El Octagono: MMA Education is the Key to Success in Hispanic Communities

El Octagono (Ok-tog-a-no) is an MMA-related program, which is 100% dedicated to the broadcasting of mixed-martial arts in Spanish, as well as, in English.

On the website, you will find updates on the latest in MMA news, events, fight results, and “hot topic” opinions.

Together, Randall “El Flaco” Villafañe (I had to look it up—it means “the Skinny” in Spanish) and Camilo “El Parcero” Ortiz (Parcero is a Colombian slang term that feeds off of the word “Parce,” which is like saying bro or homeboy) host a website, a Facebook page, a Podcast program on iTunes, and last but not least, a number of video capsules with great lessons on how to train in MMA.

After all, if MMA is hoping to attract new fans in various new marketplaces, then the fans must become as educated as possible—right?

The owners of El Octagono pride themselves on being able to bring the MMA industry to a very dedicated community currently growing within the sport, and that is the Spanish speaking community.

These two guys love MMA with a passion and they are completely dedicated to spreading the word as fast as they possibly can. They are true ambassadors to the sport.

This is my interview with both men (yes—simultaneously).

But since I’m just a small-town, Irish-Canadian boy, I decided that I would give myself my own Spanish nickname, so as to not feel too left out.

Considering that I learned all of my Spanish many years ago from watching the movie “The Three Amigos,” I deemed it appropriate that I should be known as the warrior with a pen, “El Guapo.”

Anyway, enjoy!

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El Guapo: ¡Hola Gentlemen!

El Octagono: ¡Hola James Ryan.

El Guapo: Please…call me “El Guapo.”

El Octagono: [LAUGHS] It’s great to hear from you, El Guapo. We love your articles.

El Guapo: Well, thank you very much. It’s always my pleasure to meet fellow MMA enthusiasts who are doing so many positive things to help this great sport.

I actually just finished listening to the interview that you guys did yesterday with Dana White. Great job! So, how cool is it to have the UFC President directly endorsing what you do?

Camilo: Thanks, ya it’s awesome. We recently had the chance to interview Dana, Uriah Faber, and Leonard Garcia. We also plan on interviewing Chael Sonnen, Jamie Varner, and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the next few days.

El Guapo: That’s cool! So, how did you guys get started in MMA broadcasting?

Camilo: I actually started doing interviews at my old job, which was a place called Univision Radio in the sport show “Locura Deportiva,” and thanks to Rafa “El Alcalde” Brito, I was able to participate and interview MMA fighters for his national radio show. He still has that show and collaborates with us.

Both Randall and I had been doing radio and random projects, so we basically already knew how to put a show together. One day, we just decided that we should start our own MMA show in Spanish. Believe it or not, there’s nothing else out there and the market potential is massive.

We’re also looking at putting an on-line interactive magazine together, complete with videos. And a TV pilot.

El Guapo: What’s the TV pilot going to be about?

Camilo: Basically, the same thing. It’s gonna be the latest in MMA news, and it will also feature MMA fighters who would get a chance to show more of themselves behind the scenes.

Randall: Initially, one of Master Zen’s students over at Zen’s Place, Nicky Castaneda, was a real standout competitor, outshining the rest of his group, and he ended up winning a few big competitions in the state of Florida. This really put the Zen Fight Team on the map on a larger, more national level.

We thought that the kid really showed a lot of potential so we took advantage of the opportunity and filmed him and got his interview. We really wanted other parents to see that MMA wasn’t as violent or as gruesome as some other people had tried to portray it to be.

Camilo: And of course, we did all of this in Spanish.

In the pilot, we have an Octagono girl named Christine Benavente, and she has her very own section. As a special guest for the pilot, we did an interview with Cain Velasquez right before his big fight against Nogueira.

El Guapo: I am thoroughly impressed by your ambition to go after the Hispanic market. You guys are clearly on the forefront of something massive in terms of demographic and a prospective fan-base.

