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VANCOUVER – Less than 10 years ago, Roots of Fight launched with a vision of providing an alternative to the apparel brands that so strangely littered the combat sports space.

These days, however, its reach expands far beyond just the fight world.

When his dream first originated, CEO Jesse Katz wanted to provide something different for fight fans. Clothing with chain links, skulls and flames were customary attire at UFC events. But Roots of Fight was determined to create a lifestyle brand – something with a classier and more wholesome spin that celebrated the iconic figureheads of the past while linking them to the present and future.

Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee were three of the original names associated with Roots of Fight. Now, those are just a few of many. The company has broadened its clientele well beyond just martial arts. Katz realized the brand’s mission statement can work across the board, and now Roots of Fight has a presence in boxing, basketball, baseball, football and wrestling.

“Our roots are definitely in MMA,” Katz told MMA Junkie. “But we’ve started getting the feel for the concept this could be ‘Roots of Anything.’ … Once we started getting into baseball, basketball and football, those places that once seemed so out of reach for us, we started getting love and recognition and acceptance. So we went full throttle and now we can become ‘Roots of Anything.’”

After starting as a small operation, Roots of Fight has rapidly expanded, Kantz said. The head office in Vancouver has more than 20 full-time employees with additional contractors at work, as well. It wasn’t long ago when Katz needed the hard sell to find names to work with. But now Roots of Fight has a loaded roster with more than 1,200 prospective clients who are keen to come under the umbrella.

Katz doesn’t want to work with just anyone, though. He said the criteria has become increasingly precise over time, and there’s a defined vision of what it means to be part of the Roots of Fight family.

“It’s getting more and more nuanced and specific,” Katz said. “We used to just want iconic people. Then that kind of evolved to they had to be the best in the world at something. Then they had to have transcended their sport to impact popular culture on a global scale. Then we need people who are culturally significant, politically significant – people that actually resonate more with a greater audience than just a specific niche.

“There are football and basketball players that are superstar athletes, but maybe they don’t resonate with a general audience. It’s very difficult in today’s age with social media and marketing to find niche markets. We want to work with special people. We want to work with them in a way that connects them to their history and a way that makes them proud. Then we want to connect them with each other in this really unique way where it’s a small group of people who have achieved greatness in a certain way.”

Katz’s approach of refusing to open the floodgates has led to an impressive group represented by Roots of Fight. In MMA, it’s the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell, Bas Rutten and Renzo Gracie. In boxing, there’s Ali, Tyson, Roberto Duran, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson, to name a few.

Outside of the fight world, the names get even bigger. Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson are part of the basketball branch, Barry Sanders and Jim Brown partially make up football, and Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson are a pair of the names from the baseball realm.

Those all are historical figures in their respective fields, but Katz said carefully identifying people who have generated an impact beyond those fields is what has helped Roots of Fight with his growth. It inspires the customer to pay tribute to influential names, and fortunately for Katz, some of those customers are the influencers of today.

“We’ve created a vehicle to pay respect to the people that authentically inspired,” Katz said. “You’ll see Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Jamie Foxx, Michael B. Jordan, The Rock – all of the people that wear these products. All these people are not doing it because of us. We’re just a conduit. They have an unsullied opportunity to show respect and love for the people that built the house they get to play in and appreciate the respect and work those people did to make life better for future generations.”

Katz said Roots of Fight will forever be embedded in the fight world where its momentum started. The brand has already grown into something bigger, though, and Kantz said there’s no intention of turning back.

“We’re trying to grow from a little company, make that company into a brand and what we want to see in the following years is see that evolution morph into a movement,” Katz said. “The goal is to create more positivity and connect people to the past. These aren’t dusty, nostalgic artifacts. These are people who laid the groundwork for what’s happening today.”