UFC (Unified Fighting Championship) is an internationally-renowned mixed martial arts promotion featuring some of the greatest fighters ever assembled. Events take place around the globe and it has gained widespread notoriety for its intense, violent matches.
Practitioners aspiring to become UFC champions must train hard. Exercise to increase their elasticity and strength as well as reactive plyometrics in order to develop endurance.
Tryouts
UFC fighters hoping to gain entry must first go through tryouts and demonstrate their abilities before a panel of coaches. These coaches look for athletes with both mental fortitude and dedication that could become successful competitors in this sport.
Coaches look beyond technical and physical abilities when searching for players – they want players who will accept feedback from their coaches to improve their game.
Build and utilize your social media presence by posting training videos, fight highlights, and personal stories of your journey in UFC MMA. Doing this will allow you to build an audience as well as attract UFC attention.
Enrique Briones traveled from Tijuana, Mexico, to Albuquerque’s Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA academy for six months as part of UFC Latin America fighter development program. While this was far away from his wife and 1-year-old son in Tijuana, New Mexico it could increase his chances of making the UFC.
Contracts
UFC fighters must sign exclusive contracts that typically obligate them to fight multiple times per year, depending on their popularity and past performances, often multiple times each year. Based on this contract structure, fighters may earn between a few hundred thousand and as much as $3 Million per fight – something many consider controversial within this MMA organization.
Plaintiffs of a lawsuit brought forth by several former and current UFC fighters allege that the company has employed coercive tactics to limit fighters’ freedom to negotiate with other promoters of mixed martial arts (MMA). Plaintiffs claim these restrictive contracts and other clauses violate antitrust laws.
Plaintiffs of UFC disputes contend that it has taken advantage of its position as the sole buyer in the market for fighter services for live mixed martial arts fights, known as monopsony (the opposite of monopoly). They allege that this arrangement allows it to underpay fighters compared with market value – similar to antitrust lawsuits by professional athletes competing in other sports leagues.
Merchandise
UFC merchandise is one of its most profitable ventures and an effective way for fans to connect with their favorite fighters. Alongside fighting apparel, this merchandise also includes gear like hats and shorts that fans can purchase both online and at various physical locations around the globe.
UFC Embedded, their free-to-watch content on YouTube, follows fighters during their week leading up to fights and uses storytelling techniques to engage fans. This builds relationships between athletes and viewers so that by Fight Night they are invested in watching it for free.
UFC’s social media strategy has been instrumental to its success, connecting emotionally with fans and driving paid viewership. Furthermore, its partnerships have generated revenue for the organization while its innovative approach to social media has established them as industry leaders.
Rules
The UFC operates under a set of rules and regulations designed to ensure fighter safety and ensure fair competition. These include prohibited techniques, fouls and judging criteria as well as weight classes and time limits for each fight. Due to this comprehensive rule set, it has quickly become one of the fastest growing sports of this century.
Early days of Mixed Martial Arts were unruly affairs with few rules in place to safeguard fighters from injury, prompting widespread criticism. Over time however, UFC implemented regulations which made MMA less violent and more accessible for wider audiences.
Some of the key UFC rules include restricting strikes to specific parts of the body and prohibiting eye gouging, fishing hooking and hair pulling. They also specify foul types and procedures for replacing dislodged mouthpieces as well as address attire requirements such as weight limit and cage size.