First UFC Gym Opens in California

The San Francisco Chronicle has the details surrounding the official opening of the first UFC Gym in Concord, California.

The UFC took its most recent step to expand its brand last week with the opening of its first gym in Concord and, while the new venture has certainly appealed to UFC fans eager to train like their favorite athletes, it also seeks to accommodate kids beginning in martial arts and adults who just want to lose a couple of pounds.

 

“This was the natural evolution for our brand. UFC revolutionized traditional martial arts. It’s a perfect fit to us to expand into the fitness area,” said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.

 

The facility’s operators think they can make a strong case. UFC Gym reveals exactly what you would expect to find: music blaring in the background, metal dropping on metal clanging from the weight-lifting machines, and eager instructors on the floor. Even promotional banners feature everyday women breaking a sweat and kids training for martial arts in karate uniforms.

“We’re not looking to train or create fighters. We’re looking to create a fun family environment,” Fertitta said.

(Credit Bloodyelbow.com for the find)

Payout Perspective:

MMAPayout.com has been pretty vocal about the improper use of brand extensions in the past, but the UFC Gym certainly isn’t one of them. The UFC is making use of its core competency – fighting – to educate people about its sport, and promote their own brand in the process. They’re sticking to what they know and what they’re good at.

Judging by the way martial arts fitness has taken off in the past, it’s quite possible that the UFC could leverage their growing position in sports pop culture, and the fitness dimensions of an MMA lifestyle, to really grow these gyms into a prominent revenue stream and marketing tool.