Sherdog’s Top 10: Defunct Promotions

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6. International Fight League (2006-08)

The International Fight League burst onto the MMA scene in 2006 with some big ideas about how to improve the sport. Rather than treating the fighters as independent contractors, which had been and is still the norm today, the IFL classified them as employees and paid a regular salary in addition to health insurance and other benefits. To date, it is the only MMA promotion to offer full health benefits, as the UFC’s insurance coverage covers only accidents and training-related injuries, not illnesses or the like.

In addition to its radically different approach to its workforce, the IFL structured its events in markedly differing fashion. Instead of one-off matchups, it focused on teams based across the United States that were theoretically grounded in individual camps. Fighters from each team would then compete against each other at events, and a season-long competition would crown a winning team. This was not necessarily how things worked out in practice, but the concept itself was a serious departure from the past and future of MMA promotion.

By 2008, the wind had gone out of the IFL’s sails, and it declared bankruptcy shortly thereafter. Still, the events themselves produced fun fights; the teams were stocked with excellent fighters; and the approach was unique. For these reasons, the IFL stands tall among the defunct promotions of the past.

Number 5 » Dream