While most remember Shawne Merriman for his “Lights Out” defensive play on the gridiron, the former All-Pro linebacker has created a big impact off the field in his business venture, an upstart MMA organization named after his on-field nickname, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting.
Merriman, who retired from the NFL in March 2013, embarked on other business ventures, including WWE and NASCAR, before launching the Lights Out brand in ’19.
But Merriman quickly learned that navigating the business world was far different than executing a defensive game plan. In an interview on The Bag podcast with Rashad Jennings and Lindsay McCormick, the three-time Pro Bowler opened up about the parallels and the “big difference” between the daily grind of the NFL and running his own business.
