MMA fighter to IB/PE? - seeking career advice
Recent graduate of top public university with degree in Business Economics (3.7 GPA), ideal goal is to end up sports/media focused IB shop (Raine, LionTree, or in BB/EB with sports/media & entertainment group) or consultancy (Activate, MBB) with a pathway into sports PE/investing (Arctos Partners, Dynasty Equity, RSE Ventures)
Didn't recruit for IB out of undergrad, I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do, was pre-med for a semester - ultimately tried for management consulting but made small mistakes on all my final round cases with MBB/T2
Have internship experience in LMM IB, F500, strategic advisory, etc.
Current career choices
1) Admitted into an MSF program from a semi-target with good undergraduate placement into IB -- however, it is too late to recruit for summer 2025 positions - if I go this route am unsure about how to best position myself for FT recruiting. Also, I feel like I have not gained any of the requisite skills to be a good entry-level employee of any top company and I would improve my financial modeling skills.
2) Currently in the final stages of an interview process with a small software VC shop based in West Coast about to launch its second fund (5 investments a year) - a FT role as an analyst right out of undergrad is nice, concerned about exits and how relevant this is to what I want to do
3) Do a gap year before applying to graduate school again (more school options, improve GMAT, maybe the LSAT) - I also do amateur MMA (1-0), considering focusing on this for a year, seeing how far I can go - if I do well maybe turn this into a career, retire before I lose too many brain cells, get an MBA and get a good job
I'm at a serious crossroads right now and I don't know really know what to do. If I land the full-time job then I will probably just take that and go for an MBA a few years down the line but given how my job hunting has gone so far I am not getting my hopes up -- if I do land the role, is recruiting directly for IB out of VC even a possibility - maybe as an AN2 or associate level? I know PE firms want pre-MBA modeling experience
If I chose to fully commit to the MMA route, is there some way I could craft that into a unique story for business school and job recruiting? I am only 22, still relatively healthy, and it has always been a dream of mine to compete in MMA and be a professional athlete but ultimately I know that to make a legitimate career out of this is extremely unlikely - would schools and companies view this unfavorably or would it be an advantage?
Based on the current situation, I will probably just stick to the MSF as it is the safest option and gives me more time to ride out this hiring economy but I am willing to bet on myself and take the road less travelled. The dream outcome would be to end up at Raine - just wondering which route would best position me to end up there or in a comparable role/industry
Please be as brutally honest as you feel is required - some professional/life advice from you guys would be greatly appreciated
TL;DR: Recent college grad either deciding between an MSF, a VC analyst role, or take a few years off to do MMA before business school -- goal is to end up at sports/M&E focused investment bank/consulting firm
am i wrong to be under the impression that the vast majority of people who made it big or at least even TO the level of UFC / Bellator / One etc had very impressive junior careers (state / local championship wins) and impressive seniority for their age in BJJ etc? not betting the house on this assumption just seems like something that would make sense.
also whilst people might find the fact that you competed cool, unless you made a proper career out of it (in which case why would you quit) id imagine they'd probably think that all those punches and kicks to the head wouldn't have done too much good for your analytical etc abilities.
I think precocity is a good indicator of future success in all sports - obviously I'm nowhere near that level at the moment but I train at a reputable gym with many UFC fighters and I can hold my own in the standup - I admittedly am booty cheeks in the grappling department and I'm working on that as much as I can. My teammate/striking coach is fighting for a belt next month and I feel like I could get to his level pretty fast - that's just my opinion though.
Is there any way you can have some sort of job and also train MMA?
All for following your dreams but you are giving up a lot here. MMA -> MBA might not be that helpful, since you won't have any real work experience prior to the MBA.
MSFs are not very useful if you are not already close to landing a job - you would need a 2024 internship and would hopefully have a strong network already.
Personally I would do some sort of finance job - VC role, even a finance 9-5 while training MMA - and then if you want to do MBA after 2 years, go for it. But I don't think MMA is a long-term career path so I would not give up too much here
worst case you get severely injured best case you get a 12/12 contract with the UFC
12/12 is the dream
I'll be honest, I don't think its feasible to go MMA > Raine. You would need a MBA and not sure if MMA > MBA is any easier (Yes, a unique story but tough for adcom to take a chance without work experience).
I would focus on getting experience in the sports and media Finance industry in any translatable role. I don't think training UFC and building contacts in the industry (potential endorsement rights) would be a bad idea on the side.
del
"If I chose to fully commit to the MMA route, is there some way I could craft that into a unique story for business school and job recruiting?"
Hard to stand out from the pack with that background. Might as well be an engineer from India.
First off -- very cool what you're doing, and I'd encourage you to take some of these comments with a grain of salt as finance people tend to be very risk-averse. If you think you have a legitimate shot at making it in MMA and want to pursue it, I'd encourage you to give it a shot. Your timeline for sitting at a desk is theoretically the rest of your life, but you only have a limited window for pro sports.
If I were in your shoes, here's the ground rules I'd set up for myself:
Dicta doloribus est magnam amet. Perspiciatis non qui perferendis aut exercitationem.
Dolores exercitationem quisquam dolores cumque. Et architecto nesciunt qui officiis autem perspiciatis reprehenderit voluptates. Libero perferendis laudantium sit eaque veniam unde architecto. Sunt voluptate voluptate consequatur ex voluptatem. Id dolor numquam sit atque harum aut.
Ut perspiciatis in voluptatibus veritatis et velit quis iste. Itaque dolor dolorem ut quis qui molestiae. Omnis eum beatae culpa quidem voluptatem optio.
Doloribus aliquam qui hic nam perspiciatis. Eaque placeat nihil voluptas ipsum qui.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...