For over 30 years, Alexander Beadle’s family members have been successful in the sport of boxing as fighters and promoters. So as Beadle came of
age, it was only natural for him to earn a living in the business. As the
president and executive promoter of the Georgia Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts
Association, Beadle works tirelessly to market mixed martial arts
to new audiences. Beadle recently sat down with rolling out sports to discuss
the popularity of MMA and the GBA Power MMA Fights series. –a.r.
How did the Georgia Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts
Association begin?
It all started with the Georgia Boxing Association, which
was established in 1974. In 2003, the GBA went dormant and we revitalized it in
2007. We began to promote boxing matches and we started a nonprofit
organization called Fight Harder Foundation. It’s one of the only
intergenerational learning programs in America. We find communities with at-risk kids and get them involved in our mentoring program. Now we’ve started a
new TV program called Power MMA Fights. We take local fighters and put them on
a national stage.
Why has mixed martial arts experienced explosive growth in the last 10 years?
MMA has grown over the years because you get to see real
fighters getting it on. With MMA, we’re pulling wrestling fans because
wrestling is choreographed. But MMA is on the rise because these guys are
fighting for real. We teach guys how to fight and be leaders in the community.
Our model is that quitting is not an option. Everyone is not going to win, but
you learn what you need to do better.
What can fans expect this weekend?
On Saturday, our premiere episode will be taped. We have 500
pounds of muscle going one-on-one for the main fight. The main event will
feature a fight between Travis ‘The Chosen One’ Taylor and Mike ‘Steel’ Bar. We
will have five heavyweight fights on our undercard. If you are a fan of boxing
or MMA, you will want to be there.
GBA MMA Fights will take place on Oct 10. at the Atrium
(5479 Memorial Dr, Stone Mountain 30083). The doors open at 7 p.m.
