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 (CP) The young upstart mixed martial arts organization, Collision Course Combat Club (otherwise known as C4) established its roots in La Belle Province in late 2019 amid a strange dynamic.
Was COVID going to dismantle any way of starting a new organization? Was Montreal a fertile ground to grow new ground for fighters to flourish? And most importantly, how was the organization going to compete with some of the larger organizations already firmly established?
Our correspondent, Yves Blanchard, caught up with C4's owner, Billy Talent, to discuss this with him.
YB: Bonjour, M. Talent! Good to see you again!
BT: Bienvenue, M. Blanchard! Pleasure to see you again.
YB: Likewise, of course. So C4 has been pushing forward since 2019 to establish a foothold in the MMA world in Montreal... how have things been going?
BT: Definitely, things have been challenging. For our first seven or eight cards, we were losing money trying to make sure we were an attractive place for fighters to sign. Fortunately, things have been great since then, and we're now actually bringing some money in.
YB: Of course! And with every business, you want to make sure you make a profit!
BT: Well certaintly! However, we aren't looking at making money for the sake of it. We invest our profits right back into the organization. Rewarding fighters with solid contracts. Offering new fighters fair contracts to join us. Putting more money into the experience for our fans at our events. Money is great, but I'm not the one getting punch into theh face. We want this to be an enjoyment for everyone associated with our brand.
YB: That's great to hear! But of course you're trying to compete with some major players... SMASH. GAMMA. How on earth do you compete?
BT: HA! To be honest, we don't... those are the organizations who have put the work in, and they're outstanding organizations. Those are the bar, and where we want to be. That said, we want to provide a place for fighters to grow. The bigger orgs, they're pulling in insanely established talent. We want to be there one day, but we also want to give fighters a place to prove themselves. Ideally, we will keep them with us, and they'll grow with us.
YB: Interesting! So I understand you're coming up on a major event?
BT: You know it! In just a few weeks, we are hosting our 20th event... and it's huge for us. We decided to book some of our best talent, and are holding it at in a venue that is twice the size of our usual events to try and give the most exposure to our product. Moreover, and most exciting, we have *three* of our titles up for grabs on that night, in our middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions. It's going to be HUGE, and we hope it's a sign of what we're bringing to the table.
YB: Fantastique! Billy, this has been great, and we're very exciting to see where this goes - a homegrown organization in Montreal!
BT: Bien sur, Yves. Nous esperons d'avoir une organization performant, et pour que nos partisans sont fier de nous soutenir!
YB: My goodness! You speak French! Well, not only homegrown, but bilingual as well! Clearly a great organization, and one that keeps its finger on what matters - the fans, the fighters, and the fights. It's been a pleasure, Billy; au plaisir, et bonne chance.
BT: Merci Yves, et salut a tous nos partisans!
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