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It’s been three years in the making. Featuring two championship fights. In one of the most highly anticipated events in UFC history.
It’ll be no-holds-barred when UFC 129 goes down this Saturday night at Rogers Centre, marking the UFC’s long awaited debut in Ontario. UFC President Dana White, who has always referred to Canada as the “Mecca of Mixed Martial Arts”, will finally realize his dream of Toronto serving as its epicenter following years of fighting to get the sport legalized in the Province. And with Canadian superstar and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre headlining the main event, a partisan crowd of well over 55,000 fans (a number which more than doubles the UFC’s previous attendance record of 21,451 set in Montreal at UFC 97) will undoubtedly make this spectacle a night to remember.
While GSP steals Saturday’s spotlight, fellow Canadians Mark Hominick (who faces Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship) and Mark Bocek (who takes on Ben Henderson) will also attempt to make themselves household names north of the border when they enter the Octagon at UFC 129.
But they’re not the only ones.
Gegard Mousasi and Revgear Founder/CEO Paul Reavlin
This week’s event marks the UFC debut in Canada for Revgear, an elite name and pioneer in the MMA Fight Gear Industry. The California-based company, founded in 1996, recently struck a deal back in February with the UFC, giving Revgear the rights to sponsor their fighters.
Revgear will be well represented inside the Octagon come Saturday night, their logo prominently emblazoned on the shorts of Bocek, Vladimir Matyushenko, Nate Diaz and Pablo Garza. For Revgear Founder and CEO Paul Reavlin, it was a deal 15 years in the making. A deal he hopes can elevate his brand into the mainstream.
“All the people who already knew us, it’s reinforced their opinion of us.” says Reavlin, who recalls his days of driving heavy bags door-to-door, hanging out of the back of his Ford Mustang convertible, while trying to make a name for himself back in the mid-90’s. “But if you ask a general UFC fan who Revgear is, they probably won’t know. So, we’re hoping to gain exposure to the newer generation of fight fans so that by the time their older, they can be buying our products and supporting our brand. The question is, how long does it take for the people who don’t know who you are to understand who you are and what you do and become a customer? I believe it’s not a year, I believe it’s a number of years. That’s why we want to be a partner with the UFC for a long time.”
A former accountant, who also holds a first degree black belt in Krav Maga, Reavlin began manufacturing Fight Gear almost two decades ago out of frustration with pre-existing equipment that just didn’t work for the type of training he was involved in. That passion spawned one of the first finger-free gloves ever created, in effect becoming some of the first MMA gloves ever to be marketed.
Fast forward to today, where thanks to the UFC, the MMA landscape has grown considerably since those early days. Competition is fierce, both inside and outside of the cage. For Revgear to ultimately separate itself from the competition, Reavlin knows that he must strike while the iron is hot, while not compromising the integrity of his brand by continuing to stay true to his roots. “The UFC has raised awareness to a lot of people who didn’t even know what MMA was. As a result, it’s brought a lot of competition into the industry from a lot of people who think, “Hey, that’s gonna be cool and fun and I want to be an MMA Brand.”
“Revgear has laser focus,” continues Reavlin. “We know that we are a Gear brand, we’re not going to try to be an Apparel brand, or be seen as an Apparel brand. I think that’s what helps to make us unique. You will definitely see us capitalize on us being a gear brand. It’s in our name. That’s who we are. We’ve been professional gear for professional fighters for over 15 years, and we plan on being that for the next 30 (years).”
Bocek Will Wear Revgear's Logo at UFC 129
Reavlin will be making the pilgrimage up to Toronto this weekend, where he’ll personally be on hand at the UFC Fan Expo Friday and Saturday at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place to help promote his brand. Fresh off their new deal with the UFC, he’s brought in fighters’ Sean Sherk, Brendan Schaub, Ben Rothwell and Jim Miller to sign autographs at their booth to help lure Canadian fight fans in to see first hand what Revgear is all about.
And while these particular fighters won’t be confused with some of the bigger names in the UFC today, for Reavlin, it’s all about being realistic and staying within budget.
“I’ve seen a lot of companies come and go because their sponsorship strategy can easily put someone out of business,” explains Reavlin. “It’s an important part of our marketing budget, but it can’t be everything we do. Apparel brands may sell 10 or even 30 T-Shirts for every pair of boxing gloves we sell, so there’s always more revenue there for them then there is for us. They’re probably willing to spend more on sponsorship then we will. We have to go out and look for fighters that could represent our brand professionally, that will want to work with a brand like us, and who will want to work with us at a price we can afford.”
While much of Revgear’s business to this point has been concentrated within the U.S., Reavlin also realizes his new partnership with the UFC opens the door for newfound growth and exposure internationally for his company, starting with UFC 129 in Toronto. “When you see the way Canadians respond to UFC events, vs. how the Americans do, it’s borderline fanatical. They have so much passion for it. It just seems that anytime there’s anything going on in Canada, it sells out instantly. We’ve had a lot of interest in our product from people in Canada. We’re always surprised to see how much enthusiasm there is for the UFC in Canada. We know that there’s a good market there.”
There’s never been a more exciting time for Revgear, who are living proof that perseverance and an unwillingness to quit really do pay off in the business world – much like they would for a fighter inside the cage. So, no matter whether it’s a pair of their shin guards or MMA gloves, Reavlin wants his brand to be recognized worldwide for the commitment to quality that’s been built into every piece of Revgear equipment since Day 1.
“Revgear is going to start showing up for a lot of people who’s never seen us before and it’s going to look like an overnight success to them. I want people to know that, just like any other business, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. In our case, it’s a 15-year overnight success. I want people to know that we had a hardworking heritage. And that our legacy going forward should be that we will be a professional brand of gear until the end.”
With an attitude like that, don’t expect Revgear to tapout of the MMA industry anytime soon.
