(Audio): https://youtu.be/OMnbPe4IgCU
Jason McGhinnis’ journey into the world of audio and video production began in the simplest of ways: with a cheap handheld camera and a group of friends eager to make fun, creative videos. What started as a playful hobby quickly became a passion, and Jason found himself diving deeper into the craft, making short films, and gradually improving the quality of his work. He began entering film festivals, constantly learning about the industry and even involving his family in his projects, sharing his enthusiasm with them.
Jason’s love for professional wrestling led him to produce a documentary on a local wrestling promotion. The success of that venture sparked his curiosity about working in adjacent fields, which eventually brought him to the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2018, he met Jonathan Stamey, owner of the MMA promotion *Fight For It*, when he was hired to video the fights for their second event. At that time, they were recording the bouts and publishing them online weeks later.
Things took a major turn around *Fight For It 6*, when Jonathan challenged Jason to live-stream the events—a whole new frontier for him. Jason took on the task with full dedication, learning everything from scratch about live streaming. His primary goal was to replicate the quality of their recorded events for a live audience, but the task wasn’t without challenges. It took several events to perfect the system. By *Fight For It 8*, the live stream was a success, featuring real-time round timers and fighter profiles during walkouts.
Managing a live event wasn’t easy at first. But by the time *Fight For It 18* rolled around, Jason had mastered the craft. His major challenge, though, wasn’t the technical setup—it was managing the inevitable downtime during live events, such as intermissions and delays between fights. Jason was constantly looking for ways to keep the audience engaged, admiring how larger promotions like the UFC always have something happening on screen, whether it’s fighter profiles, replays, or analysis, never leaving room for “dead air.”
Despite not initially being interested in martial arts, Jason’s work with *Fight For It* exposed him to the artistry of combat sports. Over time, he developed an appreciation for MMA and grew to enjoy the sport as a spectator. While he pays close attention to the production quality of top-tier promotions, like professional wrestling’s AEW and UFC, Jason remains proud of the evolution of his own work. He has continued to improve, adding elements such as instant replays, animated graphics, in-cage audio, and even multi-camera views during fighter walkouts and winner announcements.
His recent innovation—split-cam views of the fighters’ corners between rounds—adds a unique touch to *Fight For It* broadcasts, providing insights that even major promotions like UFC tend to skip in favor of commercial breaks. Jason believes these moments are crucial in showing how fighters and their teams strategize, often shaping the outcome of the fight as much as the action itself.
Beyond the technical aspects, Jason also works closely with Jonathan on marketing efforts for *Fight For It*, expanding his role within the company. Though the commentary team operates largely on its own during the events, Jason oversees the production to ensure the audio and flow remain consistent.
When asked if he sees himself working on a larger stage, Jason is confident. He believes that the skills he’s honed at *Fight For It* would serve him well in bigger promotions like the UFC. While there would be plenty to learn, Jason’s experience in leading a team and his constant drive to improve make him feel prepared for whatever challenges might come his way.