John Bishop (left) Cody Freeman (middle) Amber Bishop (right)
American Kombat Alliance: Creating The Blueprint For Success
American Kombat Alliance (AKA) is one of the nation’s hottest and fastest-growing organizations in the nation. What started off as an event every few months has turned into a monthly spectacle which can be seen worldwide on UFC Fight Pass. What makes AKA all the more special are the special women behind the curtain that have turned the organization into the powerhouse among the South’s top promotions it is becoming.
AKA was created in May 2017 as the brainchild of Amber Bishop. Not only did Bishop create an organization and build it to where it is today, but did it in a mainly male-dominated environment. With combat sports coursing through her veins, not only did Bishop destroy all barriers placed in her way, but she has also gone on to show women around the globe they can compete with the men in the MMA world. She has not stopped with MMA, also promoting Showtime Boxing in January 2019.
There are many who have felt the reach of Bishop and Bishop Promotions over the years. Here are just a few examples.
David “Dynamite” Hardy (One Of The Nation’s Top M.C’s)
“It has been a really fun ride being a part of Bishop Promotions and AKA. One thing that has always impressed me with Mrs. Bishop was her belief in her product and her vision for what it could become. Every promoter hits setbacks and has growing pains, but Amber has never let that deter her in any way or dampen her spirits. She has stuck to her goals and plans for Bishop Promotions and it has paid dividends,” stated Hardy. “Amber is special in her ability to balance hardline business decisions with compassion. She genuinely cares about her staff, the sport, and her fighters very much.”
It has been really fun and rewarding seeing the growth of the AKA brand. It’s a group of hardworking, driven individuals all spearheaded by Amber Bishop. Look at what has been accomplished in three-four very short years…Greg Hardy stepped inside the AKA cage early in his career, two national television events with ShoBox. Our first event with UFC Fight Pass, the opening of the event had 80,000 views on Twitter. With so much accomplished already, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us at Bishop Promotions and AKA!” said Hardy.
Don Doyle (Professional Welterweight Fighter)
“AKA is easily my favorite promotion that I have fought for. Amber does an excellent job at running her promotion and putting on the best fights possible. As an athlete, I wouldn’t want to fight anywhere else on the regional scene,” stated Doyle. “It is nice to see the growth of AKA from the very beginning. I fought on their very first show and proceeded to fight a total of five times with them. I am very happy to see them succeed. They deserve it.”
Josh Lee (Recently-Retired Professional Fighter)
“I have fought for multiple promotions throughout my 13 years in the sport of MMA. I’ve fought for some who were amazing, some who were decent, and some who were horrible. I’ve always believed that a promoter should put the fighters first above all else because without the fighters, there’s no show. Amber Bishop excels at this. When I had my last fight under the AKA banner, Amber personally came to the locker room and walked me to the entrance where the fighters walk-out and even held the curtain open for me. You would be hard-pressed to fight for a better organization,” Lee told MyMMANews.
“It’s been awesome watching AKA explode the way they have. I credit this to the way that they treat the fighters. You’ll never meet a fighter who doesn’t love fighting for AKA! They provide us with a platform to show our skills on a larger stage with UFC Fight Pass. I believe that good things happen to good people and that we get what we earn. That explains why AKA is growing the way it is,” stated Lee.
Steve Jones (AKA Pro Welterweight Champion )
“I think Amber is one of the best. So far my experiences with AKA have been great. I’ve been treated very well, and in my personal experience, everything has run smoothly. I think it’s a great product overall. It makes me feel proud to have been part of AKA since so early in its history, seeing what it has become today! Since the beginning, I thought it was such a great show and yet I lacked the imagination to envision how much more it could grow. I’m truly happy for Ms. Amber and everyone involved for what they have accomplished,” Jones told MyMMANews.
