The UFC announced that it will launch UFC Academy Combine as a way to evaluate talent for a potential career in MMA. The inaugural combine will take place this Monday, June 17 and Tuesday, June 18th in Shanghai, China.
The combine coincides with the opening of the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai. According to a UFC press release, the UFC Academy Combine athletes will have the opportunity to receive a scholarship into the UFC Academy. The academy is described as an “MMA talent development program created and managed” by the Performance Institute.
Via press release:
The inaugural UFC Academy Combine will be a two-day showcase in which a total of 72 individual metrics will be collected from the participating athletes. Each test will sit within one of 12 categories, including anthropometry; clinical evaluation; cognitive evaluation; grappling; striking; wrestling; alatic energy production; mechanical power; strength; lactic energy production; combat agility; and reaction/cognitive processing.
Payout Perspective:
This sounds like an event destined for UFC Fight Pass. The WWE recently aired its own combine on its digital platform. This sounds similar. Thus far, it does not look like it will be shown on the digital platform. But it will be a showcase for the new performance center and a great way to evaluate talent in the region as the UFC expands into the Chinese market.
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