Ecko MMA Line Joins Battle To Legalize MMA In New York And Toronto With Extreme Sports Director Bobby Razak

-- Source: Ecko MMA --

Ecko MMA and Bobby Razak, one of the top extreme sports directors in the world, join forces in creating a marketing campaign that brings the legalization of MMA events to light.

New York, NY, November 2, 2009 -- Marc Ecko Enterprises, a clothing line with $1.5 Billion in global sales, threw its hat into the competitive world of mixed martial arts in 2006 and has been increasing its involvement ever since. With the sponsorship of such notable champions as Miguel Torres, Frank Mir, Dustin Hazelett and Michael Bisping, Ecko MMA has decided to help open the public eye to the controversy surrounding the legalization of MMA events across the United States and in Canada. Ecko recently released a tee to help bring awareness to this issue. The tee is available online and in such stores as Champs, Hibbetts, Modells, Eastbay, and
online at shopecko.com and mmawarehous.com. Ecko MMA and Bobby Razak, one of the top extreme sports directors in the world, join forces in creating a marketing campaign that brings the legalization of MMA and UFC events to light. The competitive sport of mixed martial arts owes it genesis to the Gracie family and a few friends who came together with SEG in 1993 in Denver, Colorado to broadcast what would later be called UFC 1. The one-time event sought to provide an arena where anything goes and to find a martial arts champion. From this venue, mixed martial arts were born.

Public policy has been slow to accept MMA events and UFC. Early cable providers banned UFC and criticized it being as too violent. With the sport on the rocks, certain key figures and athletes took MMA underground and kept it alive. Both fighters and fans have watched legislature- sometimes successfully- outlaw the sport. In response, the UFC under the new ownership and management of Frank and Lorenzo Ferttita and Dana White has adopted additional safety regulations and taken steps to reshape the rules of the game. Many years of lobbying by such notables as former Nevada state athletic commissioner, Mark Ratner, has helped educate the public that the sport is not the same as it was sixteen years ago. Still, the sport is not nationally legal. New York is one such state that continues to uphold its ban on MMA events. Historically NYC has been the fight capitol of the world. The first heavyweight title match, held in NYC's Madison Square Garden, was in 1882 when John L. Sullivan fought Joe Collins for the heavyweight championship of the world. The Garden has seen every great boxing champion from Ali to Frazier to Marciano. Both Ecko and Razak believe that the time has come for a new breed of athlete to fight in New York: the mixed martial artist. In a commercial campaign and series of shorts, Razak illustrates the current situation in New York. The piece also explores other diverse markets such as Montreal, bringing into the dialogue ambiguities like Section 83 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which, dependent on interpretation, either sanctions or forbids MMA tournaments.

Razak serves as Director of several national TapouT commercials, as well as several feature films in the action sports genre. Sports Illustrated has referred to him as "King of the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Screen." Razak has directed several national commercials and movies for TapouT including Pit Fight, Bloodlines, Mask Man and
Simply Believe, which was the official tribute to the passing of Charles 'Mask' Lewis of TapouT. Razak is currently directing a film about the history of MMA titled Und3rdogs. In addition, Razak is directing Sangre Nueva (New Blood), produced with Dethrone Films which is a film highlighting fighters of Mexican heritage. See more of Razak's work at www.bobbyrazakmovies.com.

Marc Ecko, fashion designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and patron of urban arts founded his highly successful Marc Ecko clothing line in 1993. Through media, he engages the public with polls- what to do with Barry Bonds' baseball- and with prank-art like the tagging of Air Force One with "Still Free." A video game he licensed, Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, challenged different communities, including Australia, which has officially banned the game. His efforts and his projects have often pushed the conventional envelope. This time is no different as he teams up with Razak to ask important questions about the relevance and legality of the legislative acts that we live within and uphold. To learn more, visit www.ecko.com.