What is Battle Tag? Its the soon to be launched North American rebranding of a rapidly growing professional sport from India known as Kabaddi.
Kabaddi is basically a team tag wresting elimination sport where "the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their players as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders in 30 seconds." It has been practiced in India for many years but the last decade has seen an explosion for professional variants of the sport.
The quasi combative nature of the sport along with its strong financial ascent in India could explain the UFC's initial interest in the launch and the Apex could be a ready made facility for hosting competitions.
A recent press release by K1NGM4K3RS Inc., the corporate entity behind the US Battle Tag launch, revealed the UFC Apex's involvement noting as follows:
UFC Apex Senior Director, Beau Orth, said: "Hosting the inaugural Battle Tag [Expo] at The UFC Apex Arena in Las Vegas is incredibly thrilling! It's an opportunity to launch a groundbreaking sporting event in one of the most iconic venues for combat sports."
"The UFC Apex is known for its high-tech facilities and electrifying atmosphere, making it the perfect backdrop for debuting Battle Tag. The excitement is amplified by the anticipation of setting new trends and creating unforgettable moments in the world of sports entertainment."
While there are basically no Kabaddi athletes in the US it does not take deep thinking to realize that NCAA wrestlers, football players, MMA fighters and other elite athletes could quickly make the transition.
I've contacted Kevin Varghese, Battle Tag's founder, who tells me their special ruleset will even include a tie break rule where each team's best wrestler will face off in a freestyle wrestling match to determine the winner for games that are tied at the end of regulation.
The upcoming expo will be worth keeping an eye on to see the type of interest that Battle Tag will generate with a North American audience and investors.
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