Do you live and breathe MMA? Is every single UFC fight on your calendar before it’s on everyone else’s? Can you cite key statistics for every fighter on the roster, and are you familiar with even the smaller and less well-known promotions? If so, then you can count yourself among the upper echelons of MMA fans, and you might be in the wrong career. Believe it or not, your love of MMA could actually help you to find a new job, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 best career choices for an MMA lover.
1. Pro MMA fighter
If you’ve got the physique for it, then you could look into becoming a pro MMA fighter yourself. Be aware that if you do pursue this path, you’re going to have a lot of fights where you’re not earning the money you’d like to be. You might need to look into funding sources like online loans or selling old unwanted things so you can keep yourself afloat during less lucrative times. However, if you’ve got the body and the knowledge, then a pro MMA career could be for you!
2. Manager
You might not quite have the physique for MMA fighting, but if you’ve got an analytical head and you’re savvy in terms of PR, then managing an MMA fighter could be the right job for you. Managing a fighter, or a stable of fighters, involves finding the right promotions for them, taking care of the business side of their “brand,” and generally looking after them. Every great fighter has a great manager in their corner, and if you know your stuff, that could be you.
3. PR and marketing
What is the preamble to a UFC fight if not marketing bluster? When fighters get in each other’s faces and talk big to one another, that’s effectively just talking up the fight to come, getting audiences excited. If you’ve studied that world and think you could do a good job of it, then you could work in MMA PR and marketing or just PR and marketing for any kind of firm. Talking up your abilities and the abilities of the talent you represent are the big skills you’ll need here.
4. Coach
Want to manage an MMA fighter but don’t want to bother yourself with the business side of things? Why not look into coaching? Becoming a coach means you’ll be training a fighter to attain and then maintain peak physical condition. No MMA fighter can be successful without being at the absolute top of their game physically, so you’ll need to put into place brutal training regimens to keep your fighters where they need to be. This job isn’t for the faint of heart.
5. Personal trainer
Stepping away from the world of MMA fighting for a moment, if you’re maintaining the MMA physique, but you don’t want to be part of that world anymore, you could consider becoming a personal trainer. People will always want to improve their fitness; even in a more accepting and body-positive world, there’s a place for personal trainers, as healthy eating and regular exercise have never been more important. You’ll need good people skills and a healthy dose of perseverance.
6. Sales
Remember how we said that MMA promotions are largely marketing bluster (with a healthy dose of physical athleticism in the mix, too, of course)? Well, sales are pretty much the same. If you’ve got a talent for being convincing and you want to use your personality in your work, sales could be a solid avenue. Bear in mind that you might end up selling things you don’t particularly want to sell, so if that’s a problem, you might want to look elsewhere.
7. Entrepreneur
Let’s get one thing straight before we continue: “entrepreneur” is not really a job. There isn’t a specific set of rules or conditions to become an entrepreneur; instead, you become one simply because you’ve started your own business. If you’ve got the drive and ambition to follow MMA fighting obsessively, then the chances are you can translate that skill to starting up a business. Have you always had that one idea you’ve been scared to act on? Now’s your chance!
8. Warehouse work
Many people denigrate warehouse work, but the fact is it’s extremely important and helps to keep the gears of society moving. If you love using your body to work and you can’t imagine being trapped behind a desk, warehouse work could be a good option. Companies are always looking for workers to help them with their stock, so there’s no shortage of work in this area, and the work is honest, so you’ll never do something you’re not keen on ethically.
9. Firefighter
There are few people in the world more heroic than firefighters. These are people who regularly save lives and keep buildings from being destroyed, and unlike the police, there’s pretty much no controversy about firefighters. If you want to use your skillset for something positive and you need to remain active throughout the day, then being a firefighter could be a good idea. Of course, this isn’t a job you can just walk into, so it will require some research!
10. Rideshare driver
MMA fans know that their favorite fighters don’t take any lip, so if that’s you, then you could make a good rideshare driver. Companies like Uber and Lyft are always looking for drivers, and you can set your own hours, so you can work whenever and wherever you like. Of course, there are certain times of day when you’ll earn more than others, but if setting your own schedule is a priority, then you could do a lot worse than becoming a rideshare driver.
