Zuffa, LLC
Encyclopedia
Zuffa, LLC (ˈzuːfə) is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts
. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada by Station Casinos
executives Frank Fertitta III
and Lorenzo Fertitta
to be the parent entity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) after they purchased it from the Semaphore Entertainment Group. Lorenzo Fertitta is the company’s CEO and Chairman while Dana White
runs the day-to-day operations.
Zuffa is co-owned by Fertitta brothers (40.5% each), Dana White (9%) and Sheik Tahnoon of Abu Dhabi (Flash Entertainment) (10%).
Zuffa is universally credited for turning around the UFC and increasing the status of mixed martial arts in the United States from one with a limited audience and regional competitions to a multi-million dollar enterprise with millions of viewers and internationally popular events.
The word "Zuffa" is an Italian
word, meaning "scuffle".
(IFL) between 2006 to 2008, both Zuffa and the IFL had competed in a hostile relationship. Zuffa accused the IFL of and sued them for illegally using proprietary information obtained by hiring executives from the UFC organization. The IFL responded with their own suit claiming that Zuffa was threatening potential partners not to work with the IFL, including Fox Sports Net
(a deal with Fox Sports was later signed before resolution of the suit ). The tension between the IFL and the UFC worsened with accusations that the IFL had attempted to buy out several top UFC fighters.
In July 2008, there were reports of the IFL's possible purchase by the UFC. That same month, Joe Favorito, former IFL senior vice president, cited financial troubles for the closing of the company on July 31, 2008. Anonymous sources stated that Zuffa had bought the IFL. Other reports cited the UFC's airing of IFL footage on its programming, and the signing of previous IFL fighters, as an indirect confirmation of the purchase.
, and formed WFA Enterprises, LLC. as a subsidiary to handle these assets, including select fighter contracts. On the same day, it was reported that Zuffa was formalizing plans to buy World Extreme Cagefighting
, to be run as a separate promotion from the UFC.
, and the championships of fighters who were contracted UFC fighters were vacated.
From 2007 to the end of 2010, the WEC was run as a separate promotion under the Zuffa banner. Airing events 28
to 53
on Versus
in the USA and on The Score in Canada.
On October 28, 2010 Dana White
announced that the WEC would be merging with the UFC in early 2011.
and Lorenzo Fertitta
were acquiring the assets of Pride Fighting Championships, the UFC's largest rival, from Dream Stage Entertainment
. To handle the take over, the Fertitta brothers created a new corporate entity to handle the assets, Pride FC Worldwide Holdings LLC. With common ownership in place, Zuffa and Pride Worldwide would be working closely together. Although goals of reviving Pride were not realized, many of Pride's assets, including contracts with fighters and intellectual property, are now regularly utilized by the UFC.
Starting around 2008 with a rising interest in Strikeforce, UFC
president Dana White
began a long media battle with their main competitor Strikeforce
and their main media partner, Showtime.
Dana White made numerous negative claims and statements towards Strikeforce, including:
Dana White
had expressed that he had "no beef with Strikeforce", however instead indicted a greater dislike for Showtime and Ken Hershman in particular.
However White did express in an interview that he had a mutual relationship with Strikeforce founder and CEO, Scott Coker
. Explaining that Coker is caught in-between his battle with Showtime.
2011 Acquisition and Beyond (2011–Present)
On March 1, 2011 Scott Coker
was noted for dismissing rumors of a pending sale to Zuffa as "crazy." Coker, went onto explain that Strikeforce was searching for "strategic partners" and that there were at least two (some reports say three) potential investors, but that "the UFC is not one of them." One of the potential investors has been documented to have been, ProElite
.
However on March 12, 2011 it was announced in a interview between, Dana White
and journalist Ariel Helwani
that Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce. The deal was made between Zuffa and partial Strikeforce owners, Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment
. The amount of money involved has not been officially disclosed, however it has been reported that the deal was worth $40 million dollars.
Sources have confirmed that Scott Coker, attempted to not sell Strikeforce to Zuffa. However, Coker ultimately failed and agreed to sell Strikeforce's licensing rights, fighter contracts, and video library to Zuffa on March 10 or 11th.
On March 14, 2011 Zuffa held a conference call to officially announce the acquisition of Strikeforce.
