Interview Strikeforce matchmaker Richard Chou

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Posted a 10+ question interview with Strikeforce matchmaker Rich Chou. He gives a good insight on how the promotion works, his background and the future of Strikeforce



Full interview here



Below are the first couple questions 


ULTMMA: As a matchmaker what's your biggest resource for scouting new talent? Gyms? Agents? Web? Video?

Chou: All of those things. It's really our team of me, Scott Coker, Shannon Knapp and Bob Cook. I feel we know a lot of people in not only the MMA industry, but overall the fight industry. With a lot people wanting to cross over now, whether it be a kickboxer, boxers, or wrestlers, we have a solid network.

There is no shortage of talent out there. We get calls, emails, and text messages on a daily basis about the next big thing.

ULTMMA: As a matchmaker what can you learn from a guy like Joe Silva? Or is that not really how the game works?

Chou: We are always compared to the UFC which to me is flattering. They have been around for ten plus years and have had quite some time to perfect their recipe. We are still I believe a little over a year old on the national level.

We are just a different animal so it's tough to make that comparsion. We are just different. We have a different business model.

ULTMMA: Looking ahead to 2011, is Strikeforce looking add more events next year?

Chou: We are always looking to add more fights, I will say that. We are hungry and we are not afraid of hard work. We just want to put on more fights and that will always be our goal. Whether its pay per view, Showtime or CBS I know I speak for the rest of the guys on the team when I say bring it on. We want to stay busy.

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Anyone from the UG going to the show tonight? I'll be there

 

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not only does he match-make, but TRANES STRIKEFORCE!

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 isn't that one of the five main discplines of MMA? along with striking, more striking, head kicks, knockouts and  UFC of course

 

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Edited now that I noticed that you are a pro member.

 

    

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I wonder what a match makers job entails in its entirety, obviously it extends simply beyond simply selecting the guys who fight on the card. Are match makers provided a budgetary allowance for an event and then they have to secure a sufficient number of fighters to fill the card while working within that allowance, in spite of being around the fight game for 20 years I truly don't know?

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Chappie - I wonder what a match makers job entails in its entirety, obviously it extends simply beyond simply selecting the guys who fight on the card. Are match makers provided a budgetary allowance for an event and then they have to secure a sufficient number of fighters to fill the card while working within that allowance, in spite of being around the fight game for 20 years I truly don't know?


 From his persepctive I think you have to do a little bit of everything, promote, work with the ACs, fighter relations, marketing, etc.



Very, very busy job from what I can tell

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so he's the guy that decides that they have no idea who is fighting who and where and when till a few weeks before the show?