Dec 14, 2009 - UPSTART 365 FIGHT MANAGEMENT FORMS PARTNERSHIP WITH PAT MILETICH

Kansas City, KS - The recently formed 365 Fight Management company announced Tuesday that it has formally entered into a strategic alliance with former mixed martial arts world champion and renowned fight trainer Pat Miletich.

As a part of the partnership, 365 Fight Management will co-manage several fighters currently under the guidance of Miletich, who recently formed a fighter management company of his own.

"This alliance will reap immediate benefits for athletes under contract to both Pat and 365 Fight Management," said Joe Kelly, the President of 365 Fight Management. "We will assist Pat's fighters in seeking sponsorship opportunities as well as fight opportunities around the country and around the world. In turn, Pat will provide assist us in analyzing fight opportunities and forming strategic game plans for our athletes."

In addition to co-branding its contracted fighters, Pat Miletich and 365 Fight Management will work together to market its athletes in order to seek optimum exposure to ensure they receive the best opportunities available.

"I am extremely excited to have joined forces with Joe Kelly and Sam Caplan at 365 Fight Management," said Miletich. "The fact that 365 does management, sponsorship acquisitions and MMA events makes them a one stop shop for fighters of all levels. In the past, there has been a disconnect and lack of communication between management and coaches in MMA. This will not be the case any longer, as 365 and MFS will be working together for the good of all involved. Fighters will feel safe knowing their team is heading in the same direction."

365 Fight Management was formed in October by Joe Kelly and Sam Caplan. In a short period of time, their management company was able to sign established fighters such as Rudy Bears (Strikeforce), Lee Gibson (former EliteXC), John Doyle (EliteXC and M-1 veteran), Kasheem Peterson (future MMA superstar), Lamont Lister (IFL vet), Ritchie Carmack (7-0 heavyweight pro boxer scheduled to make MMA debut on Dec. 18), and Tuan Pham (Adrenaline MMA vet; world class flyweight competitor).

The first two fighters of Miletich's to be co-managed by 365 Fight Management will be featherweight Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez (7-1-1) and lightweight Nick Spohn.

"We were well aware of Ramiro's pedigree when we promoted him this past October during the return of Joe's Titan Fighting Championship promotion [which used the Combat Sports Championship banner due to a now resolved trademark issue]," Caplan began. "However, Joe and I were blown away by his standup skills and it didn't take long to realize that Ramiro is a major league talent. We're excited to have him back for our Dec. 18 Titan show in K.C. because his days of competing on regional shows are numbered. Joe and I are looking forward to assisting Pat in helping Ramiro reach the next level."

Spohn is also considered a prized prospect. Though just 1-0 as an amateur, there has been a tremendous buzz surrounding his upcoming pro debut in the coming months. Industry insiders believe once he turns pro that he will be on the fast track for stardom. In fact, his advanced skillset elicited an invitation from B.J. Penn to join Penn in California for his training camp held in order to prepare for his UFC lightweight title defense vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC 107.

The addition of Hernandez and Spohn to the 365 Fight Management label is considered just the beginning of the new alliance between the upstart management company and Miletich. Additional Miletich-trained athletes are expected to join the fold as well while Miletich and 365 are also finalizing plans to recruit new talent to the fold.

"We're not afraid to get our hands dirty," said Kelly. "In a short amount of time, we have made an instant impact in the careers of our fighters. We're looking to work with new talent even if they aren't just established. Pat, Sam, and I will be reaching out to some of that talent but we're also looking forward to them reaching out to us as well. 365 is truly a one stop shop for fighters; we can get them fights, utilize our connections to the bigger organizations, seek sponsorships, act as a publicist, and can now even provide them expert strategic fight planning. We think the co-managerial partnership we have built with Pat is a model we will be doing with other trainers that would like to be involved in every aspect of their fighter's career but may not have the resources to do so."