It’s the holiday season, and with the new year quickly approaching, Combat Press is taking a look back at the best of 2014. Throughout the week, Combat Press will announce its award winners in 16 different categories, covering everything from the action in the cage to the biggest stories surrounding the sport.
Executive of the Year – Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp
In 2014, Invicta Fighting Championships faced an uphill battle. The promotion had ended 2013 on a strong note inside the cage, but its biggest success came in selling the UFC on a women’s strawweight division — and literally selling the UFC the core of its own strawweight division. But, 2014 meant rebuilding its roster and securing a broadcast deal that would free Invicta of streaming problems that had plagued the promotion throughout its history.
Invicta founder and president Shannon Knapp was able to solve both problems. The highly respected Knapp, who had earned the love of women’s MMA fans for her ability to continually produce a high-quality product and also meet any streaming paywall issues by giving fans free access to the events, negotiated a deal with the UFC that put Invicta on a reliable digital platform, UFC Fight Pass. Though its first event of 2014 ran into issues when it went beyond the streaming service’s threshold for event length, the deal has been an overwhelming success in positioning Invicta on an easily accessible broadcasting platform and recruiting new fans from the UFC’s fan base.
Meanwhile, Knapp enlisted former UFC fighter Julie Kedzie to take the reins as the promotion’s new matchmaker. Combined, the duo has unearthed new talent for its strawweight division and replenished the ranks in its other weight classes. While former title holder Carla Esparza and company have exited, Knapp has searched the globe to secure the services of fighters like Alexa Grasso, Irene Aldana and Herica Tiburcio. The shows have not lost their focus on developing women’s MMA from the ground up and Knapp has continued to feature many upstart fighters in the hopes of finding the next Tecia Torres or Rose Namajunas.
Congratulations to Shannon Knapp, the Combat Press selection for 2014 Executive of the Year. In a year where the UFC’s executives have battled criticism for their recent Reebok deal and a pending class-action lawsuit, Knapp continued to receive the trust and support of Invicta’s fans and fighters.
Other Finalists: Scott Coker, Ed Soares, Victor Cui
Make sure you check out the rest of the Combat Press 2014 MMA Award winners.