Advice For A Weight Loss MMA Book (From Congo UFC Champion)

[aboutalhah]

Hey Guys, My sparring partner just won the UFC 92 (and $100K by the way).

I want to create an ebook (Burn the fat style), or like the truth about abs.

Just seeking some advices and guidance for those already in the weight loss niche (I don't have experience in this niche.)

What you think is better?

An MMA book, or a Weight loss (or ABS) book (like Burn the FAT), style "Outlaw UFC Fighter Reveals His Method To Lose Weight, Bla Blah Blah"

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Franck

[YoYoPro]

Originally Posted by aboutalhah

Hey Guys, My sparring partner just won the UFC 92 (and $100K by the way).

I want to create an ebook (Burn the fat style), or like the truth about abs.

Just seeking some advices and guidance for those already in the weight loss niche (I don't have experience in this niche.)

What you think is better?

An MMA book, or a Weight loss (or ABS) book (like Burn the FAT), style "Outlaw UFC Fighter Reveals His Method To Lose Weight, Bla Blah Blah"

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Franck

So you're saying you train with Cheick Kongo? Are you for real?

I think you could have some success with that target audience, but you gotta keep in mind that not everyone is going to know or understand what mma is all about. It's really only "huge" in a few countries.

So using that as your angle may disappoint you if you can't draw those people in with that hook.

[aboutalhah]

I grew up with Congo (Cheick) in France.

Yes, we were training together. And I just proposed him to start IM, but he already makes a lof of money.

We were fighting way before UFC start.

Congo is my best friends.

At this time (1997), we were at the same level... But I left fighting for personal reasons, family, etc...

Now, I'm still a good fighter, but I'm not training seriously. As an example, last year I did nothing (I'm still in shape though).

Let's come back to IM.

In fact, since Tim Ventuno is so successful (with Burn the Fat), and the truthaboutabs guy (I learned on Yanik's site that this guy earn 4 millions dollar per year), I see the enourmous potential here.

I think about a burnthefat style book rather than an MMA book.

Then, we could do membership site, etc... Tom V style (I think Tom is a Dan Kennedy inner circle students).

Please keep your advices coming. I think this is going to be BIG.

Franck

Originally Posted by YoYoPro

So you're saying you train with Cheick Kongo? Are you for real?

I think you could have some success with that target audience, but you gotta keep in mind that not everyone is going to know or understand what mma is all about. It's really only "huge" in a few countries.

So using that as your angle may disappoint you if you can't draw those people in with that hook.

[aboutalhah]

In fact,

I already know some of the stuff people buy from clickbank (burn the fat, truth about abs, turbulence training to name a few).

Muscle building is also good.

In fact, what I intend to do is a series of ebooks.

Just seeking for your PRECIOUS advices.

I think weight loss/abs niche has more potential than MMA/muscle building, so I think it would ne good to start with this niche first.

Originally Posted by sprite123

I would say if you are really intersted in writing stuff that captures audience, then conduct a survey with people & find out what they did with weight loss. this will help you understand what you really want to right. A sample size of 15 to 20 will do. Worth investing time.

[Shannon Tani]

You need an angle. How is your product different? Who is your target audience?
What about targeting skinny men that want to build muscle quickly and easily? I don't see a lot of products catering to them...

Love,
Shannon

[aboutalhah]

Shannon,

I don't know for skinny men, because we are HUGE guys.

Look at Cheick here: UFC Video: UFC 92 Video: Cheick Kongo vs Mustafa Al-Turk

In fact, I am thinking more about the weight loss/Abs niche as I said above.

The angle would be: UFC fighter, but I'm thinking about how to incorportate the fact that he won the UFC (proof that his method of training is highly effective, etc...) in our USP.

By typing this, I'm realizing that we could also start something more like Craig Ballantyne (Fat Loss Gain Muscle Lose Fat Home Fitness Workouts).

Franck

Originally Posted by Shannon Tani

You need an angle. How is your product different? Who is your target audience?
What about targeting skinny men that want to build muscle quickly and easily? I don't see a lot of products catering to them...

Love,
Shannon

[Shannon Tani]

I meant target people that want to gain muscle more than lose fat...

For example, my husband is 5'9" and just 120 lbs. He'd love to weigh more and be more muscular, but he's too lazy to work out. He might be interested in a program where he could get the type of body that your friend has, without spending any time in the gym.

I mean, I would think that with the UFC angle, you're going for men. "build muscle" might convert better than "lose weight".

i haven't researched that though. just throwing out ideas.

Love,
Shannon

[Magic Johnson]

Hey, weight loss is okay but, its hard to wrap it around and come
out as a winner, with that MMA hook.

MMA as you said, may not be the best angle either because most intrested already knows a lot about fighting and BJJ and all tactics.

Now here. You need to listen, If I knew Congo, I would sign him to do a self defense course.

That's my angle if I knew the guy.

