LAS VEGAS – Karate Combat is under new management and its recently hired president Asim Zaidi is looking to catch your attention.
Whether it’s the big-named free agents or twerking aliens, Zaidi is obsessed with making karate something different, new and improved.
“The president before me was a very traditional karate guy, didn’t so much have the combat sports fans with him and didn’t know too much in that space,” Zaidi said at World Market Center after Karate Combat 43, the first event under his watch. “The idea was we wanted to break into the combat sports world. We wanted to shake it up and get those guys over here. When I got involved, that was my objective.”
Seven weeks ago, Zaidi was hired – with an important Las Vegas debut already on the books. He entered the promotion as the head coach of viral (and controversial) fight team Goat Shed and is already feeling the criticism of some karate traditionalists. But the interest attracted from the MMA community by an Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson main event showed Zaidi early that he was on the right track.
“This company has been around for six years now,” Zaidi said. “That’s a decent amount of time. I entered to take it to that next level. But of course, I’ve been doing this sport since I was three years old. I got my black belt from Royce Gracie. I started jiu-jitsu when I was 10. This is my life. I know this industry. I know this industry too well. I know how to take this to the next level. Again, seven weeks is what you’ve got. Give me two months. Give me a full two months. Give me a full three months. It’s going to be bigger than ever. I’m telling you. We’re doing it, man.”
With Karate Combat 43 in the books, Zaidi is already focused on the future. He’d like to keep the ball rolling with more notable signings. Talks have already begun with some prospective targets, Zaidi revealed.
“I was already dealing with this. I was already getting in contact with these big names. I have a long list of giant names. … I’m talking to Jose Aldo. I was talking to Lyoto Machida, Darren Till, Luke Rockhold. I’m talking to… I don’t want to release that one. But that’s the level of names we’re speaking of. Tyrone Spong, I can say also. That’s the level of names we’re talking to. Everyone on that level you can imagine, yes, I’m speaking to them. I’m interested in having them.
“We’re changing the brand a whole lot. This was the debut of what I’m trying to change, the new direction. In 2024, you’re going to see something insane. You will continue seeing these big names and you’ll continue seeing a show that’s so different.”
