The challenges of doing MMA in a poor/developing country

I'm currently living in a so-called developing country doing research on the MMA community here and have a couple of not-so-thought-out questions I'd love to put to ya'll.

I am curious how economic factors limits the growth of the sport of MMA here. I mean, most of the guys I train with don't even have cash for boxing gloves. And in organized events fighters aren't payed very much, because there just isn't a lot of money flow from spectators or sponsors... What if there just isn't enough money to get good coaches or to eat the perfect diet, do the athletes have a chance of living becoming pros, or what about the general growth of the sport?

Compared to where most of live (the US and western Europe) there seems to be a lot of ignorance regarding nutrition in this country. How much does nutrition and a proper diet influence an athletes ability to grow?

There is also a lack of expert coaches here. Thinking of the importance of a good coach (Tyson and D'amato is classic example) and now how complex MMA is, do you guys think its possible to become a top level fighter without top level nutrition and top level coaches?

Any random thoughts, own experiences or relevant articles would be much appreciated.