Most fighters, supporters, and spectators of mix marital arts (MMA) don’t know that the state of Hawaii is wanting to become more involved in this sport. They also don’t realize the state wants 20% of all ticket sales. 20% is an enormous amount of hard earned money in which it will be confiscated from a single fight event. How will this 20% cut impact; supporters, spectators, fighters, and fight events in Hawaii?

Mix marital arts has been around for decades. Competing in an event where anything goes was a very vicious sport. Mix marital arts started in a combat sport called no holds barred in 1992. Art Davie created the competition. No holds barred consisted of an eight-man tournament in which one man wins. No holds barred was not allow in the United States until a event called Ultimate Fighting Championships legalize it an sanctioned it in 1993. Ever since then mix martial arts became one of the best mainstream sports ever. Known for their bloody and brutal excitement mix marital arts travailed all over the world from the Hawaii to the UK.

Mix marital art events is not only an entertaining competition. It’s a job, career, and a way of life. Weather its fighters, fighting for money or a DJ making extra money. This type of event helps people with jobs and it helps small businesses towards exposer (getting their name out). Mix martial art events also helps small and big companies. From airline company’s to concert arenas. Mix martial art events creates a chain of cash flow for everyone. All mix marital art event requires a Venue to hold a fight event in. All mix martial art events requires all types of openings for jobs: police officers, security, clean up crews, set up crews, ticket collectors, referees, judges, and fighters. These are some of the people who will be hired in order to even create a fight event. With that being said people who are hired for any fight event will make extra money.

Imagine yourself as a promoter creating a concert at a 300 person capacity venue in which it cost you 1,000 dollars to rent. You have to come up with your own workers and it will cost you 2,000 dollars and the person who will be performing asked for 2,500 dollars. You sell your tickets for a price that people would buy it for, lets say 35 dollars a ticket. You sell out and you make 10,500 dollars. Now you pay your workers, performer, and venue. Then that leaves you with a profit of 5,000 dollars.

Now imagine the state of Hawaii asking you to give them 20% of all ticket sales you made that event. Now that leaves you with 2,900 dollars. How would that make you feel as a promoter? Would you want to make another event so that some one can take 20% of your profit because they can, after months of preparation, hard work, and devotion? As a promoter I sure wouldn’t want to work that hard and give the state a huge 20% cut for nothing and try do it again. Would you?

The state of Hawaii is asking for a 20% cut from all ticket sales. Therefore, promoters will get less profit or they might break even. As promoters they rather not take a risk of losing money or breaking even. There has been a decrease of events this pass year due to promoters not wanting to give 20% away to the state of Hawaii. Fewer events leave fewer jobs for everyone.

With the state out of the profit of ticket sales for every event, there would be more fight events, therefore; it will keep jobs open for people in need, it will keep the fight fans cravings quenched, it will keep dedicated fighters that live, breath and study fighting to keep training for the next competition, and it will give promoters more of a reason to keep holding a fight event due to the good profit they might generate each even. Mix marital arts been around for years so, why would the state ruin everything by taking a 20% cut from ticket sales and make promoters have second thoughts about creating another event.