Shawne Merriman, the former NFL player, recently announced a significant media rights deal for his mixed martial arts promotion, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting, with ESPN. The agreement, confirmed on Wednesday, is seen as a pivotal moment for the organization.
This multi-year partnership will make the complete fight schedule available to audiences in Latin America. ESPN will hold exclusive rights to broadcast events in English, Spanish, and Portuguese across South America and the Caribbean.
Merriman expressed his excitement over the deal, stating, “Since launching Lights Out Xtreme Fighting, our mission has been to build a platform for fighters and fans. Partnering with ESPN across Latin America is a huge milestone for us. Latin America has incredibly dedicated fighting communities, and featuring our athletes on platforms like ESPN and Disney+ elevates the Lights Out experience.”
The first event under this new agreement will be LXF 29, which includes a flyweight world title match between Pablo Caballero and Colban Allen, alongside a co-main event featuring Eduardo Alvarado facing Shane Torres.
Merriman also made it clear in a previous conversation that he isn’t looking to compete with the UFC. He noted, “We’ve never thought about competing. We’re creating. We don’t care about competing with the UFC.” He believes that many promotions chase after the top spots with financial backing, but that success requires more than just money—it needs efficiency and innovation.
He further explained how Lights Out Xtreme Fighting aims to be a “hub for this technology and data,” supporting fighters on their journey to potentially competing in the UFC. “We’re not trying to outdo anyone. We’re here to train champions of Lights Out Extreme Fighting,” he added.
