UFC Opens Performance Institute in Shanghai as Training Hub and Asian Headquarters

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

Las Vegas-based UFC’s global reach in the fight game hit a new high when it said Monday that it’s opening the world’s biggest MMA training center in Shanghai, China.

 

UFC, known for having fight shows around the world, is staging its first event in Beijing at the Cadillac Arena on Saturday. It’s going to be called the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai and will serve as a training hub to develop and support MMA athletes from mainland China and the greater Asia-Pacific region.

 

UFC will also use the building as its headquarters for Asia, housing UFC employees and UFC Performance Institute staff, including experts in the fields of MMA, strength and conditioning, sports science, physical therapy and nutrition.

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UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will also have built-in advanced production capabilities with spectator seating that will allow UFC to produce and distribute live events and other original programming. That’s one of UFC’s biggest strengths as a sports organization — its ability to create and disseminate its own content.

 

Additional features at the Institute will include hospitality suites, dining, retail services, and a fan experience area. The multi-million-dollar facility will be more 93,000 square feet — a stunning three times the size of the original UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas at the UFC headquarters off the 215 in the southwest valley.

 

“I could not be more excited about the UFC Performance Institute opening in Shanghai,” UFC President Dana White said in a prepared statement.  “We know there is a ton of talent throughout Asia and now we will be able to find them and offer them all the incredible training, nutrition, and physical therapy that UFC fighters are getting in the Performance Institute at our headquarters in Las Vegas, right there in China. This is another game changer for the sport, UFC, and potential athletes throughout Asia.” Here’s White:

 

UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will develop MMA athletes in Asia, aiming to rapidly accelerate their skill level and UFC-readiness of mixed martial artists in the region.

 

A full MMA coaching staff will implement a sport-specific training system developed in consultation with former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Grffin, a  UFC Hall of Famer, and current UFC vice president of athlete development.

UFC opened its first Performance Institute in Las Vegas in 2017 as the world’s first Mixed Martial Arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation, and training center. Through the first 17 months of operation, over 400 athletes on the UFC roster have utilized the facility and the services provided remotely. In addition, several dozen NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and Olympic sports athletes have visited the facility for support during their off-season training.

 

In June 2018, the UFC Performance Institute unveiled the first-ever comprehensive study of the sport of MMA entitled “A Cross-Sectional Performance Analysis and Projection of the UFC Athlete.” The findings examined more than 30,000 performance metrics and data points to reveal the best approach to train and prepare for MMA competition.

 

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