On the latest episode of “Listen In With KNN,” award-winning host and executive producer Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed Victory Fighting League founder, Dan Anderson to the show. The duo engaged in a conversation about the VFL’s prominence in martial arts.
The VFL was founded in August 2025 and made history by hosting its inaugural event in Times Square, shutting down Duffy Square, providing MMA promotion in sports entertainment, culture and media.
“Victory Fighting was kind of born out of me understanding the industry so well, thinking about how I can fix these problem areas, problem areas for fighters, problem areas for promoters?” Anderson said.
With over 20 years of experience in martial arts, from leading training with the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, and CIA, Anderson developed self-defense programs for West Point, NYU, Bloomberg and Kaufman Studios. He is also the founder and head instructor of Anderson’s Martial Arts Academy, including a fifth degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
During the podcast, Anderson emphasizes on the ethos of martial arts to make the fan experience about honor, respect, discipline and sportsmanship while promoting a family friendly atmosphere.
“Let’s make it about competition, but let’s also go after the hospitality route and make people feel like there is an actual fan experience as a part of this show,” Anderson said. “So we are trying to mix the two together.”
The Arkansas native sees martial arts as transformative through adversity in understanding to control one’s thoughts while selling the message in the meaning of the sport.
“We talk to the fighters about it, tell us about a moment in your life when you were down and nobody believed in you and martial arts helped you out of that situation,” Anderson said. “We really create that fighter story, and really shoot that messaging out to the audience.”
He believes individuals that are participating in martial arts should stand to their own guideline as part of their inner discipline and transformation as Nelson praised Anderson for bringing old school values in sports.
“You get to see that transformation also in the ring from a person, an ordinary person that might not look like they’re a fighter, and they get in the ring and just showcase this incredible athleticism,” Anderson said.
In the VFL, ex-UFC fighters, ex-PFL fighters and even influencers are featured in the league that compete in specific weight categories.
Anderson sees it as to “set ourselves apart, to bring the highest caliber guys in, and try to make meaningful deals with them and try to do something really special with them,” Anderson said.
He later discussed that the VFL has created their own FIGHT Token ecosystem, a Solana blockchain which is a high performance network in capital markets and a form of cryptocurrency.
Anderson said the FIGHT Token has a component where individuals can vest along with providing a vesting schedule.
“So fighters will now also get paid in fight tokens and be able to invest a percentage of their contract in there or a percentage of their wins in there,” Anderson said when explaining the Fight Token. “It’s a full-blown marketplace that actually allows them to sell to their fans and fans can interact with them by tipping them.”
The league allows fighters to sell their own personal items or memorabilia for name, image and likeness (NIL) as a way to have self control.
“I don’t care if a fighter’s lost 50 times, or 150 times, if they come on and they’re fighting and giving a good show, and align with the ethos and the values of the company, we want them to fight,” Anderson said.
As the VFL league continues to grow, Anderson hopes to have shows in Miami, the Hamptons and Washington D.C. to name a few.
Listen to the complete interview here and check out the full show on Spotify.