Given the long history of fight fans in the Hispanic communities, between boxing and now MMA, is there a specific message that you would like to get out there?

Randall: The sport is no longer exclusive to European, Asian or North American markets—it has definitely gone global.

It’s huge in the Asian communities, but like you said, the Hispanic communities have always been great fans of fighting sports. The sport of MMA itself is still evolving. The Hispanic community loves MMA and wants more. We’re just trying to fill that gap with information and everything that has to do with MMA in their own native language.

El Guapo: Right now, for anyone living in Central or South America, where are they going to get their information about MMA?

Randall: There are minimal outlets.

Univision, for example, is one of the few that provides good content thanks to our friend Rafa “El Alcalde” Brito, but everyone else seems to have smaller sections with very little news and updates, which is why we try to outshine. As a result, we have had a really great response in areas such as Peru, Panama, Colombia, and Paraguay. They are using our website to get all information on the sport.

News is updated on a daily basis, and I make sure that everything is up to par to make sure that everyone is able to get caught up with what is going on in the MMA world.

Camilo: Most of these other outlets tend to focus only on the UFC or Strikeforce, but we’re providing news on all MMA, regardless if it’s Bellator, Strikeforce, the UFC—we just want to inform the hardcore fanatics who follow the sport. We’re just trying to educate.

We’ve even done video capsules, educating and teaching people on how to do certain movements. We even try to teach people on how to get in shape, or for self-defence purposes.

El Guapo: Any concerns about people trying MMA unsupervised at home, given the high risk of injury?

Camilo: I think that it’s kinda comparable to professional wrestling or to a movie in that sense.

We can’t control what people do at home. The best that we can do is educate people and let them know that they could really get hurt and that this is a sport. This isn’t something that you’re going to do to random people just for fun, but at the same time, if it helps you to defend yourself, then that’s a good thing.

Randall: We try to also explain in our videos that it takes a discipline to put the teachings into action.

At Zen’s Academy for example, we explain to the students so that they are all very aware that their conduct has to be perfect. Good grades, no behavioural issues—that way we know that the students are ready to take in this kind of activity.

In today’s day and age, there are a lot of issues that happen on school grounds with bullies, and we try to educate the fact that martial arts is to be used as something that you need only to protect yourself, and not to be used just for fun.

Camilo: You have to be responsible to a certain level. It’s a sport, but people can still get hurt. You have to respect that.

El Guapo: Would you say that your goal is to educate more for self-defence, more for the expansion of the sport, or is it a combination of the two?

Randall: It is definitely a combination, but I would lean more towards educating on the actual sport. There’s a growing movement that the sport is too violent, too gruesome, too bloody, too much for kids to see—we’re trying to educate people that it’s not just street fighting. It’s not just violent action. It’s actually a sport, just like boxing is a sport. We’re just trying to inform people on that aspect of MMA.

Camilo: There is such a big following, but there is also a major lack of information, such as the difference between wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Educating on why certain moves are done in fights helps to make the fans more knowledgeable on the sport.

El Guapo: Certainly the more knowledgeable the fans are, the better. Same thing applies to all sports. Football comes to mind. I had spent a great deal of time teaching the many rules to my girlfriend. Now she actually watches and enjoys the sport because she knows what’s happening on the field.

You guys are educating new fans to expand their knowledge, thus to expand their interest in the sport. The more they know, the more interested they become, the better they understand, then the greater the fans base would grow.

It’s all connected.

Randall: Exactly. In fact, thanks to Zen and his academy, we’ve been able to host special UFC parties, so even at these parties, we try to break it down and explain what is happening, as it is happening, to help the new fans to expand on their knowledge of the sport.

Camilo: A lot of people come out to these parties who don’t really know what’s going on in the fights, so we love to talk about MMA, especially if we can educate people for the better. We’re growing, the sport is growing—it’s a win-win situation.

El Guapo: Nice! So your real focus is on new fans? You’re just trying to educate as much as you can to get new people interested in the sport?

