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SHANGHAI and LAS VEGAS – UFC®, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, today announced plans to open the world’s largest, state-of-the-art MMA training and development facility in Shanghai, China in 2019. This announcement comes as UFC brings its first-ever event to Beijing this week.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT® BEIJING: BLAYDES vs. NGANNOU 2 Presented by General Tirewill be held at the Cadillac Arena on Saturday, November 24.
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will serve as a training hub to develop and support MMA athletes from mainland China and the greater Asia-Pacific region. UFC will also utilize the building as its headquarters in 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.
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.
Additional features will include hospitality suites, dining, retail services, and a fan experience area. When completed, the multi-million-dollar facility will span more than 93,000 square feet, approximately three times the size of the original UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
“UFC Performance Institute Shanghai demonstrates UFC’s strong commitment to China and our significant investment in the Asia-Pacific region,” said UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein. “This facility will not only give us the ability to train the next generation of Chinese MMA stars, but it will be a major attraction to fans in the region and allow them to interact with our brand in an authentic way.”
“UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will be at the forefront of innovation in sports science, training, and athletic performance in Asia and will welcome all elite-level athletes from the region,” said Kevin Chang, UFC Vice President of Asia-Pacific. “With this facility, we are establishing the foundation for future growth of our business while also providing an invaluable service to amazing athletes who seek to develop their skills and achieve excellence in their respective sports.”
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will serve as a catalyst for athlete development in Asia, aiming to rapidly accelerate the 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, UFC Hall of Famer, and current UFC Vice President of Athlete Development Forrest Griffin. This integrated, inter-disciplinary combat sports performance team will offer an unparalleled level of support to athletes.
“UFC Performance Institute Shanghai is symbolic of the recent evolution we've witnessed with an increased awareness of performance optimization in MMA,” said James Kimball, UFC Vice President of Operations for the UFC Performance Institute. “Athletes from the region will be provided the opportunity to develop their craft with the guidance and support of experts in MMA and high performance in the world's largest MMA-specific performance training center. We are confident in our goal of developing significant MMA talent in mainland China and creating a world-leading high performance training environment.”
UFC opened the first UFC 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.
Additional details regarding UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will be announced in coming months.
