Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently scored its first-ever brand partnership for artificial intelligence (AI), securing a landmark deal with IBM and its data platform, watsonx, to create the promotion’s “Insight Engine” for real-time, onscreen data during live events.
Types of analysis includes (but is not limited to) fighter tendencies, projections of possible match outcomes, and method of victory, among other insights. Expect new school MMA coaches to embrace this additional source of fighter data for future fight camps.
In PFL they call it the “SmartCage.”
“This partnership with IBM is one of the most significant milestones for UFC and a game changer for how fans will experience our sport,” said Grant Norris-Jones, Head of Global Partnerships at TKO. “IBM is an iconic blue-chip, global brand with decades of experience in sports marketing. Together, we’re pioneering a product to revolutionize analytics and information in live sports. This partnership marks a pivotal win, not only for UFC and IBM, but also for fans around the world who will experience our sport in a whole new way.”
UFC’s “Insights Engine” is expected to debut in early 2025.
“Data and AI solutions like UFC Insights Engine built with IBM watsonx can offer current fans entirely new ways to connect with their favorite athletes and sports, while also building excitement among new generations of MMA fans,” said Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM. “Leveraging watsonx and our Granite models also allows UFC to enhance its digital operations and to harness the power of its extensive library of match data – all to the benefit of current and future fans.”
No word yet on whether or not watsonx can fix this longstanding problem.