Lockport-based Riot Gear hoping to make its mark on MMA clothing world

Take a look around the next time you attend a mixed martial arts show, especially big shows like the UFC puts on, and you'll see what seems like more brands of fight-related shirts and hats than there are fighters.

The MMA apparel market is crowded, to be certain. Affliction. Tapout. Xtreme Couture. Warrior Wear. Cage Fighter. One More Round. Silver Star. Triumph. Even non-traditional MMAclothing companies like Ecko are getting into the act.

So diving headfirst into the competition for fans' dollars -- and the competition to sponsor fighters to get those shirts and logos in front of the eyes of the fans and the cameras -- seems like a gutsy proposition these days.

But that's exactly what the guys at Riot Gear, a new apparel company based in Lockport, Ill., decided to do.

"I've been into MMA for a long time," Bobby Snyder, the company's president and co-founder, said. "Being a huge fan, I started seeing all the clothing brands and I thought, 'Man, it would be cool to have a clothing line and contribute my passion for the sport.' "

But easier said than done for most people. But the concept was always front and center in Snyder's mind and he kept at it until the perfect brand scheme came to him. And Riot Gear was born.

"One day, I started throwing around ideas and Riot Gear stood out," Snyder said. "So I called my buddy, who is now the VP, and we talked, ran some numbers -- and here we are."

In the MMA apparel world, Affliction, its Xtreme Couture offshoot and Tapout are the leaders of the pack and there is a big pack of players vying to be the next big thing. Having trouble standing out in a crowded market is something Snyder said he was well aware of when Riot Gear got started.

"There's a ton of brands out there," Snyder said. "We didn't want to be like everyone else, so we designed a shirt that is very comfortable -- something you could wear day to day to relax, or right after training. When you're sore, you dont want to wear a heavy shirt. And best of all, (our shirts) don't restrict movement. Then we let our art director throw some killer designs on them -- and they aren't $80!"

Indeed, Riot Gear's pricing point of about $40 per shirt seems geared at taking on many of the Affliction brand shirts, most of which start around $50 and many of which quickly creep up into the $80 range.

To help get noticed, Riot Gear is the main sponsor of Portage-based fighter John Kolosci, who fought on Season 6 of the UFC reality show "The Ultimate Fighter." And for UFC 101, Riot Gear made another push toward the big show by sponsoring Dan Cramer, another TUF alum from Season 7. Riot Gear also sponsors up-and-coming Region fighter Jake Rosenbaum and Davenport, Iowa-based Rod Montoya. Also on the company's resume? It is the title sponsor for the Indiana-based Gladiator Elite Cagefighting promotion. Not bad for a company less than a year old.

Snyder said just being a part of the business side of the sport he loves is a thrill.

"I've followed MMA for a long time, and now that we're in the sport it's just awesome," Snyder said.

But he also knows there is plenty of hard work ahead if his fledgling company is going to turn the corner to play on the porch with the other big dogs.

"We are definitely trying to blow this up," Snyder said. "But right now, we're just trying to get noticed. We do a lot of advertising (in Fight! magazine and Ultimate MMA magazine). We also help out a few fighters and we are starting the retail side of the business right now. But you definitely have to put in the work. If you think it's just gonna happen and you don't have to do much, you're in for a rude awakening."

Snyder said next on Riot Gear's agenda is, he hopes, some more UFC-level fighters to sponsor.

"We really would like to work with some of the sport's elite -- like Forrest Griffin, Clay Guida, Thiago Alves and a few others of that caliber," Snyder said. "(But) the fact that we're not $80 a shirt and our shirts are hands down more comfortable and our designs stand out ... being compared to brands like (Affliction and Tapout) is hard to do -- they're everywhere. But once you put on our shirt, you'll never want to wear anything else."

--------------------------

Riot Gear

Employees: Five

Founded: March 2009; launched June 2009

Homebase: Lockport, Ill.

Web site: www.riotgearmma.com

Products: MMA lifestyle shirts and, coming soon, fight shorts

Available at: Riot Gear site, Eminent Clothing locations (Fox Valley mall, Aurora, Ill.; Louis Joliet mall, Joliet)