Mixed martial arts, or MMA, has risen to compete with the established mainstream sports in a fraction of the time it took those sports to reach widespread adoption and attention. But one key difference has separated fighting from traditional sports - the lack of a structured regular season and playoff format.

Donn Davis is working to change this through the Professional Fighters League, set to launch early next year. Davis sees an opportunity to capture some of the market share away from the UFC by making the events more easily accessible through digital platforms, where young fans are currently consuming most of their content, and creating a mobile gambling experience.