggs and Andy Wang at the UFC.”
Promoter Jani Lange, of Hermosa Beach, has also benefited from Soares’ advice. Lange founded A.M.I. in 1996 at the age of 19 and has watched his business grow to become one of the leading event coordination companies in the South Bay, producing events that revolve around the surf/skate/punk beach culture. A.M.I. has brought bands such as the Circle Jerks, Agent Orange, and Guttermouth to the South Bay along with art shows, surf movie premiers and local surf festivals.
“None of this would be possible if Ed hadn’t given me the time of day when I was starting out as a young promoter,” Lange said. “In a highly competitive industry such as promoting, it is rare to find positive and sincere mentors. It is an honor to be a part of the same exclusive fraternity as Ed, and see that a local party promoter can take the skills he honed at beach events and apply them to shaping the future of the fastest growing sport in the world.”
TFA is not the only South Bay organization hosting MMA events. Redondo Beach native John Ellis and South Bay Promotions will be holding the second Boxing at the Beach event Friday, Aug. 21 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The night will include MMA fights, one featuring Redondo Beach’s Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler.
“I recommend to everyone that they go watch a live event. Most of the time, the fights end in dramatic fashion.”
The world of MMA has come a long way from being considered an underground sport in the early ‘90s. When the UFC began in 1993, Royce Gracie dominated the no-holds-barred competition that had no weight limits. He resurrected the interest in martial arts that Bruce Lee started in the 1970s.
Many states outlawed the sport. More importantly, cable networks began to refuse to televise events.

Going mainstream
The turning point for MMA came when athletic commissions began to sanction the events.
“It’s not an anything-goes event like it used to be,” Soares said. “The athletic commissions have set rules to protect the fighters. There are time limits, weight limits, rules and regulations, making it a real sport. There is random drug testing for everything from illicit drugs to steroids. Within 30 days of an event, each fighter is given a blood test for Hepatitis B and C and HIV.
“The fighters now aren’t just barroom brawlers. These guys are highly trained athletes. Rogerio Noguiera was a Pan American bronze medalist in boxing. Andre Galvo was a 7-time World Champion in jiu jitsu. Many collegiate wrestlers are entering MMA, which is a strong background to have. It’s truly mixed martial arts now.”
Fans of the sport agree. UFC’s contract with Spike TV has made The Ultimate Fighter and UFC Fight Night two of the network’s most popular shows. Although UFC draws sellout crowds, pay-per-view results are what truly indicate the popularity of MMA.
Even in a down economy, MMA fans are willing to pay $45 for a few hours of entertainment. According to an article in the July 10, 2009 issue of Time, in 2008, UFC pay-for-view generated nearly $300 million, smashing the single year record of $260 million set by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2001. It marked the second consecutive year that UFC surpassed boxing and wrestling in pay-per-view revenue.
The rising popularity of MMA is no surprise to Soares and he has an explanation: “Pro wrestling is scripted. The athletes know a month in advance which wrestler is going to win or lose so they can build up the next pay-per-view event. Comparing boxing to MMA is like comparing checkers to chess. In boxing, you’re going to win in three different ways: Knocked out with a left, knocked out with a right, or by decision. In MMA, you can get knocked out with a knee, numerous types of kicks, elbows, submission. In checkers, you move forward and can jump and you win. Chess involves so many different moving pieces… pawns, knights, bishops. There’s a lot more to be educated on.”
Soares believes the increasing number of gyms opening up in the South Bay is further evidence that MMA is not only growing, but will be the sport of the future. From karate to Tae Kwan Doe to kick boxing to jiu jitsu, the studios and gyms are attracting more than UFC Champion wannabes. Children and women of all ages are practicing martial art disciplines.

The next generation
Having trained with the Gracie family, Soares is a strong proponent of jiu jitsu and has his daughters enrolled in classes.
“Jiu jitsu is a defensive martial art and is great for kids to learn,” Soares said. “Martial arts teaches discipline and respect. When a person half your size is beating you, it makes for a very humbling experience. Keeping kids active and positive while they learn to respect others is very important for kids.”
Soares believes it’s the younger generation of athletes and people in their mid-20s who will fulfill his prophecy of MMA dominating the sports world.
“Kids who are training at 8 now, by the time they’re 22, they’ll have years of experience,” Soares said. “People who are breaking into the Fortune 500 now are probably 25 or 26 and have grown up with MMA. In 10-15 years, these men and women will be in executive positions at the big companies – the Cadillacs, the Rolexes, the Coca-Colas of the world – they will be the sponsors.”
For athletes with aspirations of entering MMA competition, Soares has some advice: “Become a complete fighter by learning multiple disciplines. Otherwise, your weaknesses will be exposed. It’s not an easy road. Stay focused and take it one step at a time. Pick the right fights and get experience at small events because they serve as a minor league for the UFC. Win and loss records are not as important as in boxing. When you fight in front of 500 to 20,000 people, you want to have the bugs worked out so you don’t become a deer in headlights.”
Soares also has a warning.
“Any fighter has to want to do it not for the money. It’s a lot of hard work. People only see the final product in the cage. They don’t see the throwing up after practice, not being able to get out of bed the day after a fight, having to cut weight, the stiches put in during a training session. The money doesn’t equate to the suffering involved. It has to be more for the personal challenge. The guys you see on TV have all paid their dues.”
“I’m a big sports fan,” Soares said. “I had the opportunity to attend a Lakers’ playoff game. Was it exciting to go? Sure. But does it compare to the energy at a UFC fight? Not even close. Besides, the access to UFC athletes is great. It’s nothing for a fan to be able to take a photo with Randy Couture or sit by Chuck Liddell. What are the chances of getting a snapshot with Kobe Bryant at Staples Center?”
Tough Media has become more than a business for Soares.
“One thing about our guys is they‘re not just our clients, they’re our friends and our family. I believe in all of our athletes. There’s not a guy on our roster that I wouldn’t have sleep at my house. With all the time we put in with the athletes, we really get to know them and care about their well being and their health. When you’re away for weeks at a time, they become your family.”
Guimaraes concurs. “Ed is like family to me. He’s a real go-getter and makes things happen. We make a great one-two knockout combination.” ER