Randall: We recently had the opportunity to speak with the Director of the Hispanic Market from the UFC, and he agreed with what we are doing. The Hispanic community needs to be educated. The more that they understand, the bigger it’s gonna get. It’s a plus to be able to educate people. It’s a lot of fun for us.

El Guapo: No doubt, you guys heard about Franco Lescano, the young MMA fighter from Argentina who recently died due to the injuries that he sustained while training for MMA.

Do you think that MMA attracts more negative publicity than in other sports?

Camilo: Part of the problem is that people try to compare MMA with the Gladiator times. It was known as being pretty savage. MMA is not like it was in the beginning, when the sport was first introduced to Americans. There were no weight classes or rules—it was pretty much, whatever goes.

Randall: In the beginning, in UFC 1 or PRIDE, those shows were definitely more brutal than what the sport is today. That’s why, what they did in the US with safer regulations, shows that it can be a sport that’s not as violent or gruesome as people believe.

Camilo: I could give you a perfect example; my dad, my uncle, and my mom all grew up with boxing.

One time, when I was visiting them up in Orlando, I told them that I was going to order the UFC pay-per-view, and they replied by saying, “those are savages, they’re animals, they’re gonna kill each other, etc.”

So I asked them, “have you ever actually sat down to watch a fight?” and they were like, “no, we don’t want to, we don’t want to see people getting killed and massacred.”

I ordered the fight anyway, and then I sat them all down to watch it, and by the end of the first round, my dad and my uncle were at the edges of their seats. They really ended up enjoying it.

Dana White and the UFC have created the perfect formula. It’s violent enough without arms flying off or fighters getting killed, and these are actual pro athletes. They are there to do a job. The amount of respect that they have for each other is really amazing. They go there to put on a show, they don’t really want to kill each other. They just go out there and try to do the best that they can to win and entertain the fans.

El Guapo: A lot of people still seem to have these preconceived ideas of what they think MMA is like, based on what they knew of the sport from the early years. They tend to view it as being savage, while I tend to view MMA as more of a sport.

There appears to be a lot more of that “pro wrestling” element creeping into MMA right now. Do you feel that the best fighters getting the best chances to fight each other, or is it becoming more about the entertainment value?

Randall: That’s actually something that has been growingly noticeable as of late. MMA tends to attract more of the urban natured kids, so the UFC then tries to take advantage of the certain celebrity status of some of their fighters—Kimbo Slice for example.

Camilo: Look at Brock Lesnar, this guy made an amazing crossover from pro wrestling. I don’t want to say that wrestling is fake because they really do get hurt and they are athletes for sure, but Brock proved that MMA is not just a show. He is a real athlete. The fact that he was known was a plus, because he brought all of that audience to a sport that needs as much support as possible.

I see it as something that is helping the sport.

Randall: Of course, there has to be that limit where you don’t want to try and overdo it. You don’t want to try and make it seem like some fighters are being cherry picked, while others are intentionally being held back from showing their actual talents.

El Guapo: What are your thoughts on the Strikeforce post-fight brawl?

Randall: There are some rumours that the brawl was done intentionally because of low ratings, but I doubt it. If that was done like that on purpose, then Strikeforce definitely has the wrong idea on how to promote this sport.

El Guapo: Can you have it both ways? Can MMA be a sport and entertainment all at the same time?

Camilo: I think so. I have to agree with Dana White though. He puts on the fights that the fans want to see.

These guys love to fight but they need to get paid as well. I’m for doing whatever it takes to sell a fight, so long as it’s not some crazy shenanigans.

Randall: In my view, I have always been a big fan of technique and martial arts, instead of an all out brawl. This is where Camilo and I differ in our opinion. I’m personally not much of a fan of Brock Lesnar. I like more of the dirty boxing or the grappling—the Randy Couture style of fighting.