On March 28, 2011 Scott Coker was noted for saying that he felt that acquisition would be good for the sport of mixed martial arts. This is in contradiction of his original resistance of selling Strikeforce to Zuffa.
government-owned Flash Entertainment. With the sale, company ownership would be 40.5 percent held by Lorenzo Fertitta, the company’s CEO and Chairman, 40.5 percent held by his older brother, Frank Fertitta III, 10 percent by Flash Entertainment and 9 percent by Dana White. Flash Entertainment was formed in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi government’s Executive Affairs Authority.
Ubisoft
, for what they claim is a violation of trademark on the game, Fighters Uncaged, packaging. On the packaging of the game the trademarked term, "Ultimate Fighting" is shown in all capital letters. Zuffa claimed that the use of the term is identical or confusingly similar to the use of the UFC's trademarks. While Ubisoft failed to provide any comments on the lawsuit. By August 2011, the two companies announced the dissolution of the lawsuit.
, for what they claim was a massive illegal viewing of UFC 121
among other events.
All products were autographed by UFC fighters and included, Baseball caps
, T-shirt
's, MMA gloves
, and DVD
's among other things. Products generally ranged in price from $50 to a few thousand dollars.
, held before Zuffa's takeover. New Jersey's Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts has since been established throughout the country by other state athletic commissions, including Nevada and California. The UFC has however kept close ties with state commissions, especially the Nevada State Athletic Commission
, of which Lorenzo Fertitta was a former board member.
athlete.
The policy covers any injuries that occur during competition, training, and non-training related accidents.
The policy was underwritten by Houston-based specialty insurance group HCC Insurance Holdings
and went into effect on June 1, 2011.
The details of the policy include:
An insurance policy is not a first for mixed martial arts
or combat sports as a whole. Former promotions such as the International Fight League
, offered insurance to its athletes. However Zuffa's policy is the first to cover a large group of combat sport athletes.
According UFC president Dana White
, the policy was a goal of the company since Zuffa first purchase the UFC in 2001. In addition UFC chairman and CEO
, Lorenzo Fertitta
stated that the policy took three years to establish while trying to find possible insurers.
Prior to the introduction of this policy, Zuffa provided up to $100,000 for an athlete on each event to cover injuries sustained during competition. However if an athlete was injured outside of competition they would have to pay for their own medical expenses.
Notable incidents where UFC athletes were injured outside of competition include,
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada by Station Casinos
Station Casinos
Station Casinos Inc. is a gaming company based in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin, Nevada, founded by Frank Fertitta Jr.Station Casinos along with Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, American Casino & Entertainment Properties, and Herbst Gaming, dominate the Locals market in Las Vegas.The...
executives Frank Fertitta III
Frank Fertitta III
Frank J. Fertitta III is current CEO of Station Casinos. He is also an owner of Zuffa LLC, which is the entity that runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Jill and three children.-Education:...
and Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Joseph Fertitta is an American businessman, casino executive, sports promoter and entrepreneur. Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Teresa and three children.- Education :...
to be the parent entity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC) after they purchased it from the Semaphore Entertainment Group. Lorenzo Fertitta is the company’s CEO and Chairman while Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
runs the day-to-day operations.
Zuffa is co-owned by Fertitta brothers (40.5% each), Dana White (9%) and Sheik Tahnoon of Abu Dhabi (Flash Entertainment) (10%).
Zuffa is universally credited for turning around the UFC and increasing the status of mixed martial arts in the United States from one with a limited audience and regional competitions to a multi-million dollar enterprise with millions of viewers and internationally popular events.
The word "Zuffa" is an Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
word, meaning "scuffle".
International Fight League
Throughout the existence of the International Fight LeagueInternational Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
(IFL) between 2006 to 2008, both Zuffa and the IFL had competed in a hostile relationship. Zuffa accused the IFL of and sued them for illegally using proprietary information obtained by hiring executives from the UFC organization. The IFL responded with their own suit claiming that Zuffa was threatening potential partners not to work with the IFL, including Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
(a deal with Fox Sports was later signed before resolution of the suit ). The tension between the IFL and the UFC worsened with accusations that the IFL had attempted to buy out several top UFC fighters.
In July 2008, there were reports of the IFL's possible purchase by the UFC. That same month, Joe Favorito, former IFL senior vice president, cited financial troubles for the closing of the company on July 31, 2008. Anonymous sources stated that Zuffa had bought the IFL. Other reports cited the UFC's airing of IFL footage on its programming, and the signing of previous IFL fighters, as an indirect confirmation of the purchase.
