Our Team
Seasoned leadership united by our vision of team-based MMA to put fans at the center of every rivalry, elevate athletes, and create shared ownership.
Executive Leadership
Vince Hesser
Vince is a seasoned executive and investor with with more than $2B in transactions across sports, media, real estate, and international business. A founding partner of World Series of Fighting (WSOF), he produced or distributed over 100 MMA events across 20 countries and spent seven years in senior leadership roles, helping drive the organization’s global growth and strategic expansion.
Executive Chairman
Jeffrey Pollack
Jeffrey is an Emmy Award-winning sports industry executive, entrepreneur, and investor with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across the XFL, Los Angeles Chargers, Professional Bull Riders, World Series of Poker, NASCAR, the National Basketball Association, and The Sports Business Daily.
Senior Advisor
Darren Owen
Darren brings more than 15 years of experience building and leading MMA organizations, including the World Series of Fighting. Known for an athlete-first approach, he has been committed to fair pay and professional treatment for fighters. Darren has produced more than 60 live MMA events across North American and Asia, and has promoted and produced events globally with NBC, CBS, IMG, and FOX Sports Asia.
Commissioner
Scott Parker
Scott is a growth-focused CMO who helped build Pepsi’s Sports Group, led ESPN’s NFL and Monday Night Football strategy and X Games global expansion. He positioned and launched the SEC Network, College Football Playoff, NASCAR’s inaugural postseason format, and TuneIn’s sports audio business, and was instrumental in launching the XFL.
Chief Marketing Officer
Athlete Performance & Wellness Council
Our team dedicated to supporting athlete health, performance, and longevity in competition and beyond.
Tyron Woodley
Former UFC Welterweight Champion with firsthand experience competing and leading at the highest level of the sport, bringing proven perspective on performance, preparation, and fighter advocacy.
Former Welterweight World Champion
Benson Henderson
Former UFC Lightweight Champion and veteran MMA leader with deep experience in athlete development, championship preparation, and sustained performance at the elite level.
Former Lightweight World Champion
Burt Watson
Legendary MMA executive with decades of experience in fighter relations and event operations, including serving as the UFC’s head of fighter relations. A Fighters Only Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and 2022 International Sports Hall of Fame inductee, he is widely trusted as an advocate for fighter well-being.
MMA Athlete Relations Icon
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane
Former Bellator Flyweight World Champion with experience competing at the highest levels of global MMA, bringing a technical, disciplined, and championship performance perspective.
Former Bellator Flyweight World Champion
Mike Goldberg
Iconic MMA and boxing broadcaster with more than 25 years of experience, including nearly two decades as the lead play-by-play voice of the UFC. Known globally for his signature calls and trusted storytelling in the sport’s biggest moments.
Broadcast & MMA Media Authority
Dr. Jen Welter
Dr. Jen Welter is a pioneering sports leader at the intersection of elite performance, psychology, and cultural leadership. She was the first woman to coach in the NFL and play a skill position in men’s professional football.
NFL Trailblazer & Wellness Leader
Héctor Lombard
Former Bellator Middleweight World Champion with experience competing at the highest levels of global MMA, bringing a championship performance perspective..
Former Middleweight World Champion
Cat Zingano
Former UFC title challenger with experience competing at the highest levels of global MMA, bringing a resilience-driven performance and athlete advocacy perspective.
Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion
Jessica Aguilar
Former WSOF Strawweight World Champion with experience competing at the highest levels of global MMA, bringing a technical, disciplined performance perspective.
Former Strawweight World Champion
Business Advisory Board
Basil DeVito Jr.
Senior sports and entertainment executive with 40+ years of leadership and board experience across WWE, XFL, NBA, and Breeders’ Cup, with deep expertise in league formation, governance, media rights, and global live event strategy.
Former Senior Executive, WWE
Laura Gentile
Trailblazing sports media executive and brand builder. Former EVP & Chief Marketing Officer at ESPN, founder of espnW, and a proven leader in building modern sports brands, driving fan engagement, and elevating new audiences.
Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Storied Sports
Senior media executive with 15+ years at iHeartMedia, including President of iHeartSports, leading the largest sports audio platform in the U.S. with oversight of broadcast, digital audio, podcasts, and live sports rights. Recognized expertise in sports media and audience monetization.
Former President, iHeartSports
Kevin LeGrett
Gareb Shamus
Visionary media and events entrepreneur, founder of Comic Con, and co-founder of the International Fight League (IFL), the first team-based MMA league, producing 180+ live events and building fan-driven global franchises.
IFL and Comic Con founder
Bruce Smith
Serial entrepreneur and performance leader at the intersection of technology, health, and elite sport. Founder of Hydrow and CEO of Sensr Bio, with deep expertise in biometrics, human performance, and building category-defining companies.
Founder, Hydrow