Image via Italian Cage Fighting\/Fabio Barbieri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDapper and Perillo echoed Zullino’s assessment of the Italian MMA scene, and are acutely aware of the challenges of promoting the sport in a country that has not yet warmed up to it. They’ve effectively had to create a market for TGC from scratch, but so far, their creative approach is working well.<\/p>\n
“There is a desire [for MMA in Italy], but it’s a silent need,” Dapper said. “You know when you have a silent need, you’re not aware of it, but the moment you open your eyes, you’re like ‘Oh my God, where was this [before]?’<\/p>\n
“We’re doing a number of marketing initiatives that are massive in terms of critical mass,” he continued. “The first thing we did is we created a social media event. In November, we started The Chill House<\/em>. It’s a spinoff of The Hype House<\/em> in Los Angeles. We got together the top-10 social media influencers in the country\u2014grossing 42 million followers altogether. We put them all under one roof, we built a gym, and these influencers train every day with pro MMA fighters.<\/p>\n“This is how we’re going to reach our target [audience] from 15 to 25 years of age.”<\/p>\n
While TGC is gaining popularity in Italy, Perillo and Dapper’s mission for the local MMA scene extends far beyond creating an appetite for their live shows. They also seek to supercharge MMA training in the country, recognizing that, without world-class fighters, there can be no world-class events.<\/p>\n
Italy has produced a number of high profile fighters over the years, but historically, those fighters have had to leave the country to find the kind of training that need to compete on the sport’s biggest stages. Alessio Sakara, for example, migrated to American Top Team in South Florida. Vettori set up shop at Kings MMA in Southern California. The list goes on and on. Leaving the country to train, of course, is an expensive undertaking for any fighter\u2014particularly an up-and-comer. It also does little to invigorate the Italian MMA scene when all of the country’s best fighters take their skills elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Perillo and Dapper are implementing a creative strategy to mitigate this problem.<\/p>\n
Outside of their work as the TGC show-runners, the pair represent a long list of pro and amateur fighters through their company, Superbia Management. They frequently send those fighters overseas to world renowned gyms in Europe and North America, then bring them back to share what they’ve learned with their peers in Italy. They also plan to fly international fighters into Italy for the same reason.<\/p>\n
The results of this strategy are already paying off, as several of Perillo and Dapper’s athletes have already been deemed UFC-ready by some of the most trusted voices in the sport.<\/p>\n
“One of these fighters went to Team Alpha Male [in Sacramento] with Urijah Faber and trained with him,” Perillo said. “Last year, Urijah called me and said ‘Luigi, this is a very, very strong fighter. He’s ready for the UFC.'”<\/p>\n
Needless to say, Perillo and Dapper have a lot on the go, but their hope is that, in time, Italy will be the home of a thriving MMA scene with high-production events and competitive fight cards.<\/p>\n
The next big landmark on their mission to create that scene is their imminent debut on UFC FIGHT PASS, which will be topped by a welterweight title fight and feature appearances from several notables, including Bellator & UFC veteran Danilo Belluardo.<\/p>\n
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