The world famous MMA style of fighting had been long forgotten in India and its trained fighters in the country were left in the lurch without any hope of the arts revival. However, with the birth of Combat Cage Fighting by Sinead McManus, not only has MMA bounced back in the spotlight but also the country has witnessed a significant new addition to its sporting event properties.
Following an electrifying debut season that left crowds in Goa hankering for more, Combat Cage Fight Night came back bigger and better with multiple sponsors this time around. Gionee presents Combat Cage Fight Night powered by Kingfisher, returned for its second season with a back-to-back bout session on December 18 and 19 in Goa at Destination One, on the shores of Calangute beach. The event was supported by Percept Live and was organized in association with Goa Tourism.
In an exclusive conversation with EE, Sinead McManus, Director, Combat Cage Fight elucidates on the challenges of organizing season 2, the response received and the prospects of the property ahead.
This time, 24 fighters took to the ring in 12 high energy bouts across both nights alongside some of the best music and entertainment of the season, with renowned DJs spinning unforgettable sets between bouts in the high-voltage ambience shares Sinead.
When asked to comment on the highlights of the event, Sinead says, “Where to start, first of all our new venue, in the Gardens of GTDC Calangute Residency, Destination One, beach front was the best location we could have asked for. Also having our event over 2 nights was also a great decision we made as people appreciated it. However, the main highlights of the second season were the fights itself, we hosted 3 Women’s bouts over the 2 days, where the fighters fought to the bitter end and went to the judge’s decision. Also 2 full action packed main card bouts where Nelson Paes won by TKO in the 4th round on the first night and Pushka Bhosle winning by judges decision stole the show.”
Contrary to the last edition, this season of Combat Cage Fight had Goinee as their prime sponsor. Insiders suggest that this was not a barter association and an undisclosed amount and some shares in the event property were exchanged between the two parties as a part of this deal.
Speaking on the association of Percept in the property Sinead says, "Percept has been a supporter for long. With their experience and knowledge in marketing, sponsorship, public relations and event execution they added tremendous value to the overall property."
Sharing the challenges of creating this season she elaborates, “It took us nothing short of blood, sweat & tears to make it happen but thankfully with the wonderful network around me and the support that I received we managed to pull it off. The end result is overwhelming and the actual event is just the most awarding thing ever. To be able to give this platform to the fighters of India for now and long term for the future is phenomenal and this is just the start of a very long journey for us.”
When questioned about the response received from the audiences Sinead comments, The response received is overwhelming as with the Goa Tourism Support and with the Minister of Tourism Support, we had over 1000 people as well as other special guests and VIP's coming in large numbers to support and promote the event. This marks a new era of entertainment in Goa everybody wanted to see what Cage Fighting is all about. Witnessing the audience’s engagement while the fights are proving their mettle in the ring is a testament of the fact that CCF defines sport entertainment at its peak. The response however is expected to increase further in the future as subsequent editions of the CCF are organized.
So when will we see another CCF happening? Sinead responds to the question by saying, “We have penciled February as the next one as the fighters need a little time for recovery. Also I need to get matching making started and the chosen fighters need to build their camps and start on the 6 weeks of mandatory training.”
