In essence, all major sport organizations dedicate a "Hall of Fame" to commemorate the athletes that transcended their particular genre and celebrate its history. These locations are a "Holy Grail" for competitive athletes as it guarantees the one thing that all seek more than championships, money and fame: immortality. Sure, one is able to sit in his or her home, show some pictures and/or videos of their battles, but outside of those who are within shouting distance, their names will be lost with time. Securing a spot in a "Hall of Fame" ensures the name and legacy will live on for the future generations.
The sport of Mixed Martial Arts is still relatively new when compared to its vastly older blood sport siblings, but there is enough history that a MMA Hall of Fame seems like a logical progression.
This is exactly the way that former MMA fighter Ashe “The Archer” Bowman felt when his combat career came to end. After looking around, Bowman decided that the void of an MMA Hall of Fame needed to be filled so he, along with investors and partners, embarked on this venture in August 2013. Speaking to ConvictedArtist.com, "The Archer" said, "I got to thinking that, 'What do [MMA fighters] do when we hang-up the gloves? What do we do if we don't run a gym but still want to be part of the sport I love and have a passion for?' I did some research and found that there is no MMA Hall of Fame, so I decided to do something about that." Although one would think that the concept would be universally accepted, it is common knowledge that MMA is much more of a business than a sport; this means that Dana White's Ultimate Fighting Championship is the brand often recognized as MMA. With that kind of power, it is hard to establish anything without the UFC's blessing. Regarding this, Bowman described the UFC as a "promotional company" and added that "Dana [White] has done a great job of branding his company but the sport of MMA is its own entity."
"The Archer" further likened the situation to suffering a cut with "people telling you to use a 'Band-Aid'"; because the "term is a brand and not the correct medical term." He further clarified that "the UFC has its own Hall of Fame but this is different; we're doing the actual MMA Hall of Fame. We're not trying to compete with the UFC; we're just trying to connect the generations and education people about the great history of MMA and its fighters." Bowman added, "It doesn't matter what promotional company you fought for, [The MMA Hall of Fame] will recognize those that are inducted."
Regarding the actual reception of the project, the former Strikeforce competitor claimed it was "picking up a lot of steam" and reported that his contact with former fighters now involved and/or inducted into the hall has been "positive and very supportive. Everyone involved really appreciates the recognition and I also look at what [fighters] can get out of it to help everyone out." "The Archer" further expressed "great appreciation for everyone's support" and wanted to get the "word out" and "invite everyone to visit the Legends of MMA Hall of Fame."
Only time will tell if the Legends of MMA Hall of Fame will become a success as longevity is the true indicator of achievement: just because something makes sense that does not always means that it will succeed. For Bowman and those in his corner, things are looking positive; as long as the fighters and MMA powerbrokers are cooperative, this venture will likely triumph.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
