UFC Look To Increase Chinese Roster With $13 million Shanghai Performance Institute

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced Shanghai China as the location of their second performance institute, with a price tag of US$ 13million.

The new performance institute will be three times the size of their Las Vegas compound and will serve as a training hub to develop and support MMA athletes from mainland China and the greater Asia-Pacific region. 

The 93,000 square-foot institute will also act as their headquarters in Asia, housing UFC employees and UFC Performance Institute staff, including experts in the fields of MMA, strength and conditioning, sports science, physical therapy and nutrition.

UFC Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Epstein, stated: “UFC Performance Institute Shanghai demonstrates UFC’s strong commitment to China and our significant investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

“This facility will not only give us the ability to train the next generation of Chinese MMA stars, but it will be a major attraction to fans in the region and allow them to interact with our brand in an authentic way.”

Shanghai will also have built-in advanced production capabilities with spectator seating that will allow UFC to produce and distribute live events and other original programming.

Kevin Chang, UFC Vice President of Asia-Pacific, added “UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will be at the forefront of innovation in sports science, training, and athletic performance in Asia and will welcome all elite-level athletes from the region.

“With this facility, we are establishing the foundation for future growth of our business while also providing an invaluable service to amazing athletes who seek to develop their skills and achieve excellence in their respective sports.”

With over 36 million people in China identifying as UFC fans, the new institute is designed to help Chinese fighters make the transition from smaller promotions to the UFC, as officials announce their intentions to increase the size of its China roster from 11 to 30 Chinese fighters by the time the Center opens in mid-2019.