How to Start a Fight Promotion Merch Shop: Promoter Step-by-Step

Starting a fight promotion merch shop on Bear Grips Pro Shops takes about three hours for a self-service setup. The shop launches with year-round brand merch and layers in per-card event drops, fighter walkout shops, and staff apparel. Here is the full setup walkthrough for promoters running regional MMA, boxing, kickboxing, or Muay Thai cards.

Step 1: Pick the Plan Tier

• Free tier: 3 live products. Enough to test with a logo tee, a hoodie, and a hat.
• Self-service VIP ($59/month): 200 live products, lowest base prices. Right for a promotion running 4+ cards per year.
• Done-for-you VIP ($109/month): 250 live products, full layout and design service. The promotion sends a logo and we handle the rest.

Step 2: Set Up Year-Round Brand Pieces

Three pieces launch the shop.

• Promotion logo tee (heavyweight cotton, black base)
• Promotion logo hoodie
• Embroidered snapback cap

These stay live year-round, regardless of event cadence. See year-round brand merch for the full lineup.

Step 3: Build the Per-Card Drop Calendar

Each card gets a drop sequence on a fixed timeline.

• 4 weeks before card: Lock the event-day tee design.
• 3 weeks before card: Drop opens for pre-orders. Push on socials.
• 2 weeks before card: Fighter walkout shops open. Each fighter on the card uploads their walkout design.
• 10 days before card: Weigh-in apparel drop opens.
• Event week: Push every drop on socials. Sample tees at gate booth.
• 3 weeks after card: All event drops close. Year-round brand merch stays live.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Step 4: Fighter Onboarding for Walkout Shops

Each fighter gets their own walkout drop under the promotion shop link. Three-step onboarding per fighter.

1. Fighter or fighter's coach signs an apparel-rights form (digital).
2. Fighter submits walkout design art via shared upload form.
3. Promotion-side reviews art for brand standards (placement, contrast, file quality), then publishes the fighter's walkout drop.

See fighter walkout shirts for design specs.

Step 5: Year One Revenue Math

Source	Per-card revenue	Annual (6 cards)
Event-day tee (60 sales x $8 margin)	$480	$2,880
Year-round brand merch (avg $400/month margin)	n/a	$4,800
Fighter walkout shops (8 fighters/card, $50 promotion-side cut)	$400	$2,400
Weigh-in limited drop (15 sales x $7 margin)	$105	$630
Year 1 promotion revenue		$10,710

Year 2 typically doubles as the fan base grows and the year-round shop compounds.

Step 6: Promoter Affiliate Bonus

Every promotion that signs up gets an affiliate link. When the promotion refers another fight promotion or gym that signs up, the promotion earns 10% of that referral's monthly plan, paid by Bear Grips, plus $1 per unit sold by the referral. Two or three regional promotion referrals can offset the entire VIP plan cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the setup take?

About three hours for a promotion on the self-service tier. Done-for-you tier removes the setup work entirely.

Can a brand-new promotion start a shop before the first card?

Yes. Start with year-round brand merch to build fan identity ahead of the first card.

How does the promotion split margin with fighters on walkout shops?

Negotiable per fighter. Common: 50/50 split, fighter-keeps-all, or promotion-takes-all with separate fight pay bump. See fighter walkout post for details.

Do we need to fulfill orders ourselves?

No. Bear Grips handles printing, packing, and free shipping. The promotion only handles design and customer.