Fighter Sponsorship at Tiger Eye

For serious sponsored fighters, generally yes.

We aren’t interested only in providing a training facility. We want to help arrange fights, develop careers and create opportunities.

Tiger Eye may act as the athlete’s manager and receive an agreed percentage of fight purses.

The exact management relationship, purse percentage, responsibilities and other commercial terms will be negotiated separately and put into an appropriate agreement. Receiving sponsorship does not by itself create unspecified management terms.

This is the fight business, and we treat that side of the relationship seriously.

For Muay Thai fighters, we generally want active competitors.

Assuming you are healthy and appropriate fights are available, sponsored Muay Thai fighters should normally expect to compete approximately once every one to two months at minimum.

MMA is different. Appropriate MMA opportunities occur less frequently, and preparation between fights may be longer.

Being based in Bangkok gives athletes access to fight opportunities ranging from developmental competition through higher-level professional events.

Tiger Eye also intends to host events of our own, creating additional competitive opportunities for members of the team.

If we’re investing in developing your fighting career, you should expect to fight.

We expect sponsored athletes to be willing to take appropriate opportunities arranged through the team.

That doesn’t mean blindly accepting every fight regardless of injury, weight, preparation or opponent. Communication between athlete, coaches and management is essential.

Potentially.

We’re not opposed to cross-training when there is a good reason for it.

There may be an athlete, coach or specialist somewhere else in Bangkok who provides exactly what you need at a particular point in your development. We may arrange for you to train there, or preferably invite appropriate athletes to Tiger Eye to work with you here.

What doesn’t work is Tiger Eye investing in bringing someone to Thailand only for that person to arrive and immediately start independently treating another gym as their primary training environment.

Talk to us.

Communication solves most of these issues.

If you’re living under Tiger Eye sponsorship, there are rules.

No drugs. No drinking as part of the residential sponsorship program.

You are here to train, fight, recover and develop.

Bangkok is outside the gate, and you’re welcome to experience Thailand during appropriate free time and rest days. But sponsorship comes with responsibilities.

You will be expected to follow the rules of the house, respect coaches and teammates, attend your required training, fulfill your responsibilities and behave in a way that doesn’t create problems for the team.

If that sounds overly restrictive to you, please don’t apply.

There are plenty of places in Thailand where you can buy a membership and do whatever you want outside training.

This isn’t that.

You don’t have to arrive as someone who meditates.

But you should be willing to try.

The same applies to gardening, spending time outdoors and participating in parts of Tiger Eye that don’t involve punching someone.

We’re trying to create well-rounded athletes and a particular kind of environment. We’re interested in people who are open to experiences outside their existing comfort zone.

Social media matters.

Sponsored athletes should expect to help promote Tiger Eye, including reasonable obligations involving posts, tags, appearances in gym content and promotion of fights and activities.

Your existing audience will also be considered when evaluating an application.

Athletic ability isn’t the only kind of value someone can bring.

An applicant with limited competitive experience but an unusually large or engaged audience may potentially qualify for a promotional or creator sponsorship.

That is different from being selected as a developmental fighter and will be evaluated using different criteria, but it still falls under the broader Tiger Eye sponsorship program.

Yes.

Even if you receive one of our highest levels of support, you should arrive with some degree of financial stability.

Thailand’s visa requirements may themselves require applicants to demonstrate adequate finances, and unexpected expenses happen.

Tiger Eye may assist athletes when circumstances justify it, but we are not assuming unlimited financial responsibility for sponsored athletes.

You are responsible for obtaining appropriate medical or travel insurance.

Combat sports involve injuries. Tiger Eye may choose to help an athlete with medical expenses in particular circumstances, but unless specifically agreed otherwise, Tiger Eye is under no obligation to cover your medical expenses.

Any significant existing injuries or medical issues relevant to your ability to train and compete must be disclosed during the application process.

Sponsorship is a relationship, not an entitlement.

The initial three-month period may serve as a probationary period.

Failure to train consistently, breaking house rules, drug or alcohol use, serious behavioral problems, dishonesty, failure to fulfill agreed promotional or team responsibilities, or simply demonstrating that the arrangement isn’t workable can result in sponsorship being reduced or terminated according to the applicable sponsorship agreement.

Likewise, we want athletes to communicate with us if the arrangement isn’t working for them.

That depends entirely on what you bring.

We’re looking at the complete person:

Fighting ability. Potential. Grappling or wrestling background. Experience. Age. Weight. Character. Coachability. Leadership. Education and life stability. Social-media reach. Ability to help the team. Financial stability. Length of commitment.

Not everyone needs to be exceptional in every category.

Someone might be an outstanding fighter with almost no social-media presence.

Someone else might be an inexperienced fighter who is an exceptional wrestler.

Someone might be a natural leader who can contribute tremendously to the gym.

And occasionally someone may have an audience large enough that a promotional sponsorship makes sense even if they don’t meet our normal competitive criteria.

We look at the complete picture.