Crypto Gloom

Combat IQ, Block Dojo Partner with UFC for Success

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By Crypto Gloom

Two years ago, on almost the same day, I first met Tim Malik, CEO of Combat IQ, a Block Dojo Cohort 2 graduate. We were at the Block Dojo Showcase in East London, and I saw him come on stage to introduce his company, an advanced data analytics platform using AI, with a particular focus on combat sports.

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For those of you who aren’t familiar, Block Dojo is a global blockchain venture builder that offers 12-week in-person programs in London and the Philippines, with more locations on the way. When Combat IQ joined the program, I remember hearing from the Block Dojo London team that there was something special about Malik. After that night at the showcase, it was easy to see why they trusted him as a founder.

It turns out Block Dojo was right. On August 13, 2024, Malik announced that Combat IQ had partnered with UFC, meaning their technology will be broadcasted to over 900 million people annually in 175 countries. This is a huge achievement for Combat IQ and a testament to the solid work they have done to successfully fill a niche in the market.

I was so happy for Malik when I heard the news. He is so likable and passionate. There is no one more deserving of it. I had the opportunity to talk to Malik and Block Dojo President James Marchant to hear the background story behind Combat IQ’s success.

“From a Block Dojo perspective, it’s great to see our portfolio startups achieve great success in all forms,” Marchant said.

“It takes a while for a startup to get off the ground, but now that it’s been a few years, we’re seeing more and more of the startups that we nurtured a few years ago reach maturity and these kinds of partnerships and commercial successes are becoming big news,” he said.

“Of course, all credit goes to the team and the team that gets up and fights every day (pun intended). I’m becoming more and more convinced of my view that sometimes the people who succeed and the people who fail are the ones who simply don’t give up!” Marchant added.

It is clear that the word give up is not in Malik’s dictionary.

As always, Malik was quick to take time out of his busy schedule to discuss his new deal with the UFC, which has been in the works for quite some time. He explained that the UFC is interested in location data, which is the kind of data that educates and engages fans, providing context to the images they are seeing.

“The UFC was very interested in it, and they had been trying with ESPN and some Israeli companies for years, but they couldn’t figure out a solution. So they gave us a chance, and we did the first pilot for UFC Fight Night last October,” Malik shared.

The pilot was so successful that the UFC asked for more pilots, and Combat IQ naturally obliged.

“We set out to offer something very unique that the NFL, NBA and NHL still don’t have today. It’s really cutting edge, it comes straight out of academic research. They liked it so much that we actually ended up replacing the stats that they said they would never replace,” Malik said.

“So we’re doing all the regular strike statistics, and we’re doing all the unique new statistics for broadcast and digital screens. And we’re also positioning ourselves as a key R&D partner, so we’re working on some long-term projects,” he said.

“Our goal is to use data to create a powerful media narrative around the event that sells more pay-per-view buys,” Malik added.

What sets Combat IQ apart from its competitors is the advanced technology they use. One of the biggest advantages is that they extract data from dynamic cameras instead of static cameras, which significantly reduces logistics costs and provides more flexibility in creating unique data points.

Combat IQ can run algorithms on this data and then reconstruct combat in 3D in real time with less than a second of latency. This is where AI comes in.

“We built a deep neural network that understands mixed martial arts action, combat sports action. If someone hits someone, anyone can track that, but what does it mean to turn that into meaningful data? That’s what we’ve done successfully. And when I say successful, I mean world-class,” Malik said.

There is only one way to achieve “world-class” status, and it goes back to what Marchant previously shared: the most important factor that separates successful startups from failed ones is to never give up. In fact, when asked how he initially approached UFC, Malik’s response was, “I’m like the cold-calling king.”

Malik came into the tech industry with no history degree and no connections. He had to build relationships from scratch. According to Malik, he successfully raised about $500,000 without cold calling or “warm introductions.”

“I used the same principles for business development that I used for fundraising. I wanted to email 10 people per company with a 10% conversion rate, so only one of them had to respond,” he said.

Acquiring customers and potential business partners for startups within the Block Dojo program is something Marchant sees as essential to preparing these companies for success after graduation. Malik’s mantra is a perfect example of why this mindset leads to great things.

“Moving quickly and having as many conversations as possible, especially with potential customers, is key. Too many startups focus on securing funding as the picture of success. Raising funding alone is not success. It’s about acquiring customers, building a product that people want to use, and not giving up,” Marchant said.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that startups that focus on building early commercial traction survive longer and grow faster than those that don’t,” he added.

Malik is incredibly grateful for his experience with Marchant and the Dojo team, calling it “a monumental moment in Combat IQ history.” He is grateful that the program believed in him despite his lack of experience in the technology field. He says Dojo set him up for success and gave him the confidence to achieve his vision for Combat IQ.

“I’m not going to stop. Even if I run out of money, I’m going to keep going for another year. It doesn’t matter. As long as I can keep going, I’m going to keep going. If I don’t have a clientele, I’m going to keep going. If I have a clientele, even if there’s this UFC, I’m looking for a new sport,” he said.

Another reason Malik is so passionate about Combat IQ and is constantly working to make it a success is because of the incredible team he has around him, which is a vital ingredient in any startup success story.

“One of the most important things about this Combat IQ journey is the people. Some of the people behind what we do are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet,” Malik said.

“If you look at Sportradar’s annual report, one of the biggest risks they see is that they say, ‘If one of our competitors finds a way to take a niche and make our data aggregator obsolete, it’s going to hurt our business,’” Malik said.

“Well, I found my niche. I grabbed it. I made their data aggregator useless. And now my goal is to substantially damage their business. And I have a team that can do that, and that’s what I expect to do,” he added.

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