The World Fighting Federation (WFFMMA) provides mixed martial arts fighters with professional opportunities that extend far beyond the cage. Household names in the fighting world will tell you that skill alone isn’t enough to build a career. Fighters need help developing their brands, obtaining sponsors and selling merchandise. That’s where the WFFMMA comes in. We provide the guidance and tools necessary in building a professional MMA career.

The WFFMMA was founded with a simple philosophy: “Take care of the people that take care of you.” This sentiment reverberates throughout the fighting community and the community in which we live. As more fighters take part in the organization, we will be able to provide more and more benefits. In our vision for the future, we plan to offer fighters monies for health care and even opportunities to have ownership in the organization.

The WFFMMA also makes a sincere effort to support local communities that host WFFMMA events. The residents who buy tickets are responsible for much of our success, and to show our appreciation, we donate 10% of all net ticket to local charities.

 

About the WFFMMA Founders

The WFFMMA was founded by two Arizona businessmen who are no strangers to the MMA world. Founders Al Fuentes and Thom Ortiz have strong ties to the wrestling realm, which many MMA experts say is the strongest background to have as an MMA athlete.

Al and Thom have had similar life paths. They both came from meager upbringings and had to overcome numerous barriers to achieve success. Al, originally from Ohio, is a two-time NAIA All-American and a member of a national championship team. Thom, an Arizona native, is a three-time NCAA DI All-American and also part of a national championship team.

Their paths merged at Arizona State University in Tempe. Al was developing his career as a mental performance coach and Thom served as the university’s head wrestling coach. They quickly forged a strong friendship and supported one another’s interest in mixed martial arts.

Al has since worked with many professional MMA athletes through his performance coaching company, Mental Champ. In addition, Thom has coached numerous UFC stars like Cain Velasquez, CB Dolloway and Ryan Bader. He is also pursuing a professional fighting career of his own.

Through their complimentary expertise, Al and Thom saw many opportunities to make the sport better. Their collaboration has created something special that everyone involved will benefit from, including the local community.

“We want to create an organization that is a great feeder system for other larger organizations. A place where fighters can develop their game and create a brand for themselves,” said Al Fuentes.

Thom added, “I care about the fighters because I am one. It’s important that we take care of our own. We have the best intentions, and we will be successful as a result.”

 

Al Fuentes is the founder of Mental Champ, a performance coaching firm based in Phoenix. He launched the company in 2007 and has since acquired an admirable list of clients including the Arizona State University (ASU) Women’s Basketball team, ASU Men’s Baseball , individual collegiate athletes, professional MMA fighters, professional basketball players and professional baseball players. Al has also worked with businesses, CEOs and individuals, helping them improve their business or life performance.

Al has spent nearly 15 years developing the tools and techniques that have made him a leading mental performance coach. While building his practice, he worked his way up the corporate ladder in the finance industry, excelling in sales, marketing and management positions. His varied professional experience has enhanced his ability to work with many different groups of people. It’s also enabled him to examine and understand an organization’s strengths and weaknesses from multiple perspectives.

 

Thom Ortiz served as the head wrestling coach of Arizona State University for eight years. During this time, he amassed…

- Three Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year awards
- Two Top 6 finishes in the NCAA Tournament
- One NCAA individual champion
- 14 All-Americans
- 17 Pac-10 Champions
- Three PAC 10 team titles

Prior to coaching at ASU, he served as the assistant coach for the legendary Bobby Douglas at Iowa State for nine years. His experience running a successful collegiate program has been instrumental in the business world.

In 2009, Thom began pursuing his professional MMA career. He started off with a bang, dominating his first two opponents with unanimous wins in both bouts. In addition to fighting himself, Thom continues to coach several of the nation’s best MMA fighters. His 35 years experience as a wrestler has given him a unique ability to teach fighters how to transition wrestle specific to MMA.