Round 5 MMA Announcements
by Robert Sargent
After releasing Series 1 of their signature series of collectible MMA figurines in 2008, Round 5 MMA has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the premier manufacturer in the business, and the company has revealed huge plans for its upcoming releases.
Headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Round 5 MMA was co-founded by brothers Damon and Barron Lau, who serve as President and CEO, respectively, of the flourishing company.
From humble beginnings following a conversation between the Lau brothers and former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Randy "The Natural" Couture, Round 5 has targeted the core demographic of MMA fans as it tailors its unique, detailed and often incredibly lifelike figurines to adult collectors. While others in the industry have created toy figures for kids, Round 5 aims to provide its customers with a realistic collectible of their favourite fighters.
Perhaps the most impressive facet of the company is its incredibly positive and interactive relationships with the fighters who work diligently - in some cases, for a year or more - with Round 5 to create figurines in their likeness. As huge fans of the sport, Damon and Barron ensure that the fighters have complete creative control over the process, right down to including sponsors on their figurine's fight apparel. This level of respect and co-operation has allowed the company to rapidly expand as it releases new products. Round 5 MMA figurines are now available in Wal-Mart stores across Canada, as well as in Toys 'R' Us locations in Canada and the United States.
First released in 2008, Series 1 of Round 5's collectibles featured four figurines. Included were former UFC champions Randy "The Natural" Couture, Matt Hughes, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz. Soon after, Series 2 followed, which featured the likes of Rich "Ace" Franklin, "The Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk, Anderson "The Spider" Silva and "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva.
With huge names such as these already attached to the company, it was clear that Round 5 was destined for even bigger things in 2009.
Thus far, they have yet to disappoint, as Series 3 was recently released in stores and on Round5MMA.com. This series features four more stars in the sport, in Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and legendary referee "Big" John McCarthy.
However, rather than sitting back and enjoying their success, Round 5 is immediately getting back to work on Series 4, which is currently scheduled for release in July. In what is their largest and arguably most star-studded release to date, Series 4 will feature a whopping six figurines. Included are #1-ranked heavyweight sensation "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko, Dan "Hendo" Henderson, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Cung Le, Matt Serra and ultra-popular female star Gina "Conviction" Carano.
Crossing promotional lines to attract the best fighters from around the world, Round 5 heeds the requests and advice of its fans and collectors. In doing so, the company has quickly established one of the most impressive collections of sports figurines in history, and it has all come about in the span of less than two years. Such an amazing feat is not to be taken lightly.
With plans to release Series 5 in the final quarter of 2009, which is expected to feature Canadian star Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald, Round 5 seems to be just getting started. The recent partnership with Wal-Mart Canada, and continued success in Toys 'R' Us and other retail outlets, has taken Round 5 from a dream discussed over dinner to one of the most popular and successful companies in the mixed martial arts industry.
As 2009 rolls on, any collector or die-hard MMA fan would be well-served to browse through the products offered by Round 5. For more information on the company, or to view the products currently offered by Round 5, go to Round5MMA.com.
Update: The Fedor Emelianenko figurine, which was originally scheduled to be included as part of Series 4, is undergoing additional redesigns and will appear as part of a future series. Series 4 will go ahead with the remaining five figurines.
Below is a photo of Gina Carano holding a prototype of her figurine, which will be released as part of Series 4. (Photo Credit: Round5MMA.com).