WFA
On December 11, 2006, Zuffa acquired the assets of the World Fighting AllianceWorld Fighting Alliance
The World Fighting Alliance was a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.Originally owned and organized by MMA Legend and trainer John Lewis and nightclub operator and "Club Rubber" promoter John Huntington along with Lawyer Louis Palazzo , the WFA began promoting events after...
, and formed WFA Enterprises, LLC. as a subsidiary to handle these assets, including select fighter contracts. On the same day, it was reported that Zuffa was formalizing plans to buy World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
, to be run as a separate promotion from the UFC.
WEC
Following the purchase of the WEC, Zuffa made several changes to the promotion. Including modifying the WEC's cage, transferred a focus on lighter weight classes, gave the ability to host events in Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and the championships of fighters who were contracted UFC fighters were vacated.
From 2007 to the end of 2010, the WEC was run as a separate promotion under the Zuffa banner. Airing events 28
WEC 28
WEC 28: Faber vs. Farrar was the fourth mixed martial arts event held by the World Extreme Cagefighting under Zuffa management. The event was held on June 3, 2007. WEC 28 was the first WEC to be aired live on the Versus Network. The main event was a Featherweight title defense by WEC Featherweight...
to 53
WEC 53
WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. The event was the first time that Zuffa has hosted an event in Arizona...
on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
in the USA and on The Score in Canada.
On October 28, 2010 Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
announced that the WEC would be merging with the UFC in early 2011.
Pride Fighting Championships
On March 27, 2007, it was announced that Frank Fertitta IIIFrank Fertitta III
Frank J. Fertitta III is current CEO of Station Casinos. He is also an owner of Zuffa LLC, which is the entity that runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Jill and three children.-Education:...
and Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Joseph Fertitta is an American businessman, casino executive, sports promoter and entrepreneur. Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Teresa and three children.- Education :...
were acquiring the assets of Pride Fighting Championships, the UFC's largest rival, from Dream Stage Entertainment
Dream Stage Entertainment
Dream Stage Entertainment was a Japanese company that promoted various wrestling and mixed martial arts events, most notably mixed martial arts Pride Fighting Championship and Hustle professional wrestling events....
. To handle the take over, the Fertitta brothers created a new corporate entity to handle the assets, Pride FC Worldwide Holdings LLC. With common ownership in place, Zuffa and Pride Worldwide would be working closely together. Although goals of reviving Pride were not realized, many of Pride's assets, including contracts with fighters and intellectual property, are now regularly utilized by the UFC.
Strikeforce
Early Relationship (2008–2010)Starting around 2008 with a rising interest in Strikeforce, UFC
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
president Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
began a long media battle with their main competitor Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
and their main media partner, Showtime.
Dana White made numerous negative claims and statements towards Strikeforce, including:
- Calling Strikeforce, "Strikefarce".
- Calling Strikeforce the "minor leagues".
- Fans are only interested in the results of Strikeforce events, without actually watching them.
- Strikeforce fails to get their own fighters to fight each other.
- Strikeforce is unorganized.
- Strikeforce’s weight divisions are not very competitive, which leads to mismatches and a lack of interesting fights.
- Strikeforce fails to draw in a relevant number of TV viewersAudience measurementAudience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
. - Strikeforce is a small local San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
based show, and is not on the same national and international level as the UFC. - Strikeforce is not heavy competitionCompetition (economics)Competition in economics is a term that encompasses the notion of individuals and firms striving for a greater share of a market to sell or buy goods and services...
for the UFC. - Strikeforce fails to make much of any profitProfit (economics)In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
. - Strikeforce has no distributionDistribution (economics)Distribution in economics refers to the way total output, income, or wealth is distributed among individuals or among the factors of production .. In general theory and the national income and product accounts, each unit of output corresponds to a unit of income...
. - Strikeforce fails to hold consistent title defenses for their champions.
Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
had expressed that he had "no beef with Strikeforce", however instead indicted a greater dislike for Showtime and Ken Hershman in particular.
However White did express in an interview that he had a mutual relationship with Strikeforce founder and CEO, Scott Coker
Scott Coker
Scott Coker is the founder and CEO of Strikeforce, a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.Scott Coker is an Ernie Reyes protege and full-contact fight promoter covering Kickboxing, K-1, and MMA...
. Explaining that Coker is caught in-between his battle with Showtime.
