UFC gyms announced, eyebrows raise across the globe
The UFC is teaming up with Mark Mastrov (24 Hour Fitness CEO) to launch a bunch of branded UFC gyms. From their interim site:
Announcing UFC GYM! Take the World’s top MMA icon, The Ultimate Fighting Championship™, blend it with the Ultimate Fitness Center, and you get the UFC Gym. It’s a dynamic, high energy, MMA and fitness training center that will redefine the way you get results! UFC Gyms will feature:
- Premiere fitness & cardio equipment
- Group class programming
- Personal training
- Private MMA training
- Octagon discipline instruction
- Kids ultimate fitness care center
- MMA Cafe
- Full locker rooms
I’m no marketing expert, but It sounds a lot like they’re going for a family atmosphere with a brand name that is primarily targeted toward a male 18-35 demographic. I’m just not sure mainstream society is willing to embrace the brand as families just yet.
Another issue I see is the encroaching of the UFC on the personal legacies of martial artists. Many martial artists who have gained a high level of accomplishment eventually move on to open schools and want to pass on their knowledge to future generations. Would Mr. Miyagi teach at a 24 hour fitness?
So far Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn have been signed to have their names tied to UFC gyms in Montreal and Hawaii. According to the Vancouver Sun, these gyms “will earn them an ongoing royalty payment for use of their names, even if they retire from the sport”.
But what happens to BJ’s own training and fitness center? Wouldn’t the UFC gym cut into his own business? It’ll be interesting to see how this business plays out.
Dave
said
I’d like to know if they’ll be serving gelato in the MMA Cafe…
Jeff
said
This sooo badddd……….This whole MMA mainstream sucks! Before the TUFseason 1, uf you asked somebody about it and now every freakin moron that went and purchased a TapouT shirt thinks he is a fighter. I really wish things would go back to the way it was. Oh by the way Dana, no likes Joe Rogan get some one else to do the PPV.
WANI
said
I am usually very tolerant to people who “sell out”. After all, everybody needs to bring home the bacon, and I’m all for that. But don’t they see this is business suicide? If this keeps up, MMA will be well on their way following the footsteps of TKD with the McDojos. Market saturation is NOT good business practice.
Make no mistake, this WILL bring in revenue. But only for the short term. I’m very sure Dana White and co. knows the long term consequence of these kinds of move. But they dont care. They’ll have already reaped the cash by the time the MMA market implodes because of their irresponsible actions.
Hmmm… sounds ominously familiar with how a certain western superpower country got to their economic meltdown. I guess some people never learn.
themonkey
said
@ Jeff
The popularity of MMA is increasing whether we like it or not. It’s good in the sense that it brings validity and respect to the sport, but it’s also bad because you end up with a lot of posers who like the lifestyle buy know nothing about martial arts.
I guess at the very least, for those of us that really train we will always have that. A million douche bags with Affliction shirts won’t be able to take that from us…unless they’re all attacking you at the same time.
@ WANI
You bring up a good point about the sustainability of the business. I think it’s still so young that there will be a bunch of business ideas that range from good to terrible. Some will make it, some won’t. My guess is that the gyms won’t. I just hope none of the wacky ones make it through. I don’t have a lot of faith in American society to make good decisions about these things.
I’m more concerned actually about the fate of traditional martial arts. The UFC has packaged MMA almost as a distinct fighting style. The rich cultural heritage of muay thai or jiu-jitsu might one day be paved over with the tattooed meathead crowd.
Sal Caradonna
said
I think that the gym idea is a bad one. Mixed Martial Arts can be very scary to the general public. I was a AAU kickboxer for a short time and the gym I trained in was hardcore. Very few low level martial artist would even take a glance inside, forget the general public. I love the UFC, but they are spreading their wings much too far.
The UFC took 60 million dollars and 10 years to reach a level of profit. They are going to lose all of their gains by doing this. Sure, they’ll sell a few dozen franchises, then they will start closing two at a time after a few years.
Dana White should pay the fighters more money. I see many fighters that are very sloppy, they are good at holding on to another fighter. That’s why great fighters come and go in the UFC. Cung Le say’s the UFC offered him money for a fight with the great, Anderson Silva… money that he would have received many years ago.
Sal Caradonna
mike
said
This Gym will not only benchmark history with one of the greatest gyms in the world but be sure that all the haters only hate because they did not do it first. So sit back, relax and watch how the UFC Gym blows away the cheap talk of misplaced stupidity through ignorant eyes and shine light on the future of new gyms to come…