Shelby recently spoke about the matchmaking business, and what goes on behind the scenes in the UFC’s bout arrangement game.
Shelby recently spoke with SquareMile.com about his role in pitching fights, and the details behind the careful choice in picking opponents:
“The job title is a bit of a misnomer – It sounds cool, but the matching up of two athletes and getting them to commit to a bout is the smallest aspect of the job. It’s managing 500+ contracts. It’s negotiating the contracts, signing and releasing the athletes. It’s scouting the new talent. It’s putting out fires and lots of problem solving. Plan ‘A’ went up in flames. Plan ‘B’ went over a cliff. I’m always on Plan ‘C’. In addition you have to be aware of as many things about the sport as possible. Be as worldly as possible, so to speak.”
Shelby is approaching ten years of commitment to matchmaking, which encompasses WEC and UFC business. Shelby has presided over the arrangement of hundreds of fights in that time, but when asked which was his favorite choice in his career, he said it was Ronda Rousey v Miesha Tate 2:
“Rousey vs Tate, December 2013. it wasn’t easy to put together and nobody had any idea of the power Ronda possessed at the time, on the canvas or off. The fight was crazy, and women’s MMA obviously existed before, but it’s really the fight that I believe began to change the total complexion of the sport. It’s where a true icon began to be realized and led to one of the wildest rides ever in the Octagon, with Ronda dominating a sport as she became the face of a movement.”
Joe Silva’ was a recent high-level departure of the UFC, which opened the door for Shelby’s ascension to head matchmaker. Shelby now arranges fights in the Men’s 135-170 pound categories, in addition to the female strawweight and bantamweight divisions. Shelby’s colleague Nick Maynard oversees Men’s flyweight, in addition to the upper tiers of 185-265.
