EXCLUSIVE Interview with Damon Lau, Round 5 Co-Founder: Part 2!

Featuring Questions from MMAFigs.com Readers!

PdW2kX and MMAFigs.com are proud to present the second part of an exclusive interview with Damon Lau, Round 5 President and Co-Founder, consisting of questions asked by the fans and readers of MMAFigs.com. For those who missed out on the first part of the interview, click here to view it.

PdW2kX of MMAFig.com (PD): Now that you have a UFC licensing agreement, are there plans on releasing figures of non-fighters such as Bruce Buffer, Joe Rogan, the Octagon Girls, and Dana White?

Damon Lau, Round 5 President and Co-Founder (DL): Yes, we are planning some non-fighters to be released in 2010, just as we have a Big John McCarthy figurine from a previous Round 5 line.

PD: A certain group of Round 5 fans have noticed that as the series have progressed, there has been an ever-so-slight size increase. Will the new UFC and subsequent lines be comparable in size or are we looking at a drastic change in product?

DL: No. While it is correct that there has been a small increase in size, future Ultimate Collector series will be consistent with the current line.

PD: Now that you have a UFC-specific line of collectibles, are any championship belt accessories going to be made?

DL: Plans are being discussed for UFC-themed accessories, both in the regular series and limited edition issuances.

PD: In the last interview you said that PRIDE figures were being planned. Are they going to be released as stand-alone figures or variants?

DL: Most likely they will be issued as variants, but it is still to be determined.

PD: Is it possible to see PRIDE versions of fighters that have already been given the Round 5 treatment?

DL: Yes, we may re-release any of the figurines that have appeared in previous Round 5 lines.

PD: At any point in your figure lineups would you be open to making an Octagon or PRIDE ring to display the figures in?

DL: We are looking at some display options to go with figurine releases, which may be available by the end of 2010.

PD: What are the chances of seeing a Legends line like Jakks has?

DL: We continue to get feedback from our customers and we have had internal planning discussions on some legends figurines, so we have been exploring some possibilities.

PD: Tell us more about the deal that has brought Round 5 figures to Toys ‘R’ Us stores.

DL: Toys"R"Us is the exclusive retailer for the UFC Ultimate collector series in December, but by Spring 2010 the line will also be available throughout the U.S. and Canada in other major retailers.

PD: Are bloodied/battle-damaged figures possible?

DL: Yes, in particular for specialty collector markets. These features will most likely be in our Limited Edition lines, with a more exclusive, shorter run.  As in all Round 5 products, the element of authenticity is most crucial.  These variations must be true to situations or attributes that fans recognize as unique to that individual.

PD: While I won’t bog you down with a long list of “when will when see this fighter?” questions, almost everyone I’ve talked to is unified in wanting to know the status of the Fedor Emelianenko figure that was supposedly in development. Now that Round 5 is allied with Jakks Pacific and the UFC, is “The Last Emperor” ever going to get the Round 5 treatment?

DL: You are right; that is a question that we hear a lot.  We are open to the concept of releasing the Fedor figurine, but need to continue to work with Fedor's team on some authenticity issues.

MMAFigs.com would like to thank Damon Lau for sitting down for this interview, and remind our fans to keep reading MMAFigs.com for the latest in UFC action figures and news.