(OH SNAP, THEY GOT THOSE ROPES THAT YOU WIGGLE UP AND DOWN?? I’M SO IN, SON. / Props: UFCgym)
Since the first UFC Gym opened in Concord, California, in January 2010, the branded fitness chain has expanded in slow, humble fashion — three more locations popped up in Cali, followed by the recently openedUFC Gym BJ Penn in Honolulu, and a Long Island outpost slated to open this spring. With the first wave now complete, it’s time for phase two of the invasion. Dana White confirmed today that the UFC has purchased the LA Boxing franchise, and will re-brand all of its gyms — more than 60 locations in 23 states — as UFC Gyms in the coming year.
“UFC Gyms has been huge for us,” said White. “It’s been an incredible, incredible business for us.”
Although the re-branding might increase the number of douchebags in your neighborhood who claim that they “train UFC,” this is a positive development for MMA awareness. Not only are the existing UFC Gyms massive (some up to 40,000+ square feet) and well-outfitted with the latest training equipment, they also feature a crapload of classes that help introduce members to the basics of MMA. For example, the class list for the Concord facility includes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, MMA Wrestling, San Shou, and “Hot Hula,” the art of mesmerizing an attacker with your gently swaying hips before savagely kicking them in the balls. Children welcome!
No, these are not legit MMA training camps, and they don’t promote themselves to be. But for MMA fans who just want to burn some calories and learn a few techniques, these places look pretty sweet. I can’t speak from personal experience, though, so if any of you have had good/bad experiences with UFC Gyms that you’d like to share, please drop ’em in the comments section, or e-mail [email protected] to protect your anonymity.
(OH SNAP, THEY GOT THOSE ROPES THAT YOU WIGGLE UP AND DOWN?? I’M SO IN, SON. / Props: UFCgym)
Since the first UFC Gym opened in Concord, California, in January 2010, the branded fitness chain has expanded in slow, humble fashion — three more locations popped up in Cali, followed by the recently openedUFC Gym BJ Penn in Honolulu, and a Long Island outpost slated to open this spring. With the first wave now complete, it’s time for phase two of the invasion. Dana White confirmed today that the UFC has purchased the LA Boxing franchise, and will re-brand all of its gyms — more than 60 locations in 23 states — as UFC Gyms in the coming year.
“UFC Gyms has been huge for us,” said White. “It’s been an incredible, incredible business for us.”
Although the re-branding might increase the number of douchebags in your neighborhood who claim that they “train UFC,” this is a positive development for MMA awareness. Not only are the existing UFC Gyms massive (some up to 40,000+ square feet) and well-outfitted with the latest training equipment, they also feature a crapload of classes that help introduce members to the basics of MMA. For example, the class list for the Concord facility includes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, MMA Wrestling, San Shou, and “Hot Hula,” the art of mesmerizing an attacker with your gently swaying hips before savagely kicking them in the balls. Children welcome!
No, these are not legit MMA training camps, and they don’t promote themselves to be. But for MMA fans who just want to burn some calories and learn a few techniques, these places look pretty sweet. I can’t speak from personal experience, though, so if any of you have had good/bad experiences with UFC Gyms that you’d like to share, please drop ‘em in the comments section, or e-mail [email protected] to protect your anonymity.
When we first told you about the UFC’s plans to conquer the fitness market two and a half years ago, you may have expected the “fastest growing sport in the world” to become the “fastest growing fitness chain in the world”. Well, we’ve crunched the numbers and it looks like the franchise has fallen just short of that goal. Yesterday marked the grand opening of only their third location, all of which are located in California. Perhaps sensing that the brand could use a jumpstart, the UFC and BJ Penn have announced their partnership in the first of a new series of UFC Gyms to be headlined by the organization’s biggest stars.
From a business perspective, this makes perfect sense. BJ is an icon in the sport and a celebrity in Hawaii, and slapping his name up next to a UFC Gym sign will have people pouring in. But beyond BJ’s rabid fan base, is this pairing really the best fit?
When we first told you about the UFC’s plans to conquer the fitness market two and a half years ago, you may have expected the “fastest growing sport in the world” to become the “fastest growing fitness chain in the world”. Well, we’ve crunched the numbers and it looks like the franchise has fallen just short of that goal. Yesterday marked the grand opening of only their third location, all of which are located in California. Perhaps sensing that the brand could use a jumpstart, the UFC and BJ Penn have announced their partnership in the first of a new series of UFC Gyms to be headlined by the organization’s biggest stars.
From a business perspective, this makes perfect sense. BJ is an icon in the sport and a celebrity in Hawaii, and slapping his name up next to a UFC Gym sign will have people pouring in. But beyond BJ’s rabid fan base, is this pairing really the best fit?
Sure, having a World Jiu Jitsu Champion and former title holder in the UFC’s Lightweight and Welterweight divisions at the helm of a gym sounds like a no brainer. Only, “The Prodigy” didn’t become an MMA champion thanks to his work ethic; he became one despite it. He’s basically the posterboy for relying on unnatural natural talent- even his nickname connotes an innate gift, an ability achieved without hard work or sacrifice. Obviously, BJ wouldn’t be where he is today if he didn’t devote himself to his craft. And no, he didn’t crash and burn in the later rounds of every fight. But the simple truth is he doesn’t really like to train hard. Even when the cameras were rolling for Primetime, he didn’t think twice about taking five days off from training for the biggest fight of his life to chill on the beach. Basically, no one else on earth could achieve his level of success training as he does, which makes him an interesting namesake for a training facility, you know?
In the end, it doesn’t really matter. No one gets bent out of shape when they grab dinner at Planet Hollywood and they’re not sitting next to Bruce Willis, and this is kind of the same deal. BJ has his real gym on another island, and when he makes the occasional token appearance at this facility he’ll have great insight to share with the students. The big question is which UFC superstar will be the next to get his own place? Maybe Rampage?