Chargers legend Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman has put himself into the world of MMA through his company Lights Out Extreme Fighting. Merriman is now showcasing MMA fighters on the rise through his events and broadcasting the fights on his streaming service Lights Out Sports.
Merriman founded Lights Out Extreme Fighting in 2019.
“We’re the most distributed regional promotion in the world,” he said.
In the NFL offseason of 2006, Merriman began MMA training. He learned how to use his leverage and balance, which also helped him as a pass rusher in football. He continued to train with MMA fighters every offseason.
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After he retired, Merriman worked for several networks, including ESPN, Fox Sports, and WWE networks. This exposed him to TV production.
“I hired a matchmaker, I hired a lot of producers directly from NFL Networks and Fox Sports. These are all people I work with,” Merriman said. “Then I built a production team.”
Lights Out Sports contains a plethora of different channels and sports programming, from MMA to poker. Users can watch live sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports movies. Lights Out Extreme Fighting events are also streamed on the platform.
“We have 30 different sports channels,” Merriman said. “We have 200, almost 300 sports movies and documentaries and we have 16 different live sports.”
Lights Out Extreme Fighting will have its 21st event on December 7 at Thunder Studios in Long Beach.
“We have a fight every four to six weeks,” Merriman said. “In 2025, I’m looking to having at least 18 fights.”
Early on in his promoting career, Merriman struggled to get fighters. As his company became a more attractive destination for fighters, he learned how to manage the sometimes chaotic nature of an MMA event.
His favorite part of MMA events is building a team of people to manage the event and watching them develop their skills.
“I’ve been leading a team all my life,” Merriman said. “I love the flow of the team aspect.”
Merriman spent his first five years in the NFL with the then San Diego Chargers. He became the 2005 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, the 2006 sacks leader and a three-time Pro Bowler with the Bolts.
To learn more about Lights Out Extreme Fighting, visit www.lightsoutxf.com