You can look out for Matt Furey and his self defense courses. I have a teleseminar on the guy, and he is the real deal in marketing. He Grosses over $1 million a month in this niche.

I would say you could just do as good, if you had Chuck Congos name. He kinda screams self-defense just looking at him.

Just the right guy to take self-defense advice from.

Goodluck

[aboutalhah]

MMA means Mixed Martial Arts. In a nutshell, Modern Martial Arts.

Originally Posted by lesnack

What is MMA?

Why not do an eBook on how to join UFC and become a champion?

[aboutalhah]

Majic,

Thanks for your advice. Excellent, I know Matt Furey (not personaly).

As for the self defense background, Kongo (not his real name) and me have the same background. I'm a body guard prior to being a marketer.

I'm going with Congo because of the name in the Media, and because he is my friend.

I'll check more about what Matt Furey is doing.

In fact, nothing prevent us to do both MMA and Weight loss (tom Ventuno) Style.

Thanks again, and all the best for your help.

Originally Posted by Magic Johnson

Hey, weight loss is okay but, its hard to wrap it around and come
out as a winner, with that MMA hook.

MMA as you said, may not be the best angle either because most intrested already knows a lot about fighting and BJJ and all tactics.

Now here. You need to listen, If I knew Congo, I would sign him to do a self defense course.

That's my angle if I knew the guy.

You can look out for Matt Furey and his self defense courses. I have a teleseminar on the guy, and he is the real deal in marketing. He Grosses over $1 million a month in this niche.

I would say you could just do as good, if you had Chuck Congos name. He kinda screams self-defense just looking at him.

Just the right guy to take self-defense advice from.

Goodluck

[aboutalhah]

Without spending time at the gym. This is awesome.

Craig does that with his (TurbulenceTraining.com) website.

Awesome. Thanks for your help.

Originally Posted by Shannon Tani

I meant target people that want to gain muscle more than lose fat...

For example, my husband is 5'9" and just 120 lbs. He'd love to weigh more and be more muscular, but he's too lazy to work out. He might be interested in a program where he could get the type of body that your friend has, without spending any time in the gym.

I mean, I would think that with the UFC angle, you're going for men. "build muscle" might convert better than "lose weight".

i haven't researched that though. just throwing out ideas.

Love,
Shannon

[Floyd Fisher]

Originally Posted by aboutalhah

Hey Guys, My sparring partner just won the UFC 92 (and $100K by the way).

I want to create an ebook (Burn the fat style), or like the truth about abs.

Just seeking some advices and guidance for those already in the weight loss niche (I don't have experience in this niche.)

What you think is better?

An MMA book, or a Weight loss (or ABS) book (like Burn the FAT), style "Outlaw UFC Fighter Reveals His Method To Lose Weight, Bla Blah Blah"

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Franck

Who is your ideal customer?

That decides what approach you should use IMHO.

[Clark]

Kongo is not and was never a UFC Champion.

Your best bet is to JV with him on a clothing line (selling online) which is the most lucrative monetization model in the MMA niche today aside from UFC Tickets.

MMA T-shirts such as Affliction, Hostility, Tapout, One More Round and the rest sell very well in the 15 - 34 male dominated demographic.

[shreekay85]

MMA is huge in alot of countries actually,i run my countries largest mma forum and used to train MMA and Muaythai before screwing up my knee..

few things

1)Renegade Cage Fighter Reveals The Seven Deadly Mistakes
That All Traditonal Martial Arts Do that will get them killed in the Street
(for a self defence product since most TMAs suck for a real life fight)


2)Ultimate Fighting Champion Exposes the Difference Between Gym and Real World Muscles
And Why 97 Percent Of Personal Trainers Are Teaching You Wrong..(for a muscle building product)


3)World Class Mixed Martial Artist Unknowingly Leaks Out Weight Loss Secrets Professional Fighters Use to Lose 30 Pounds In a Month..
(for weight loss product)


it shouldnt be an issue using kongo to sell products worth hundreds of thousands if you can use his fight clips and media pictures as well as his media contacts(of course not forgetting your own marketing as well)


i am actually going to meet renzo gracie next week for a renzo affiliated gym launch in my country,will talk to him to produce a product..should be a 6 figure launch..let me know if you need any help as i have done a few six figure launches(not in im niche)..good luck..

[Mike Hill]

Write the book for both markets... The information is basically the same but then tailor the first few chapters of the book for each of those 2 markets.

Then you could even break it down further and tailor one for Men and one for Women... Now you'll have 4 very targeted info products to market.

Then, out of these 4 markets you are targeting you will see which one performs better and immediately create a competing product. Use a pen name and compete against yourself so you'll end up with a larger share of the market.

Mike Hill

[Mike Hill]

Originally Posted by Clark

Congo is not and was never a UFC Champion.

Your best bet is to JV with him on a clothing line (selling online) which is the most lucrative monetization model in the MMA niche today aside from UFC Tickets.

MMA T-shirts such as Affliction, Hostility, Tapout, One More Round and the rest sell very well in the 15 - 34 male dominated demographic.

