Knockout!

Oshkosh businessman diversifies his holdings with a majority investment in emerging fight league

Story by Gina Mangan

IF VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, then Jason Lindemann could probably use plenty of cool drinks to chase it down.

From assisted living facilities to boat marinas to ultimate fighting, Lindemann’s business portfolio looks something like a menu from a Latin American restaurant.

The 39-year-old owner of Care Partners Assisted Living and Sweetwater Performance Center marina in Oshkosh recently became the majority financer of the Las Vegas-based amateur mixed martial arts league, International Championship Fighting (ICF). His foray into the increasingly popular ultimate fighting arena comes on the heels of the opening of his newest business, the BoatYard Bar & Grill. The nautical-themed restaurant adjacent to Sweetwater Marina features a large outdoor dining patio overlooking the Fox River and a menu of sandwiches, seafood and steak.

“I admit I get bored easily, and I’m always looking for that new challenge,” Lindemann said. “I’ve been doing health care for numerous years now. We’ve built a lot of buildings in a lot of communities. I know the programming inside and out, and it’s the same with each new facility, and I’ve got good people working for me in that area. It was time for something new.”

Turning a new leaf

LINDEMANN MAY HAVE FOUND just the thing with the ICF, which is on a mission to unify what is now the relatively fragmented sport of amateur mixed martial arts, referred to generically as ultimate fighting. Those unfamiliar with the sport might recognize it as the often brutal and highly competitive fighting shown on cable television networks like Spike TV and Pay Per View.

The goal of the 2-year-old ICF is to create a formal amateur fight circuit that will serve as a feeder network into professional organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Dream, Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). Ultimately, the ICF will be to professional mixed martial arts as the Golden Gloves of America is to professional boxing, Lindemann said.

By developing a nationwide ranking system and a standard tournament format, the ICF will grow into a formal structure from which professional organizations can scout up-and-coming athletes. The ICF also aims to provide an active and safe environment that enhances and promotes the physical and emotional well-being and social development of the sports’ male and female athletes, as well as provide entertainment to fans of the sport.

“There has to be a vehicle to get the fighters from one level to the next. We are that vehicle,” said ICF president Rico White in a statement this past June. “Our goals are lofty but obtainable. We want to unify amateur MMA fighting.”

As it stands now, the amateur athletes are not ranked and therefore lack legitimate fight records that can be recognized by professional organizations, which ultimately determine the match-ups and purse sizes.

“One of the biggest problems right now is that these amateur fights are taking place all over the U.S., but these athletes aren’t ranked and a lot of times aren’t paid,” Lindemann said. “They’re just in there fighting, and the only person who wins is the promoter. We want to change all of that.”

Taking the reins

SO WHERE – AND WHEN – did Lindemann come in to the picture?

During a trip to Las Vegas this past April, White invited Lindemann to attend a fight at the Warrior Training Center and asked him to consider funding the operation. Lindemann, who had attended several mixed martial arts fights in the past, said he agreed to be one of the primary investors because he approved of the ICF’s mission, and was impressed by the caliber of the athletes and the fact that it was inclusive of women.

Since jumping on board, Lindemann has funded seven fights, including one a few months ago in West Bend.

“I really like to see an operation grow, and we have a chance at doing that,” he said. “We have a lot of very good people behind us right now.”

Lindemann’s career as owner and operator of 28 assisted living facilities for older adults stems from formal training he received during an eight-year stint in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps and then subsequent employment with the Chicago-based Retirement Living Alternatives. In 1999, he bought 13 of the company’s Wisconsin facilities and formed Care Partners. Two years later he launched Country Terrace of Wisconsin, which involved building additional assisted living apartments next to Care Partners facilities that allow for a more independent living model.

Lindemann’s other businesses – including the marina, the restaurant and the ICF – evolved out of hobbies and the things he loved best. That includes a lifelong love of boating and his enjoyment of boxing. The Eau Claire native grew up boating on the Mississippi River. Prior to opening the Sweetwater Performance Center four years ago, he co-owned and operated the former Ludwigs Marina at the mouth of the Fox River into Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh.

In addition to boating, Lindemann grew up a fan of boxing, but he said the sport has lost some of its luster over the years. 

A sport still in its infancy

THE BEAUTY OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, he said, is that it’s a relatively young sport in its modern form. It’s also in a transitional period as it struggles to gain legitimacy and increase its fan base, which creates an opportunity for an organization such as the ICF to make a substantial impact.

“I don’t know what the shelf life of mixed martial arts is going to be, but it’s growing in popularity, and it’s exciting to watch,” he said. “On any given day, anyone of these athletes can be knocked out or beat someone else with a submission hold. So there’s not just one person who stays on top for that long. There’s more of a thrill to the fight, not knowing who is going to win.”

Mixed martial arts features full-contact combat that combines striking, including kicks, knees and punches, and grappling, which includes sweeps, pinning holds, submission holds, takedowns and throws. Athletes cross-train in a variety of techniques, many of which were born from martial arts traditions such as Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, kickboxing, karate and freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

The athletes, Lindemann said, are often more highly trained and skilled in a greater variety of fighting techniques than traditional boxers.

“MMA allows athletes to take their training to an entirely differently level, where they can actually use what they’ve learned in a combat situation and not just exhibition,” he said.

Modern mixed martial arts emerged in American pop culture in 1993 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship was founded. While the sport has a reputation for an “anything goes” fight-until-the-end brutality, promoters have adopted many rules during the past decade aimed at improving safety and promoting mainstream acceptance. For example, there is a near universal ban on techniques such as biting, strikes to the groin, eye-gouging, and small joint manipulation. The acceptance of other techniques, including elbow strikes and head butting, varies by event.

Doctors and other medical personnel are on site during events to care for injuries and determine whether athletes should be transported to hospitals, Lindemann said. A recent fight in West Bend resulted in some fighters being sent to the hospital for injuries that ranged from facial fractures to concussions.

“It does happen, but there’s a lot being done to make sure the athletes are safe,” he said. “It’s what the athletes like to do. They like being able to show off their training and being able to combine the different techniques.”

Wisconsin is home to several fighters and a large and growing legion of fans, Lindemann said. A different promoter recently held an event at the Oshkosh Convention Center that drew a crowd of about 800 people, he said.

“Wisconsin is getting a lot of attention from big names in the sport, because we apparently have a bunch of people who like to do this,” he said.

So much so that it has attracted the attention of Chuck Lidell, whose agent recently contacted Lindemann about the possibility of opening a Lidell gym in the region. Lidell, former UFC light heavyweight champion, is among the mixed martial artists that have been widely credited for bringing the sport into the mainstream.

Lindemann said it remains to be seen what his involvement will be in the ICF beyond the investment of money. While he said he can’t be at all the events, he has been involved in advertising and marketing.

“I’ll continue as long as I see the value, not only from a financial standpoint, but from the direction the ICF is heading,” he said. “I like what they want to do with helping the athletes. I would never want to be involved in any organization that’s taking advantage of people.”

Gina Mangan is a freelance writer based in Oshkosh and is raising three children. Readers can email her at gmanganschmitz@new.rr.com.