Amidst the media buzz of UFC 121, the UFC announced that it would open a third gym, its second Southern California location, in the Inland Empire/Corona, California.
According to the UFC press release:
The Inland Empire will now have their chance to experience all that UFC Gym has to offer. Just weeks after the grand opening of the Rosemead location, New Evolution Ventures (NeV), and the UFC announced today that the third UFC Gym location is set to open in Corona, CA.
The third UFC Gym is expected to open in early 2011 and the location is currently selling memberships.
Payout Perspective:
It is amazing to see the rapid growth of the UFC brand into the fitness industry. The announcement of the third gym comes on the heels of the grand opening of its second gym in Rosemead, California. I am surprised that the UFC decided to open its third gym so close to each other and did not open a location in the Orange County or San Diego area. The Rosemead gym is about an hour and a half away from the proposed Corona site.
This wil be huge if the UFC can establish themselves as a regular fitness guy not just for fighters. It would give them another avenue to advertise their events and cheap. Also set up meet and greets to promote the fights, etc. Lots of possibilities.
Xyence will also benefit greatly from what you are talking about Brian.
I live near Corona and the MMA scene is huge around here. I think it’ll go over really well.
Just remember that gyms/fitness centers have very low retention rates after the first year. Between 35-45% never renew (according to IHRSA, a fitness trade association). They get a lot of people in in January, then stop going by April, and then call to cancel.
These UFC gyms also have more equipment, sq. footage, and “style” within their facilities, thus a higher cost to break-even. The sexiness of the UFC brand can only go so far and their cost in terms of staff, rent, and utilities cannot be met by memberships alone; they have to sell training, daycare, and other services (juice bar). The Concord gym was priced at $36/month when I visited last year which is $20/month more than my current facility. I passed.
I took a tour of the Concord site 2 days before Oakland show. It is a fabulous facility and the staff was just as you would encounter at any of the big chains. The kid who took us thru was also a fighter.
He made it very clear that there was NO SPARRING at this center. Submission grappling/BJJ yes, but no real sparring. There is a cage in the middle of the center and a fit young girl was hitting Thai pads w/ an instructor. Very clear pursuit of established fitness market using the UFC brand, MMA classes & instruction, and making the brave new world of this fitness, strength & conditioning shift without getting punched in the face. The money is not in training fighters is the message.
In the back of the center there was a seperate area that looked like a high tech Cross Fit facility. Lots of computerized assessment stuff and some simple function equipment. Cutting edge and exciting brave new world fitness stuff that you would see at an international sports training center for elite athletes.
The tour guide kid told us UFC fighter (AKA athlete?)Anthony Johnson attended strength & conditioning sessions here.
All great stuff and a facility that any Olympic athlete would love to have at there disposal and in Concord, CA which I understand is not Rancho Mirage?(I am not a Californian-so help me here on demographics).
In this world we live in where you can find abything on the web -you can pay to train in a cutting edge beautiful training facility in all things MMA except punching and kicking another live human being. The young guy made it clear he goes to one of the areas smelly scary gyms for that.
So is it just to get the Tshirt and tell your friends? No just maximising the potential of the brand.
UFC Gyms, ThrowDown Centers, TapOut Centers, affiliated training facilities connected to famous teams. This does go to the core of the Business of MMA and the marketing of these products and services.
I just love the fact that the lawyers and accountants have gotten hold of it and deleted the one aspect of MMA that makes us part w/ PPV dollars to watch Cain chase Brock across the cage in reckless abandon.
edi: Corona is about 1.5 hours west of Rancho Mirage.
Just wondering if there is an MMA Gym in the Corona area that would be affected by the UFC Gym. Does anyone know? I know Joe Stevenson’s gym is in Victorville, but I think that’s quite a ways away.
Very wise to no allow striking sparring. My BJJ coaches was going to add in striking to better prepare people for self defense and MMA but they knew it would scare everyone away. They would lose most of the people who even train BJJ. Most people watch to think they are prepared for a fight even if they are not. They are scared to get hit and would never go to a class where they did.
The god think about the UFC gyms is they have everything there to train and to get skilled at MMA. If they see potential in themselves or instructors see it they will be steered in the right direction to get the full MMA training and sparring needed if they so choose to take that route. There is no doubt the connections are there to do so that may not be at other gyms who have the no sparring rule. Not every fitness center has connects to real MMA gyms.
I wish they had one of these where i live. We have top notch BJJ but no striking schools.