Molly of Southern MMA Management is many things. A single parent, a working mother, and cornerperson/manager for fighters involved in combat sports to name a few. She is certified as an MMA judge & referee for ABC under Blake Grice, and holds an industry wide video conference call connecting people from all aspects of the business of Mixed Martial Arts and other combat sports including promoters, managers, fighters, sponsors, advertisers, referees/judges and even fans. People wishing to join in on the conference call can visit MMA Video Chat and the info about when these chats are held each weekday can be found at her Facebook.
I have the privilege of knowing Molly through Facebook, and recently had the honor of meeting her in person when she worked the corner one of her fighters at Complete Devastation 6 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania back on September 15th. She started small and has had success growing her stable of fighters since starting Southern MMA Management, expanding into other combat sports besides MMA.
Molly has recently begun to hold a weekly podcast called Southern MMA Weekly - it's worth checking out!
Recently I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions to get to know more about her - here's 10 questions with Molly from Southern MMA.
1. What is the name of the management company you work for & what is your position there?
My company is Southern MMA Management. I am the founder and CEO. Right now I handle booking fights, arranging for sponsorship, promotion and general career planning and management. I am looking into expanding at this point and bringing a couple of people on board to help me out. We have grown so much in the last year and rather than turn away new talent I want to be sure we have a large enough team to adequately support our athletes. I don't like someone waiting more than a few hours for a call to be returned or wondering if something has been done, I prefer to maintain contact and for everyone to feel important, which they ARE! Another avenue I work in is sponsorship acquisition for gyms, teams, and fight promotions. In addition, we are incorporating the Body By Vi 90 day challenge into our company mission as a way to help fighters increase their revenue so they can train full time.
2. How many fighters do you represent and what type of disciplines do they compete in?
The number of fighters I manage seems to increase every day/week. As of this writing I handle 23 fighters. They are primarily mixed martial artists. They are also grapplers, kick-boxers, Muay Thai fighters, and boxers.
3. In what states/areas do your fighters live and where have they fought?
I myself live in South Carolina and I'm very proud to represent some of the best in my state. I also manage fighters from North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Massachusetts, Wyoming, Nevada and Washington. We have a few Pennsylvania fighters we are talking with right now as well. So we are basically nationwide and even international, one of our recent additions is from Brazil.
4. How did you get involved in MMA and managing/cornering fighters?
I tripped over public relations and fell into management. I worked for a gear company in marketing and PR for a year or so, that job led to forming a lot of networked alliances with fighters, promoters and sponsors. So when I left that job I had some fighters asking if I could help them out. I told them at the time I had NO idea what I was doing -- I didn't! -- but I am a hard worker and a fast learner, so I just jumped in and started to work. I have learned so much in the last few years, and there is ALWAYS more to learn so every day is a learning experience and I'm very humbled by the talent that I get to be so close to - fighters are amazing people!
5. Is it difficult being a woman managing/coaching mostly men? If so, what are the difficulties? If not, what are the benefits?
I don't know if it is more or less difficult due to being a woman. I've often felt it has been an advantage because it allows me to get my foot in the door a little quicker -- it's "novel" I suppose so people tend to remember me once they've met me or spoken to me. Sometimes people don't take me as seriously at first - they insult my intelligence and think I don't really know much. I find usually that changes quickly. Although sometimes when it comes to men it is better to let them think they taught you something rather than admit you already knew it. HA!
Having said that, it presents a problem at times - often at the fights officials assume I am someone's girlfriend/wife until I present my corner/manager license. That used to bother me, it doesn't really any more. I think when I was starting out there were some girlfriends/wives who did not want their significant other to be managed by a woman. That makes no sense at all - if your husband/boyfriend worked in an office, he could easily be managed by a woman and I doubt you'd ask him to quit because of it! I believe I have shown that I am professional and good at what I do, now I find that fighters who are up against that type of resistance probably don't have enough support at home to be successful in the sport to begin with, to be honest.
6. What are some of your best experiences managing/cornering fighters?
I have so many experiences I could share -- and funny stories that some would probably rather I didn't share.Watching Roger Stone take a quick knockout win down in Charleston was a highlight - his teammates and I are all pretty close friends so when he KO'd his guy we pretty much jumped on each other and there was nearly another knockout from the excitement. I was proud of Roger - he drove down to SC from Upstate NY to join our team and train here where I live. His mom was there also to see him take that win and it was a great moment for all of us. I think one of the things I enjoy the most about MMA is the family and brotherhood involved, there is a lot of love amid all the fighting!
