It may sound like a questionable plot pitch for a sci-fi flick, but MMA pioneer John Lewis says “MMA-Zero G: Galactic Combat” is a very real concept.
Space 11 officials, who describe their organization as “a company specifically dedicated to servicing film and TV projects in outer space,” recently announced their intentions to produce a reality competition series that will “follow fighters through a 12-month competition for the opportunity to be the first combatants to fight beyond Earth’s atmosphere.”
Lewis knows it might seem a bit crazy, but it’s a concept he said is very much going to come to fruition.
“It’s crazy, and it’s amazing, and it’s really cool,” Lewis told MMA Junkie.
In MMA circles, Lewis is known for a history that dates back to the early days of the sport. An Andre Pederneiras black belt, Lewis debuted in the UFC in 1999 after already boasting clashes with the likes of Rumina Sato, Kenny Monday and Carlson Gracie Jr. His influence in the sport rose when he opened the legendary Academy J-Sect in Las Vegas, where he introduced UFC president Dana White, along with former owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts.
However, in recent years, Lewis has been involved in television and film production, and he said bringing his two careers together in one concept became a very intriguing possibility following a meeting with Space 11 founder Andrea Iervolino.
“We met together, and we started talking about it, and it was just perfect,” Lewis said. “I was already working in the space sector with some other films that I’m doing through Wonderfilm media, and also, at the same time, my history.
“When we first met, (Iervolino) didn’t even know that part about my MMA history. It was more about the space side of things I was working on. So when that happened, it was just like, ‘Oh my God, this is so perfect.’”
Galactic Combat’s logo.
Space 11’s overall vision is “to move entertainment beyond Earth’s borders, similar to companies designing accommodation and recreational facilities for outer space.” While that may sound like a very wild concept, Lewis said it’s much closer to happening than you might think.
“If you follow the press of some of these things in the film industry, you know that Tom Cruise is already working with something on SpaceX and going in space to shoot segments in a film coming up that he’s working on. It’s still something in process, but those are real conversations. … Right now, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX and other companies – Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ company – they’re already setting up situations where consumers can buy tickets and go to space and enjoy that situation, and they’re already selling tickets for that as their technology is coming together, coming to fruition, so that’s a real thing.
“It’s not some crazy idea that has some technology they need to achieve. It’s about finding the right partners for the concept that we have and making it a reality, but it can be done already.”
Lewis, who now serves as vice president and promoter of MMA Zero-G, said the team hopes to start shooting “Galactic Combat” in 2022. Space 11’s announcement revealed the plan is to begin by searching the globe for fighters who will then be “training and learning to fight in the absence of gravity with programs and conditioning mirroring programs used in astronaut training.”
“We want guys that are really hungry and that want to be a pioneer in something and have a chance to do something very special,” Lewis said. “We’re going to find those guys, and we’re going to bring them together, and we’re going to have them train and compete.”
The initial competitions will take place on the ground, but eventually the field will be whittled down to two participants, who will “fight aboard a custom retrofitted rocket as it orbits Earth for 90 minutes, which is the time it takes a rocket to circle the Earth. Inside the rocket will exist a specially designed fighting capsule.”
“It will not just be a thing that we do, it will change the game,” Lewis said. “We had the first man to walk on the moon. These will be the first people to do a sporting event in space. This is historic. Someone will be able to say, ‘I was the first guy or the first two guys to do a sporting event in space.’ That will be a historical moment.”
As one can imagine, the project will have a hefty price tag attached. Lewis joked, “Whatever number you’re thinking of, it’s probably much more.” But the company already has the funding in place to execute the concept.
“It will be very expensive, like you’re imagining, and that is part of it all, but it’s something we want to do and are prepared to do,” Lewis said. “I think something groundbreaking like this is where you want to invest that kind money and make that kind of change and be part of this.”
The finale fight is expected to take place in 2023 as a pay-per-view event, following a 24-episode TV series documenting the entire competition. And while it may all seem like a bit much to comprehend right now, Lewis insists it’s going to happen.
“You can think what you want to think right now, and you can either be part of it, or you can watch it on TV,” Lewis said. “I don’t care what they want to say. We’re going to do what we want to do, and we’re going to make it happen, and the people that are smart enough to see the future like we have done in history for so long, those guys are going to be the ones that benefit from it.
“The audience is going to love it and just have a great time watching the show, and we’re going to expand on the concept of mixed martial arts – not change it, just expand on it and have a lot of fun with it at the same time, so I invite all of my mixed martial arts friends and fans to stay tuned.”
To watch the full interview with Lewis, check out the video below.
Star wars: MMA pioneer John Lewis promises zero-gravity madness with ‘Galactic Combat’