Yeah, trouble is before you can wear those shirts on TV you need to have it approved and pay a licensing fee no doubt... One of the fighters on the UFC wore an unauthorized shirt once and has never been back to fight again.

Mike Hill

[Clark]

Originally Posted by shreekay85

it shouldnt be an issue using kongo to sell products worth hundreds of thousands if you can use his fight clips and media pictures as well as his media contacts(of course not forgetting your own marketing as well)

It's a HUGE issue with Zuffa.

Anyone using any of Zuffa's copyrights will receive a swift C&D followed by an army of Lawyers seeking compensation for any monies earned off Zuffa's copyright.

The UFC fighter contract does stipulate that the fighters relinquish the rights to their likeness while contracted as a UFC fighter. This includes all fight clips and media pictures which are solely owned by Zuffa.

Sadly, the UFC contract is not very forgiving which, ultimately made Randy Couture lose quite a bit of money over the past year trying to contest the "ownership" Zuffa had over his fighting career while under contract with them.

[Clark]

Originally Posted by Mike Hill

Yeah, trouble is before you can wear those shirts on TV you need to have it approved and pay a licensing fee no doubt... One of the fighters on the UFC wore an unauthorized shirt once and has never been back to fight again.

Mike Hill

Yeah, that was an Affliction T-Shirt at the time when the UFC (Dana White) banned that company from the UFC shows because they were competing against the UFC for their first MMA promotion which included the premier Heavyweight in the world - Fedor Emilianenko who shortly before, refused to sign with the UFC because of their unfriendly fighter contract. - Sore point for Dana.

[greatmark]

yea that would be a great product

[shreekay85]

Originally Posted by Mike Hill

Yeah, trouble is before you can wear those shirts on TV you need to have it approved and pay a licensing fee no doubt... One of the fighters on the UFC wore an unauthorized shirt once and has never been back to fight again.

Mike Hill

yeah man,you got that right..my people had to like flip their t shirts over when they were filming contender asia reality show..farkin stupid..

[shreekay85]

Originally Posted by Clark

It's a HUGE issue with Zuffa.

Anyone using any of Zuffa's copyrights will receive a swift C&D followed by an army of Lawyers seeking compensation for any monies earned off Zuffa's copyright.

The UFC fighter contract does stipulate that the fighters relinquish the rights to their likeness while contracted as a UFC fighter. This includes all fight clips and media pictures which are solely owned by Zuffa.

Sadly, the UFC contract is not very forgiving which, ultimately made Randy Couture lose quite a bit of money over the past year trying to contest the "ownership" Zuffa had over his fighting career while under contract with them.

im sure kongo has got fight clips before the ufc..

* 2005 King of Colosseum tournament champion
* 2004 King of the Ring Super Heavyweight champion
* 2003 Intercontinental Muay Thai champion
* European Savate champion

or heck he could use videos of him training as well..unless ufc doesnt allow that too.

[Clark]

Originally Posted by shreekay85

im sure kongo has got fight clips before the ufc..

* 2005 King of Colosseum tournament champion
* 2004 King of the Ring Super Heavyweight champion
* 2003 Intercontinental Muay Thai champion
* European Savate champion

or heck he could use videos of him training as well..unless ufc doesnt allow that too.

In short, the UFC owns you when you are under contract with them.

That's the thing, Kongo would need to consult his lawyers and also explain his business plan with Zuffa to see whether he would be in breech of the finer points in his contract. Honestly, it's too much trouble to flog an eBook over especially when Kongo isn't a top tier Heavyweight...yet.

Merchandising is where the money resides in this niche as many "named" fighters either have their own line or are Business partners with existing big name merchandisers.

What's interesting is that you will not see their likeness on any of their clothing unless Zuffa has given permission to do so which I haven't seen to date.

Memorabilia also does very well... on eBay especially.

Also the upcoming UFC 2009 Undisputed video game is going to sell like crazy when it's launched on or near 5/22/2009... get ready!

[YoYoPro]

Originally Posted by davebo

The secret to burning fat like a UFC fighter is to train 6 hours a day.

lol, so much truth in this statement.

Regarding Kongo and the UFC, they are kinda crazy about their fighters and what they are able to do in terms of profiting off their name. There was a recent issue with a couple fighters that were actually fired because they wouldn't sign away their character in an upcoming video game... it was a huge mma media mess.

It's too bad, because he's on a roll and will no doubt be fighting for the title sometime in 2009.... imagine the possibilities.

P.S. i've always told everyone he looks taller than 6'4''... he's gotta be 6'5'' or 6'6''...right?

[Keegahn]

Originally Posted by aboutalhah

Yes, we were training together.

I don't really have anything to add but that's beyond awesome.

[shreekay85]

bj penn released his mma book,anderson silva,gsp,chuck liddell and many others released their own training videos as well..i wouldnt think it would be a problem done right..but yeah,i know how constricting ufc is..