UFC Careers: Mike Di Donato on Branding & Scholarships | Skilled Trades | Fight Capital #124
Mon Mar 31 2025
In this episode of Fight Capital, host Ryan Rapaport sits down with Mike Di Donato, COO of Skill Trades College of Canada, to explore the unlikely but powerful connection between combat sports and vocational training.
Mike shares how STC’s groundbreaking partnership with the UFC is reshaping perceptions around skilled trades and helping young professionals—especially women—break into traditionally male-dominated industries. From the impact of UFC 297 to the upcoming UFC 315 in Montreal, hear how STC is using fight night buzz, athletes like Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius, and initiatives like the Building Champions Scholarship to inspire the next generation.
🔥 If you care about career empowerment, combat sports marketing, or just love seeing creative brand partnerships done right, this episode delivers.
Chapters:
0:00 - Training for Your Future: UFC and Skilled Trades
1:05 - Guest Introduction: Mike DiDonato from STC
2:07 - Mike’s Career Journey and STC Background
3:30 - STC’s Expansion Plans in Canada and the U.S.
4:09 - Why UFC? Targeting Young Audiences with Combat Sports
5:41 - STC’s First UFC Sponsorship Experience at UFC 297
7:34 - Building Championship Scholarship: Social Impact
9:02 - UFC Partnership Impact on STC’s Brand Perception
10:20 - Activations for UFC 315 and Supporting Canadian Athletes
13:29 - Why STC Renewed the UFC Partnership
16:27 - Dana White’s Construction Background and Respect for Trades
16:51 - What’s Next for STC and UFC: Scholarships & U.S. Expansion
Links:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fightcapitalglobal/
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fight-capital/id1695036160
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5j2Qw9q6kR6OONh3DreWfY?si=1e79212f579b48c9&nd=1&dlsi=fb6b8b2bfe6f44c6
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7063133503596462080/?displayConfirmation=true
X:
https://x.com/fightcap
Substack:
https://fightcapital.substack.com/
More
In this episode of Fight Capital, host Ryan Rapaport sits down with Mike Di Donato, COO of Skill Trades College of Canada, to explore the unlikely but powerful connection between combat sports and vocational training. Mike shares how STC’s groundbreaking partnership with the UFC is reshaping perceptions around skilled trades and helping young professionals—especially women—break into traditionally male-dominated industries. From the impact of UFC 297 to the upcoming UFC 315 in Montreal, hear how STC is using fight night buzz, athletes like Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius, and initiatives like the Building Champions Scholarship to inspire the next generation. 🔥 If you care about career empowerment, combat sports marketing, or just love seeing creative brand partnerships done right, this episode delivers. Chapters: 0:00 - Training for Your Future: UFC and Skilled Trades 1:05 - Guest Introduction: Mike DiDonato from STC 2:07 - Mike’s Career Journey and STC Background 3:30 - STC’s Expansion Plans in Canada and the U.S. 4:09 - Why UFC? Targeting Young Audiences with Combat Sports 5:41 - STC’s First UFC Sponsorship Experience at UFC 297 7:34 - Building Championship Scholarship: Social Impact 9:02 - UFC Partnership Impact on STC’s Brand Perception 10:20 - Activations for UFC 315 and Supporting Canadian Athletes 13:29 - Why STC Renewed the UFC Partnership 16:27 - Dana White’s Construction Background and Respect for Trades 16:51 - What’s Next for STC and UFC: Scholarships & U.S. Expansion Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fightcapitalglobal/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fight-capital/id1695036160 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5j2Qw9q6kR6OONh3DreWfY?si=1e79212f579b48c9&nd=1&dlsi=fb6b8b2bfe6f44c6 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7063133503596462080/?displayConfirmation=true X: https://x.com/fightcap Substack: https://fightcapital.substack.com/