There’s always going to be that difference in the fans. In all ways, it’s still going to benefit the sport. You’re always going to get those mixed reviews.

Camilo: And like now for example, look at Lyoto Machida, bringing karate back into the spotlight. He’s essentially representing karate and the fans who love karate. Others who enjoy grappling may enjoy watching Demian Maia more. Or GSP, if they enjoy good wrestling. Everyone enjoys something different and that’s one of the cool things about MMA.

El Guapo: We all identify with different things.

Camilo: That’s why the Hispanic community is such a huge market right now. Everyone is backing up Cain, Garcia, Huerta—everybody wants to cheer for somebody that they can relate to. They want to follow somebody and root for them.

El Guapo: It’s all about creating interest for new fans.

Okay guys, now it’s time for a little something that I like to call “El Guapo’s MMA Rapid Fire.” Are you ready?

El Octagono: [LAUGHS] Sure, fire away El Guapo!

El Guapo: What did you make of Frank Mir’s “death threats” on Brock Lesnar?

Camilo: I think that Mir is still trying to find his other 15-minutes of fame. Brock came out of nowhere and dominated him. Mir was obviously frustrated.

Randall: Mir’s ego was hurt most of all. In his mind, he was the better fighter. I think his antics were an attempt to get him back in the title picture.

El Guapo: Strictly on the topic of fighting, what’s going on with Tito Ortiz?

Randall: I saw a recent picture of him and he looked like he had lost about 20 pounds from the flu or something. He looked really ill.

Camilo: Apparently, he is recovering and starting to feel better though.

El Guapo: Who will win between Lesnar vs. Carwin?

Camilo: I felt bad for Brock Lesnar when he got sick. He proved a point, he became the champ and he proved that he is an athlete. I really like Carwin as a person, but I have to lean towards Lesnar to win.

Randall: Same. Carwin strikes me a real down to earth guy. Kinda reminds me of Randy Couture. I find him to be a humble guy who relates well with the average Joe and I really like his technique. Still, I think that Lesnar defends his title.

El Guapo: How will the Hispanic community view the fight between Randy Couture and James Toney?

Randall: The advantage will probably go to Toney because of the strong ties to boxing within the Hispanic community, but I feel that Toney is simply trying to jump on the bandwagon. I don’t feel right with it. Couture represents the right spirit, attitude, and work ethic. He is a great ambassador for the sport of MMA. Either way, this is going to be an exciting fight to watch.

Camilo: I’m planning on rooting for Couture.

El Guapo: What do you think of when you hear the name Ricardo Mayorga?

Camilo: The one aspect of boxing that I have always hated is how some of these guys display zero respect for their opponents.

Randall: His recent actions of smoking cigarettes and blowing smoke in Din Thomas’ face were despicable. That sort of behaviour brings a bad impression onto boxing. The sport doesn’t need that kind of stuff—boxing or MMA. It’s not going to help the sport grow.

El Guapo: Is the UFC appropriate for kids?

Camilo: Absolutely, yes.

Randall: Yes. Zen’s Place for example, has a really great kids program. Children starting MMA at the age of seven and up are the future of this sport. MMA will definitely have a future so long as it stays away from the purely entertainment route.

Respect is the key fundamental of MMA. Without it, this sport could easily spiral downward, but for now, I really think that we are on the right path.

El Guapo: Well guys, fantastic interview. I would just like to really thank you for your time. I know that this interview ran a bit longer than most, so again, I appreciate it.

And a special thanks to Kevin from Carried Out Fight Gear for setting this up. He’s a really amazing guy.

El Octagono: Agreed! Kevin is the best.

Randall: And I would just like to say James…uh, I mean “El Guapo,” that I personally read all of your articles and I think that you do your job really, really well. You definitely represent the sport in the journalist way. You represent the sport really well and you always give a great read. Definitely, you always give a great read!

James: Thanks again guys. All the best to you and El Octagono.

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“In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be *the actual* El Guapo!”—The Three Amigos

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This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com