Duel Preventing, the French MMA league based by Charles Navillod and Thomas Faure, has launched its “Financial Timer” system, remodeling every second of a struggle right into a monetary incentive for rivals. The system debuted at DUEL 4 in June 2025, held earlier than a number of thousand spectators, and can characteristic once more at DUEL 5 on October 18 in Albertville, France.
Charles Navillod sat down in an unique interview with Tim Wheaton of LowKick MMA to debate.
Duel Preventing Financial Timer with Charles Navillod
The Financial Timer shows a dwell prize pool on a large display screen within the arena, lowering by the second till a struggle concludes. Fighters who safe a end – knockout, technical knockout or submission – earlier within the countdown earn a bigger money bonus, usually starting from €200 to €2,000. Within the first public trial, 4 out of 10 bouts ended earlier than the scheduled time restrict, representing a 40 % rise in early finishes in comparison with earlier occasions. Organizers attribute this uptick in struggle depth on to the brand new timing mechanism.
Navillod defined that the idea originated from the necessity for exact synchronization between officers and broadcast groups. “In beginner MMA, one official retains time for the struggle and one other for TV, they usually typically differ by one or two seconds. That mismatch can change fighters’ methods—5 seconds is large,” he in an unique interview.
“We developed a synchronized digital timer and added a countdown the place cash disappears per second till the struggle ends. End quick, earn extra.”
He and Faure then collaborated with digital builders to create a unified, real-time clock and add the financial aspect to every passing second of motion.
“Viewers don’t at all times know the fighters, however the financial countdown retains them on the sting. They stated the suspense was via the roof. We push high-end manufacturing – lighting, sound, showmanship—so even non-MMA followers come for the spectacle.”
Past rewarding fast finishes, the Financial Timer serves as a central manufacturing aspect. It integrates with referee controls for correct timekeeping, TV manufacturing groups for dwell broadcast graphics, and area screens and streaming platforms for viewers immersion. Dwell feeds combination viewer interactions from YouTube, Twitch, Kick, TikTok and LinkedIn, funneling chat right into a single stream that announcers can handle straight.
“Battle Zone lets viewers tip fighters by way of WhatsApp in actual time. Some amateurs have earned an additional €200–€300 per struggle that approach.”
Duel Preventing’s co-founder added that the Financial Timer aligns with broader plans to broaden the league’s technical choices. In early October, the group will stage its first girls’s bout, adopted in 2026 by a blended card that includes skilled and beginner matchups. The league intends to keep up its regional focus within the Alps and Swiss border earlier than extending into southern France and the Paris market.
“We stream on eight platforms concurrently – YouTube, Twitch, Kick, TikTok, LinkedIn – and combination chat into one feed so commentators can interact with followers straight.”
Authorized safety for the innovation has been secured via registrations with the French Nationwide Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the Company for the Safety of Packages (APP) in Europe, and the U.S. Copyright Workplace. These measures place the Financial Timer for world licensing discussions, together with potential negotiations with main MMA promotors reminiscent of KSW, Oktagon, ARES, and the UFC. Below proposed agreements, established leagues may license the system or enter revenue-sharing partnerships to deploy the know-how in skilled occasions.
“We’re in negotiations to license the timer to huge leagues like Oktagon, KSW, perhaps UFC. They’d hire the system or enter an official partnership.”
Duel Preventing operates on the intersection of sports activities and know-how. The founders’ backgrounds embody aggressive snowboarding and digital improvement, which they leveraged to construct the league’s know-how stack. The group additionally pilots “Battle Zone,” a platform enabling followers to tip fighters by way of WhatsApp throughout dwell occasions, producing extra purses of €200–€300 for high performers. This mix of economic stakes and interactive options has pushed viewers engagement, drawing curiosity from each MMA lovers and spectators new to the game.
As Duel Preventing prepares for its subsequent occasion in October, the Financial Timer continues to attract consideration as a possible sport changer in fight sports activities. Organizers and fighters alike will probably be watching intently to see how this innovation influences struggle dynamics and viewer expertise within the coming seasons.
