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 At a time when the windows for true startup organizations has seemed to dwindle, there appears light in the distance... and it shines down from Mount Royal in beautiful Montreal, Canada.
Local correspondant Phillipe Rochard took the time to speak to owner Billy Talent to understand what this new upstart organization was about.
Rochard: Thank you for taking the time today, Monsieur Talent. It's clearly a busy time for you.
Talent: It's my pleasure. You're absolutely right, though; times are extremely busy. We've been involved in the the fight game for a while, we were involved in the apparel business for a while, but always yearned to be pulling the strings instead of the dressing the players. Fighting is in our blood here at C4, and there came a point where we looked at the landscape and asked: why not us?
Rochard: Maybe a better question is: why you?
Talent: Great question! Why us, and not someone else? Well, because this is what we do. We made a lot of money selling clothes, but we wanted to give new fighters an opportunity. There are great organizations globally, but Montreal has been underserved. From the time of Georges St. Pierre, the 'Belle Province" of Quebec have shown how much they love MMA. We want to bring that world back to them, and do it in a grass roots style.
Rochard: Grass roots? What do you mean?
Talent: We want our fans to know that this organization was planted, loved, and grown in their own home. It is a part of them, not one that was moved here. We want fighers to love being here; to love being a part of this amazing country, and this amazing org, and see a true future here.
Rochard: It's hard to argue as a new figher that that's a great idea; but words are easy... how do you plan to achieve it?
Talent: Simple. We made money. We have investors. They see our vision. We know we're taking a haircut on every event early, but we pay fair to our fighters, and give them fair chances to establish themselves in the fighting world. It's easy to eat the fish someone sold you. It's another to catch one yourself. That's a figher mentality - conquer the environment. That's how we are from top to bottom.
Rochard: Solid words, and something I can't argue with. What are your plans for the future?
Talent: Simple. Build up our roster. We're holding events every 2 weeks now, and gradually moving to 2 every 3 weeks. Eventually we will go to a card every week, and then branch out into two cards a week featuring one of our higher end competitors, followed by another of our developing fighters. Every fighter needs time to develop. We plan on developing that.
Rochard: Well said, sir. Well said. Well, we look forward to your next event! I personally attended your last one, and had a great time. Any words for those reading?
Talent: Absolutely. In the fight game, you're on a collision course every day. You can either run from it, or embrace it. A fighter knows his choice.
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