Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman explains why his MMA promotion has no interest in competing with UFC

Former NFL prima Shawne Merriman is gathering his mixed martial arts institution to basal retired from the rest.

Lights Out Xtreme Fighting introduced game-changing AI exertion for advertisers a fewer months agone and volition supply much information for fans and MMA officials alike with mitt exertion that volition beryllium introduced with its adjacent combat card. All of that connected apical of Lights Out Sports that Merriman created to item his promotion arsenic good arsenic a assortment of antithetic sports.

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Shawne Merriman spoke to Fox News Digital astir caller innovative happenings astatine Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. (Robert Hanashiro, USAT, USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Merriman said portion helium sees different companies trying to vie with UFC and burning done currency successful their attempts, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting is doing thing wholly different.

"We ne'er looked to compete. We’re creating. We don’t privation to vie with the UFC.We don’t care," helium told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. "We cognize there’s different promotions and different organizations retired determination trying to vie with the UFC.

"In my opinion, I don’t deliberation determination volition beryllium anybody bigger than the UFC and there’s a batch of promotions that are conscionable trying to walk their mode to the apical with money. Just outspend their mode and not (having success). We are (successful) due to the fact that we’ve been much businesslike and we are an incubator. We’re not trying to vie with anybody. We’re a hub for this technology, this information and these large fights, and for guys to spell into the UFC erstwhile they go champions for Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. That’s wherever we are."

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Shawne Merriman, erstwhile NFL and Maryland Terrapins linebacker, is recognized connected the tribunal for his foundation Lights On Foundation's during the 2nd fractional of the crippled against the George Washington Colonials astatine Xfinity Center connected Nov. 11, 2021. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)

Merriman said helium wants the institution to absorption connected gathering and implementing caller exertion to marque them basal retired from the rest.

"We privation to alteration the game. We don’t privation to support going down the way and trying to beryllium similar everybody else. We don’t adjacent vie with the UFC due to the fact that honestly, truthfully, we don’t care," helium said.

Lights Out 29 volition instrumentality spot connected Dec. 6 successful Long Beach, California, astatine Thunder Studios. Jake Babian, Sam Fournier, Jordan Azurdia, Dalton Hambrock and Corvan Allen are expected to beryllium successful action.

"This maturation that we’ve had implicit the past twelvemonth has been unprecedented," Merriman told Fox News Digital. "I don’t deliberation thing similar this has happened ever successful combat sports. We’ve sent 5 fighters to the UFC successful the past 2 months. We emotion that, man.

San Diego Chargers linebacker (56) Shawne Merriman against the Baltimore Ravens astatine Qualcomm Stadium successful San Diego connected Sept. 20, 2009. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

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"We emotion to beryllium capable to fto those guys spell and travel that platform. Just the notoriety we’ve gotten implicit this past year, we privation to beryllium considered 1 of the champion successful this concern and we’re connected our way."

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