Opinion | Full Metal Dojo is looking to take MMA back to its roots while simultaneously broadening its horizons
American promoter Jon Nutt is developing a circuit in Thailand that combines a party atmosphere with some of the most bad ass fighters around
Not only will there be blood, there almost has to be. Welcome to the world of Full Metal Dojo. A fledgling part of the combat sport fraternity, it’s raw but with integrity. Based out of Thailand, Full Metal Dojo (FMD) was founded three years ago by American Jon Nutt, a man of irrepressible spirit and unabashed passion.
“I want to be the Quentin Tarantino of combat sports,” says Nutt. The mere mention of the legendary American film director invokes images of blood splattered, gratuitous violence. But Nutt claims that is not necessarily the association he is thinking about.
With the UFC now an integral part of American sporting landscape and One Championship covering the Asian scene, Nutt understands his organisation’s place as well as their ambitions.
“The talent pool of fighters is not that deep, especially in Asia, and even the UFC has had to cancel a few events out here,” he says. “Luckily One Championship is here and I want to be like the feeder organisation for all these groups, the “B” movie. But the real thing, a party atmosphere and maybe occasionally some crass language. Tarantino’s edginess with the same rule set as the UFC.”
Their events have mostly been in large nightclubs around Bangkok in front of raucous crowds in the high hundreds, not thousands. Nutt prefers the intimacy for a number of reasons, least of all proximity of the crowd to the fighters.