How Ed Soares Built the Pipeline to the UFC | Coffeez
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In this episode of Coffeez for Closers, Joe sits down with Ed Soares, President of Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) and one of the most respected figures in mixed martial arts.
Ed has spent decades inside the fight game, from managing some of the biggest names in MMA to helping build the next generation of world-class fighters through LFA.
Known for his work with legends like Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and José Aldo, Ed has played a major role in shaping the careers of athletes who changed the sport forever.
This conversation goes beyond the cage. Joe and Ed talk about loyalty, fighter development, the business side of MMA, what separates real champions from talented fighters, and how LFA continues to serve as one of the strongest pipelines to the UFC.
If you love combat sports, entrepreneurship, leadership, or the mindset behind elite performers, this episode gives you a rare look at the people building the future of MMA.
Hosted by Joseph Shalaby
Coffeez for Closers Podcast
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the LFA is the number one developmental organization in the world that's that's like that's not even me saying it it's a fact it's a fact it's a fact I mean it's a fact you know what I mean yeah google it you could ask chat GPT you could ask Gemini they'll tell you where the number one developmental organization welcome to another episode of coffees today you guys are in for a very special guest I'm sitting down with the founder and CEO of legacy fighting alliance an ally of the USC and a breeding ground for 27% of all of the current UFC champions they are breeding the best of the best of the best and their fight teams are incredible please welcome the founder and CEO of legacy fighting alliance edsaurus thanks head for jumping on the show oh man my pleasure thanks for having me coming in from hot from redondo beach I appreciate you coming in it's an absolute pleasure I myself I'm a big fighting fan fan of yours fan of what you're doing and a fan of what you're doing to really elevate the fight game so you know god bless I like to start every show off the same way I start with all my guests and what's your what's your morning routine in you know I wake up it depends on the day I don't I don't have like a set routine every day I just wake up grab a coffee at the downstairs and then I kind of see what I have to do for the day so I don't really have a set routine if there's if I have time and there's waves I'll go surf if not I'll just go right to the office nice okay nothing crazy like these fighters that you're breeding no nothing like that nice so I'm gonna I'm gonna jump right into it what was your journey like when you started the mma game like what was the vision to start LFA how did that start what year did it start what was the concept that you had that really made it different than you know what existed at the time which is the old school UFC well the reality of it is is you know I started back working in the business in back in 2004 when I got into the business I got into the business producing a tv show called passing the guard it was a it was a program it was a tv show like a magazine show from Brazil that was it was called pastan aguada in Brazil which which translates to passing the guard and we started broadcasting that in 2004 and then eventually it led into me my partner and I starting our management company which is called tough media and and then and then we we I managed athletes so we were bringing our our niche was kind of we were bringing athletes from Brazil I'm Brazilian I was born and raised here in California but but my mom and dad are Brazilian and so I spoke fluent Portuguese and my business partner he's from Brazil I actually met him when I was like 15 years old he actually was my next-door neighbor in redondo and that's when we first met and he's a legend in the sport his his name is George Jimarunch and you know everyone knows him as Johnny is kind of his nickname but you know he's just been a legend and he's been a pioneer in this sport as a matter of fact when Horien Gracie moved here from Brazil in the late 70s George came with him to spread the word of jujitsu well I mean you guys have been pioneering you know bjj since it's onset here in the U.S. you know I asked you about the Gracie family you've known them since they were children and and you're in there you guys never moved you're all in the same area the south bay yeah yeah I'm you know really you know I've known Horien and I actually became really good friends with with with hoist and that's you know he actually got me into training jujitsu was hoist and he's the founder of UFC no Horien was the founder of UFC but hoist was the was the Gracie who you know Horien put in there to prove the efficiency of of jujitsu you know the UFC was never started to become a sport um Horien created the UFC to to prove to the world that Gracie jujitsu is the most efficient martial art in the world and he proved that you know and um you know there was other guys that in theory they said oh you know Hixon was better this but they they wanted to use hoist because he was the best example of how you didn't have to have size or muscle or anything like that to to make jujitsu work it was all technique and you know hoist was six foot six foot one 170 pounds and he he created the ultimate fighting championship to show the efficiency of Gracie jujitsu and obviously he proved that and then you know the sport kind of or then and then the UFC kind of took on a life of its own and developed to what we see today it's amazing you know just to prove the power of leverage yes the power of leverage is so immense when you go up against a monster and a little guy like hoist or our hero on our you know
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