I don't corner too often - if I do, I tend to be there with my camera and maybe an ice pack, just capturing as much as I can on video. One fight we had, I had a potential sponsor come up just before the fight and tell me if my guy won he would have the deal. I said OK hurry and sit down, it won't last long. The fight began and was over in seconds - the sponsor rep hadn't been able to get to his seat in time. That was pretty great!
I have experienced long drives with hungry fighters cutting weight, awesome meals after weigh ins with a bunch of guys and their families and teammates, the joy of their victories and witnessing the way they deal with their defeats. I've been a counselor, a therapist, a financial adviser, a tour guide, a chauffeur, a secretary, a nurse and probably more. It is awesome - I would not change a moment of my life that led me here. I think the best moments are yet to come for myself for my team.
7. What are some of the worst experiences you have had to deal with?
Any time a fight gets scrapped for any reason - I HATE having to call and tell someone that the fight they've been training for and cutting weight for is a no go.
Dealing with the haters gets interesting. In the business I had before this, there were no haters. People were happy for my success. It seems in MMA there is a certain segment of people who want to see you fail - I guess because it makes them feel more successful. So I've had my share of people like that, I have learned to disregard it and I have made choices for myself as a manager based on knowing certain people are more trustworthy than others. I want to support fighters and others in MMA who have good ethics and values, I refuse to align myself with anyone who does not. I know who I am as a person and as a business woman, nobody else expressing their jealousy or whatever it may be -- online or otherwise -- is going to cause me to change the way I live my life.
8. Explain what this MMA video conference call chat you participate in is and how did this start?
It literally was just an idea I had one day. I didn't give it a lot of thought, I just did it -- posted something on my social media and went for it. The first one, we had 4 people and it fluctuates between 3-6 people each day. It is rather informal. We have topics but we tend to stray. I think it is a great way to network with others in the business and form positive business relationships. You feel like you're having coffee with someone instead of just typing to them or talking on the phone. As a very extroverted people person, it is right up my alley! I believe in the power of networking relationships - I don't believe in hiding out in a cave and doing business alone because you're too scared to share ideas with other people. They might steal your ideas! They might get opportunities you found! Whatever! I am friends with many other managers - we help each other. It isn't competition, really. There is plenty of work to go around for everyone. I am not afraid to help someone else if I can!
9. What are some major upcoming events that your fighters will be participating in?
Gladiators of the Cage - Sept 29 - Butler, PA: Brad Mountain (pro 155)
Bull City Brawl - Oct 6 - Durham, NC: Varon Webb, (pro 125), D'Juan Owens (pro 145), Roger Stone (amateur 150), & Walker Vivian (amateur 160)
Submission Promotions - Oct 20 - Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Noe Quintanilla (pro 145)
Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) - Oct 27 - Richmond, Virginia: Keith Bell (pro heavyweight)
There will be more announcements all the time - you'll want to add us on Facebook or Twitter for news!
10. What is next for Molly, Southern MMA & your fighters?
On my to do list:
I would like to add female athletes to my roster - I do not like being the only girl around here!
I am really pushing to build alliances on the west coast - I have several guys out there who are looking to fight and because I'm not physically present there it is a little more of a challenge to build strong networks in that region. If you're reading this and you're out in California, Nevada, Washington State or beyond please get in touch - I'd love to talk to you!
Finally, obviously a big goal is to get my guys as far as they can go in the sport - Bellator, King of the Cage, XFC, obviously UFC. We are hard workers - all of us. I believe we have contenders. Exciting fighters with a strong work ethic and a lot of talent. Some need a bit more experience and others just need to get some good key wins at this point. We are working toward that goal. Also we want to fight overseas- Europe and Japan.
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| Me and Molly at Complete Devastation 6 |
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| Molly with Shon Winchester & Roger Stone |
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| Molly with Noe Quintanilla |
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| Molly with Chris Brunetti and Erik Harris |
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| Molly with Brandon O'Connell |
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| Molly at Blake Grice's ABC Judge/Referee Certification class |
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| Molly with Roger Stone and Shon Winchester |
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| Molly and Jake Shields |
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| Molly cornering Antwan Penn at CD 6 |
Pro fighters looking for quality representation, promoters looking to fill fight cards, and companies looking to sponsor fighters contact Molly at Southern MMA.
Molly Hoskinson
http://www.SouthernMMA.net
(864) 283-1168
