Fighters across the Maritimes are gearing up once again as the region's premier MMA promotion, Fight League Atlantic, prepares for FLA 2 tomorrow evening inside Moncton, N.B.
Raising a new MMA promotion is never simple, and the coronavirus crisis only compounded those difficulties for Fight League Atlantic co-promoter Derek Clarke. Yet persistence and commitment have allowed the organization to keep pushing ahead, delivering polished productions like FLA 2.
"It's a crazy, full-time job. Operations are done by Jon and I. We pretty much look after the majority of stuff and we have a production team that's about 10 deep," Clarke told MMA Empire in a recent conversation.
"It's a lot of work and, to be honest, the majority of the social media is done by me directly. We own pretty much all of our own gear when it comes to production stuff. Everything is in house, so it's a lot easier that way. We take a lot of pride in our production. For a couple of bums from small town Nova Scotia we really pull it off."
Clarke and the Fight League Atlantic team have seen their efforts rewarded as the promotion continues to build momentum, quickly establishing itself among Canada's finest MMA organizations.
By drawing on the deep well of talent available across the Maritimes, Fight League Atlantic has woven itself into the fabric of the regional fighting community.
"We do take a lot of pride being out here on the East Coast," Clarke noted.
"I truly believe that nothing is possible without community and it takes a lot of different businesses that are struggling and people to come out and support our events. There's a certain feeling when you're around a community that loves this stuff. And we're used to being underdogs here on the East Coast. We really take a lot of pride in building it up and getting to the level of BFL, Unified and BTC who are putting on great shows. Eventually, hopefully within the next year, we can show people we're on that level too."
A black belt in jiu-jitsu and a dedicated competitor himself, Clarke understands firsthand the sacrifices fighters make and the relentless effort required to compete at the highest level.
That empathy shapes Fight League Atlantic's mission: to nurture fighters and grow the sport while delivering compelling entertainment for fans coast to coast. Tonight's card marks the beginning of what should be a busy season for the promotion.
"We're all about giving opportunities to people that deserve opportunities, people that work hard and represent the sport well. We want to develop fighters and work with them while we develop our brand and grow their careers and take them to the next level," Clarke said.
"We'd love to see fighters have a few amateur fights for us in a year and then make the jump to pro in our organization as well, then eventually move on to wherever they need to be. It's all about developing athletes we can work with and that we like, ones that fight well and want to grow with our brand. Pro fights are very important to us as well, so we plan to have at least four shows and three Kumites next year. It's exciting."
Tomorrow night offers two rising East Coast talents a chance to take that crucial next step Fight League Atlantic aims to facilitate.
The headline bout features a vacant amateur heavyweight championship as Hank Anderson (3-2) meets Jordan Noseworthy (3-3). Both competitors have won every bout of their careers by first-round TKO.
"It should be a great fight," Clarke predicted.
"It's an interesting one too because Hank comes from a boxing background. He has very heavy hands and he's taking on Jordan who's a big boy himself, but Jordan is a lot lankier and fights at a bit of a distance, so we'll see what happens. It's a good Maritimes battle for the title also; Newfoundland vs. New Brunswick. We're excited about that one; two big guys who are definitely going to meet in the middle and we'll probably see some fireworks."
All the action unfolds at the Moncton Coliseum. With a hungry local fanbase and a compelling main event, anticipation is running high for what promises to be a memorable evening of fights.
"The rest of the card looks great also. Everyone has been working really hard, we haven't lost a fight (knock on wood), so that's 10 total," Clarke added.
"There's some really high-level amateur fights I think people will be really impressed with. Add in the production value and it makes for a pretty good way to spend a Saturday night."
Clarke's Shoutouts
"All of our sponsors have been very important throughout the pandemic and it's helped us move forward in a positive way. They've all been great to deal with and we look forward to working with them on our future events."
