After a story was published on our website regarding Nick Agallar and his new gym, several of our readers sounded off on the subject of Agallar leaving Dave Strasser's Freestyle Combat Academy. This concerned Strasser enough to speak with Wisconsin Combat Sports directly to discuss his business practices and his relationship with his former student.

Wisconsin Combat Sports: Explain your relationship with Nick Agallar.

Dave Strasser: Nick Agallar was my student for ten years, I believe it was. He was a kid who started out with me, I had great hopes for him and he did great. Then one day he came up to me and said he wanted to start a gym. I said, 'It's a free market society', and I can't stop him and I always thought he'd be a good teacher. If he wanted to do it, that's his option. I've got no ill feelings about it, it's just what he chose to do.

WCS: I don't think if we asked everybody who trains with you and Nick that-- well, explain how some people might be perceiving that there is some animosity between you and Nick.

DS: I don't know where that came from. I'm not sure exactly what brought that out or how people were thinking about that. A lot of times it [starts] on the Internet, I think...one says, "I heard this" or "I heard that", and it kinda grows from there. I'm not sure exactly where the animosity is from, if there is any, but I know people are saying there's drama and I don't see that from my end. I mean, I'm a real busy guy. I think what people don't understand...is that Nick Agallar went out on his own and started his own company, which is great. I can't stop him. Competition makes us better. So when he started that, he became a competitor. And some people say, "You guys should still be friends." Well, when it comes down to business, if I wanna make money and he wants to make money, but if we're goin' for the same profit, someone's gonna win and someone's gonna lose. The idea that people don't understand is that I can't stop him, you know what I mean? I'm not gonna go out of my way to help him. I'll work with him, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to help him because I've got my own business to deal with. I think that's where people said, "Dave's not helping."

There was a big fight in Japan that came about. The owners came [and said], "Hey, can we get Nick to do this? We'd like Nick to [fight]." I said, you know what? You can. Problem is, if you talk to me, I don't represent Nick. He's on his own. He's in his own gym, and I got somebody else. It was a big, big opportunity. Fifty-thousand dollar fight. So I got somebody else to do it. And I think that's where Nick could have said, "Man, Dave could have helped me out." It's business. I got somebody else."

I also know that people think, 'Dave made a lot of money off of Nick". Trust me: when you have someone that high-caliber, it costs a lot of money for somebody to fight them. And not only that, I got him a $100,000 contract with bodog[Fight promotion]-- I believe I only got like, $5000 or 5% as a manager. I never asked for anything. If he gave it, great. If he didn't, great. And I never got rich off him fighting on a lot of my shows. In the beginning, you make your money off the shows. It's not [off of] a single person. So, a lot of times, as a person gets more popular, you make less money off them. It's one of those things that people don't understand. The most popular fighters, they sell a lot of tickets, [so] usually they cost more, their opponents cost more. So I think a lot of people say, 'Well, look how much money you made off of him.' I didn't make that much money off of him. Anybody in the business, you know, the main guys like Duke Roufus or Pat [O'Malley] will tell you that the margins, a lot of the time, are a lot higher than people think. You see a thousand people show up, let's say [at an] average ticket price of twenty bucks, you don't make $20,000. You've got a lot of expenses.

WCS: What is your level of communication with Nick Agallar right now?

DS: You know, I've called him three or four times, I believe. We actually wanted to get one of our fighters on his last show, and he said, "no, no, we don't have the room for it". Maybe next show down the way. So I've called him a couple times. And you know, I don't think he's ever called me once. He's called me back once, but he hasn't initiated anything. And I'm sure he's real busy. I know how it is. I got nothin' but respect for the guy. More power to him, but after being friends and teammates for ten years, people might say, 'Well, Dave, why won't you still be friends?' Well, I would consider him a friend, but he's also a competitor, and that changes the dichotomy of a lot of the different relationships.

WCS: Nick Agallar recently did a show in Racine, Racine Fight Night. What was keeping you guys from co-promoting that show?

DS: I think he had a co-promoter already. I'm not exactly sure how he did it. What I could have lent into it, I'm not sure. It's a hard business. If he ever needs help, he knows my number. The problem is, I'm not just gonna give him free help. It's gonna cost him money. And he might look at me like, 'Dave, why can't you help me out?' Well, it's a business now and that's where it's changed. So, if he wants help with something and he wants to pay for it, I got no problem, but it completely changes helping him for free as opposed to being for a service.

So, there's another guy in Kenosha who contacted me about doing a show in Kenosha. And I looked at him and said, "What kind of help do you need?" And he said, "I wanna advertise at your show." I said, "Well, then you gotta pay me." And he said, "Why can't you just help me out?" Well, it's advertising. You're a complete competitor in my backyard. I've got no problem working with other people, but it changes [whether] you're a teammate, friend or a competitor. It completely changes how I react to people.

A good example is Sergio Gomes. I spar with him, I work with him, I get him ready. And when we spar, we go at it hard. If all of a sudden someone offered me $50,000 to fight Sergio and Sergio had the same contract and we got in the ring, I would have no ill feelings towards punching him in the face or choking him out or beating him because it's a competition. People say, "Dave, he's your friend". I don't care, they're paying me to do that. Same thing: they're paying me be a competitor and do the best show I can and I will and if [people say], "You're steppin' on toes", well, it's competition. It's a business. I'm McDonald's and he's Burger King. You know, I'm not gonna mess with his burgers, but I'm gonna promote McDonald's, I'm not gonna promote Burger King.

