UFC Gets Into The Gym Business

dunkamania

http://mmapayout.com/2009/01/ufc-gets-into-the-gym-business/

I am calling a top in the mainstream MMA popularity bubble.





In what can be seen as extending out their brand (or going outside their core competence) the UFC announced today that they will be entering the health club business:

UFC Gym officials said they are close to breaking ground on the first of five health clubs planned in California, and plan to build more such gyms across the country and in Canada.

“We’re going to force all these other gyms to take it up to another level,” UFC President Dana White told The Associated Press on Monday. “Just like we have in the fight business, and everyone’s trying to compete with us now, same thing’s going to happen in the fitness industry.”

White said most gyms and health clubs haven’t changed in years, giving the mixed martial arts league an opportunity to attract new fitness customers or others wanting to get different kinds of workouts under the same roof. The gyms aren’t intended for professional or amateur fighters.

The move shouldn’t be a big surprise. The UFC have felt that various parts of the gym/training business have been reaping the benefits of the mixed martial arts explosion that the UFC claims credit for. Joe Silva spoke with Florida Todayand commented on the Zuffa mindset of others capitalizing off Zuffa’s rise to prominence:

“What’s the new hook that we can get people into the dojos with?” Silva said of an attitude that has disgusted him in the past. “Now you have Tae Kwon Do schools and they (say), ‘Yeah, we have grappling.’ ” They’re looking to appeal to the consumer, and the consumer is watching UFC on TV, on Spike TV and on pay-per-view.”

rovert

Great strategic business move IMO.

Nothingcompares

If the UFC are buying and opening up new gyms they could put some of their fighters at the tail end of the earning spectrum in there teaching martial arts and fitness classes to boost their income.

dunkamania

I agree with both comments. However, the mainstream rise in popularity looks more like a fad than a continuing trend. I hope this is not true, but then again how many people used to play a fare amount of poker a couple of years ago.

T-K-O

Most decent fighters have their own gyms aswell - what would you prefer a UFC gym or a Couture gym ?

rovert

dunkamania wrote: »

I agree with both comments. However, the mainstream rise in popularity looks more like a fad than a continuing trend. I hope this is not true, but then again how many people used to play a fare amount of poker a couple of years ago.

I think their baseline of fans is larger than you think. If anything these gyms may elongate the "fad" if they churn out fighters with mainstream appeal. But in some ways you are right and the move should have been done 3 years ago.

Dragan

A lot of gyms will actually be closing down over the coming years. The majority of big box gyms survive on the people who pay subs but don't show up and use the place...in the current climate people are making sure they are not spending what they don't use.

I predict a lot of the gym chains that have arisen in the States to drop over the next 2 years, so in effect the UFC's timing is perfect.

Training in a UFC gym will have a lot of appeal for people. Most of them will be the same people who will drop 100 dollars on an Affliction t-shirt.

Nothingcompares

I was just talking about something like this with my da. Used to live in California ~20 years ago and people were going to gyms all the time and getting their teeth whitened and all this kinda stuff and my dad thought it was just weird and a waste of money. 20 years late and Dublin is like San Jose in the cold.

I think there are a lot of fad fans associated withe sport right now. I'm not sure if they'll completely lose interest sooner or later or will they still dip into the sport for the 2/3 massive shows a year? Kinda like a lot of boxing fans right now.

I definitely think this gym business is a viability. TAke the financial backing (zuffa) and the marketing/promotion (ufc) along with some decent hard working people (fighters and associates) and they can sell cardio combat to all and sundry.

MartyMcFly84

The gyms aren’t intended for professional or amateur fighters.”[/quote]

So its basically fight fitness classes, with good equipment and facilites?.

Jason Mc

I sense another clause in the UFC fighter contract coming

stevemc01

T-K-O wrote: »

Most decent fighters have their own gyms aswell - what would you prefer a UFC gym or a Couture gym ?

Thats a fair point but it also works the other way too. what would you prefer a UFC gym or a gym run by Kendall Grove and Troy Mandaloniz?

rovert

MartyMcFly84 wrote: »

So its basically fight fitness classes, with good equipment and facilites?.

3.00pm: Jazzercise with Dana

Dragan

rovert wrote: »

3.00pm: Jazzercise with Dana

Dana actually used to be a boxer and made some extra income back in the day teaching boxercise classes.:)

rovert

Dragan wrote: »

Dana actually used to be a boxer and made some extra income back in the day teaching boxercise classes.:)

Tell that to Tito Ortiz

dunkamania

Dragan wrote: »

Dana actually used to be a boxer and made some extra income back in the day teaching boxercise classes.:)

In his bellhop days, he and the other bellhops would settle arguements over tips with a no headshot toughman style brawl in the cloakroom

Dragan

I have to be honest and say i like Dana, from Punchy Bellhop to Paunchy President in a decade.

Not bad.

Maldini2706

In the short term I can see this being purely about money, they'll more or less be UFC theme parks with training facilities, who knows though, in the long term this could be the grass roots that build the sport.

dunkamania

http://www.ufcgyms.com/

Link to official website

Drunkmonkey79

"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"

Isn't JK is calling his place Ultimate fitness centre at the min!?!
http://ringoftruth.info/phpBB2/index.php

Name change anyone?