Local company Outcross Clothing doing their best to help promote MMA in Ontario

By Mike Johnston
When UFC President Dana White visited Toronto Eaton Centre earlier this year to promote the sport of mixed martial arts, someone threw a t-shirt on stage that read ‘Sanction MMA in Ontario.’ The UFC boss promptly put it on much to the delight of fans in attendance. Perhaps no one, however, was more delighted than Dan Baresic, President and Co-Founder of Outcross Clothing, the company that designed the t-shirt.


“I didn’t think Dana would put the shirt on right on stage, but that was great to see,” said Baresic. “Dana White clearly understands how important it is to have MMA sanctioned in Ontario. He himself claims Ontario to be the ‘Mecca of MMA.’”

“The idea [for the ‘Sanction MMA in Ontario’ t-shirt] was spawned by the other co-founder of Outcross who thought it could be a good promotional tool to get the brand out there, not to mention we both wholeheartedly believe in the sentiment as MMA fans,” said Baresic. “Outcross Clothing was always meant to be a combat-culture inspired brand, and the MMA movement is a part of that. Outcross is also an Ontario-based company so the cause hits home,” he added.

The company was founded at the end of 2008 when Dan and a friend started discussing the men’s boutique brand industry. “There was a need for a brand that stayed away from the over-used ‘skull and crossbones’ imagery but still had a combat culture feel to it, and we saw an opportunity to fill that void,” said Baresic.

While most popular brands cut costs by outsourcing overseas, Dan takes pride in the quality of his product and the fact their apparel is made and customized solely in North America, even being printed and washed in the GTA.

Outcross Clothing is based out of Mississauga and began offering their apparel in February 2010. Dan believes, as a local business owner, that legalizing MMA in Ontario would benefit many local companies in the province. “Sanctioning MMA in Ontario would push the sport further into the mainstream, and in turn benefit any local businesses involved with the sport,” said Baresic. “Ontario is already a hotbed for MMA fans and sanctioning the sport will only further grow the culture and popularity.”

Baresic is a lifelong MMA fan that has enjoyed seeing the sport evolve into what it is today. Like many others, Dan feels it is just a matter of time before the sport is allowed in the province. “MMA needs to be sanctioned and regulated in Ontario like any other sport. The problem is an outdated Criminal Code that is prompting the powers that be to interpret the code in a way that prevents this from happening. Other provinces and U.S. states have made amendments and they now reap the economic benefit for doing so.”

Dan says they want to continue to represent the local community they come from and expand their line of apparel. “We strive to be unique in everything we do, and are committed to always ethically producing our products, never compromising that just to save ourselves a buck.”

Baresic will be in attendance at the MMA Expo, which takes place June 12-13 at the International Centre. ”We will have a booth at the MMA Expo to further expose people to our brand ideology. We will also have a laptop set up for people to sign the online petition to sanction MMA in Ontario. Look for the Outcross Clothing banner and stop by!”
For more information on Outcross Clothing Inc. visit their website http://www.outcrossclothing.com/