"The industry is wrong" - Mohammed Shahid on the Francis Ngannou-UFC conflict

Francis Ngannou (L) and Mohammed Shahid (R)
Francis Ngannou (L) and Mohammed Shahid (R)

Mohammed Shahid believes that the ongoing conflict between Francis Ngannou and the UFC is due to issues in the MMA industry.

Speaking ahead of BRAVE CF 57, Mohammed Shahid noted that it is wrong to pick sides in the conflict. He detailed that the core issue is with the industry and the business model of MMA. Shahid told Sportskeeda:

“Rather than going and writing for clickbait why is Francis Ngannou not paid enough, who is right? You will get clicks but let’s ask the right questions. Let’s go out there and ask why is the problem happening? You think Dana is right? You think Francis is wrong? Nobody is right and wrong in the sport; the industry is wrong. The proof is there on the table, there history is the proof. We should all together work towards a new future and a new age for MMA. We are there, we have governing body in the right hands, we are doing it around the world. Let’s work together and make it happen. Send the message out there.”

Mohammed Shahid says the MMA industry should follow the already successful league model

BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid has been vocal about bringing a paradigm shift to the MMA industry. According to him, the MMA industry should shift from being an event business to becoming a sports business. He added that the solution to all the problems that the MMA industry is currently facing is to change the business model. Shahid also said:

“The only solution is to bring the fastest growing sport, the fastest growing fan base, most global sport in the world and connect it to the most historically spoken successful business model: to the IPL, to NFL, to Premier League, to Bundesliga. Bring that model under regulation and governing body and you do that in every country one by one, that is the only model. Is it easy? No. Can ONE FC, Eagle FC or any FCs, or BRAVE alone can do it? No, not even us alone can do it. Which is why we are bringing the world together.”

BRAVE Combat Federation is currently hosting BRAVE International Combat Week in Bahrain, which features the inaugural MMA Super Cup and BRAVE CF 57.

The MMA Super Cup, as per Shahid, is one of the steps toward building a new ecosystem in MMA.

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