Managing a fighter, no matter if he or she is a boxer, mixed martial artist or kickboxer is a very complex profession. The main aspects of fight management are:

The latter, promotion and management are sometimes intermingle. Managers often promote and promoters often manage. The two should be separated in the minds of a fight promotional organization but often are one.

Management of a fighter, no matter how good he is, should be separated in these three facets. Once you have an individual trying to perform more than one of these functions the managing of the fighter gets difficult. There should be three separate individuals or groups that would make the fighter prosperous.

The training of the fighter should be left up to the fighter’s coach. He should be teaching the fighter skills of how to best approach his upcoming opponents. The fighter’s basic job is to learn how to fight and adjust to his opponents. The trainer or trainers are the individuals who prepare the game plan for the fighter.

Trainers should not spent time working deals for the fighter, they should develop him into a champion. Trainers should keep up with new training methods, which would make the fighter superior. They will have to stay abreast of the rules of sanctioning organizations. The trainer helps the fighter adjust to the fight venues or environment. He assists his fighter with diet, nutrition and manages his medical concerns.

The fighter’s manager is basically the executive who operates the day to day operations of the fighter’s environment. He or she would negotiate contracts for the fighter. He helps the fighter with day to day activities in and outside of his training, such as education, advising of financial matters, such as his savings, investments and spending. Most fighters have short careers, so the manager informs the fighter of matters such as planning for the future of his family. Retirement, insurance, medical matters are some of the things that should be handle by the manager.

When negotiating fight deals, the manager must be the fighter’s soothsayer, picturing the financial growth of the fighter and his family. He often works with the promoter and maps out a course on how they can help the fighter earn a living. For example, if the fighter is winning and gaining notoriety, it is up to the manager to look for other avenues the fighter can earn income between fights. Commercials, speaking engagements, being a sparring partner to other fighters, fight seminars and guest appearances are a few ways fighters earn other income.

The fighter who is not so lucky will work a job until he reaches an elite level. But to a limited extent, if he has a smart manager, the average fighter can enjoy some of these perks too.

The manager is the person that is usually responsible for paying the trainer and other members of the fighter’s team, which may include secretaries, investors, people who scout opponents, etc.

As you see managers are very important to the fighter. They give the fighter a chance to train without worrying about the complexities of the fight business.

Promoters are the guys who put the fights together. Their jobs are to create fights and bring the right people together in creating the event; such as investors, fighters, sponsors, the news media, television and the fans. Some fighters sign with promoters and who operate as managers. Don King and Bob Arum operate in this fashion. HBO, Showtime and the United Kingdom’s Sky Network have delved in aspects of the fight promotion game. Creating and financing fights.

Recently, NBC and Spike TV have become limited fight promoters with two successful reality television shows, The Contender and The Ultimate Fighter respectively.

Yes, they are the guys that orchestrate the flow of money. They are the kneecaps of the industry. Take the promoters out of the equation and the fight industry will lose it zest and organization.

We have to take our hats off to the modern day fight management team. Never before in the history of our planet has fights been so popular. Be it boxing, wrestling, kickboxing or mixed martial arts. The fight management teams of the world, amateur and professional, have made fighting a multibillion-dollar industry.