WCS: So, the bottom line would be that when it comes to business and when it comes to friendship, you like to keep things seperate.

DS: Exactly. I don't think you can mix them. I think if you do, you're asking for trouble. You always hear, don't do business with family because it's gonna tear people apart. And it's gauranteed to tear people apart. I try to have people help me. I've had some really bad help in a way that I've really been guarded as to who helps me. It's hard to find good help. In a business like this where it's non-regulated-- you know, you don't go to school to train for this. It's a lot of hard work and salesmanship and communication and I think a lot of people aren't good at that. They look at the bottom line but they don't look at how we got here.

Comments (15)

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jason schmitt said:

	... well said
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February 05, 2009
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lukey dukey said:

	wow... wow is all i can say. wicombatsports is tryin to make nick look like the bad guy. i think nicks side of the story needs to be heard before you can all just publisize his personal shit, but that would only make sense. those matters are between dave and nick, and now you guys are trying to make it a public thing; not cool. go team ACS and check out the fights feb. 28th at memorial hall
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February 05, 2009
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Gabriel Wahhab said:

	... We are unbiased neutral party. im not sure how we are trying to make him look good its an interview we ask questions those are his answers. those are verbatim there is no editing in an interview. we have also invited Nick to tell his side of the story and we would love to hear his side.
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February 05, 2009
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Pat O'Malley said:

... Yeah I see that as a question and answer article where Strasser gave his side of the story after being asked for his opinion. Anyone that knows Dave knows he's a business man. I know Dave on a personal level and know Dave has no ill will towards Nick or ACS. Sometimes in cases like this, one person's best interests don't reflect the others. It's the nature of business. If former college teammates in football see each other across the line on opposite teams, you can bet they're trying to knock each other on their asses. Nothing personal, it's what they're getting paid to do. I wish both parties the best of luck.

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February 06, 2009
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Nate Schafer said:

	... Out of respect to both guys I have no comment about this interview. My only question is, why the hell didn't you ask him if when he fought GSP, if GSP felt greasy at all? And lastly, how come he didn't come to the WCS awards on Saturday?
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February 06, 2009
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Jameel Massouh said:

... Luke, with all due respect that I do have for you, I don't think this interview was disrespectful to Nick at all and certainly doesn't paint anyone badly. The point I see from the interview is that in Dave's opinion it is business and busniess changes relationships. Actually, it sounds like all of the conroversy is mostly hearsay and gossip between everyone except Nick and Dave. Working with Dave as a friend and employee, and training with Nick for years, knowing him as a friend, I've never heard any disrespect from either for one another. These guys don't tend to gossip from my experience. And, personally, I Wish them both well.

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February 06, 2009
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Anony Mous said:

... The interview may not have contained blatant disrespect, but you have to know it's there. I guarantee if someone asked Nick about this, he would have a completely different side to this story. Either way, I wish the best of luck to both of them. I see nothing wrong with Nick wanting to start his own gym, in his hometown where the majority of his fanbase is (not to mention his home) so he can make a living doing what he knows best.

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February 06, 2009
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Ryan Williams said:

	... Why is this even news? Because of a bunch of gossip whores want to know? Personal business is PERSONAL BUSINESS leave the shit that way. Fucking school children I swear.
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February 06, 2009
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Red Schafer said:

	... I have a picture of a certain purple-belt taking a bong hit with Michael Phelps for sale... This will be the next Watergate, haha
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February 06, 2009
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Ryan Williams said:

	... That's not news either there Redford, I didn't exhale I swear.
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February 07, 2009
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Andrew Holm said:

	... dave strasser rules nick agallar is a great guy jameel is the father of my children warren is their godfather
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February 08, 2009
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Jane said:

	... I've kissed both of them. And I'd do it again.
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February 08, 2009
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knock out said:

fighter to be honest I have known Dave for years and to be honest he is a dick and he is in everything for himself there is bussiness and then there is Dave he is a great trainer but to put one of his trainers out there the way he talks about Nick is crazy I think that he has screwed other fighters also he had he also had cheated fighters out of money and he only has one place to throw shows due screwing venues he needs to look into another way to make money fighters that fight for him will see he uses fighters to get what he wants so Dave what you are saying is youll help a fighter that fights for you makes money for you but as soon as he wants to do better for himself youll say FUCK EM? ya thats DAve

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March 05, 2009 | url
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mike jones said:

	... Hmmm, yeah business is business but being a d**k is also being a d**k...Jameel needs to leave, he has learned all he can from Dave...go to Duke for your stand up and Gracie for Jits. Remember, Dave said business is business so Jameel shouldnt feel bad about leaving him since he cant teach him anything more...Just my 2 cents
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May 16, 2009
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Strasser Sucks said:

	... Stra*ser has been in it for the money since day one. He will bring you in, make you part of his family as long as you are producing cash for him. Once he doesnt need you anymore he will cast you out, or make you some rediculous plan for his management. Then he moves on, he is no fighters friend. The guy is a dirtbag.
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June 07, 2009
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