2011 Acquisition and Beyond (2011–Present)
On March 1, 2011 Scott Coker
Scott Coker
Scott Coker is the founder and CEO of Strikeforce, a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.Scott Coker is an Ernie Reyes protege and full-contact fight promoter covering Kickboxing, K-1, and MMA...
was noted for dismissing rumors of a pending sale to Zuffa as "crazy." Coker, went onto explain that Strikeforce was searching for "strategic partners" and that there were at least two (some reports say three) potential investors, but that "the UFC is not one of them." One of the potential investors has been documented to have been, ProElite
ProElite
ProElite, Inc. is an American entertainment and media company involved in the promotion of mixed martial arts .-First incarnation:Founded in 2006 in partnership with Showtime Networks Inc...
.
However on March 12, 2011 it was announced in a interview between, Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
and journalist Ariel Helwani
Ariel Helwani
- Biography :Helwani was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he grew up in a Jewish family in the Town of Mount Royal and Westmount and attended the Akiva School and Herzliah High School. In 2004, he graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He works for...
that Zuffa had purchased Strikeforce. The deal was made between Zuffa and partial Strikeforce owners, Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment
Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment
Sharks Sports and Entertainment, Inc. is a privately held corporation based in San Jose, California, which owns and operates a number of sports properties, most notably the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League...
. The amount of money involved has not been officially disclosed, however it has been reported that the deal was worth $40 million dollars.
Sources have confirmed that Scott Coker, attempted to not sell Strikeforce to Zuffa. However, Coker ultimately failed and agreed to sell Strikeforce's licensing rights, fighter contracts, and video library to Zuffa on March 10 or 11th.
On March 14, 2011 Zuffa held a conference call to officially announce the acquisition of Strikeforce.
On March 28, 2011 Scott Coker was noted for saying that he felt that acquisition would be good for the sport of mixed martial arts. This is in contradiction of his original resistance of selling Strikeforce to Zuffa.
Flash Entertainment
On January 12, 2010, Zuffa sold a minority interest in the company to Flash Entertainment. The company announced the completion of a deal in which a 10-percent interest in the company to the Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
government-owned Flash Entertainment. With the sale, company ownership would be 40.5 percent held by Lorenzo Fertitta, the company’s CEO and Chairman, 40.5 percent held by his older brother, Frank Fertitta III, 10 percent by Flash Entertainment and 9 percent by Dana White. Flash Entertainment was formed in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi government’s Executive Affairs Authority.
Ubisoft
In December 2010 Zuffa filed a lawsuit against video game publisherVideo game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
, for what they claim is a violation of trademark on the game, Fighters Uncaged, packaging. On the packaging of the game the trademarked term, "Ultimate Fighting" is shown in all capital letters. Zuffa claimed that the use of the term is identical or confusingly similar to the use of the UFC's trademarks. While Ubisoft failed to provide any comments on the lawsuit. By August 2011, the two companies announced the dissolution of the lawsuit.
Justin.tv
In January 2011 Zuffa filed a lawsuit against Justin.tvJustin.tv
Justin.tv is a website created by Justin Kan, Emmett Shear, Michael Seibel and Kyle Vogt in 2007 that allows anyone to broadcast video online. Justin.tv user accounts are called "channels", and users are encouraged to broadcast a wide variety of user-generated live video content, called...
, for what they claim was a massive illegal viewing of UFC 121
UFC 121
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...
among other events.
Lone Survivor Foundation
In May 2011 it was announced that Zuffa would be holding a charity auction featuring more than 100 items to benefit the Lone Survivor Foundation during the last week of May 2011.All products were autographed by UFC fighters and included, Baseball caps
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
, T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
's, MMA gloves
MMA gloves
MMA gloves or grappling gloves are small, open-fingered gloves used in mixed martial arts bouts. They usually have around 4-6 oz of padding and are designed to provide some protection to the person wearing the glove, but leave the fingers available for grappling maneuvers such as clinch fighting...
, and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
's among other things. Products generally ranged in price from $50 to a few thousand dollars.
MMA regulation
The current rules used in the UFC were first established by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board in 2000, in consultation with the UFC and other MMA promotions in the United States. The first UFC event under the new rules was UFC 28UFC 28
UFC 28: High Stakes was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 17, 2000 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.-History:...
, held before Zuffa's takeover. New Jersey's Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts has since been established throughout the country by other state athletic commissions, including Nevada and California. The UFC has however kept close ties with state commissions, especially the Nevada State Athletic Commission
Nevada Athletic Commission
The Nevada Athletic Commission regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...
, of which Lorenzo Fertitta was a former board member.
Insurance policy
On May 9, 2011 it was announced that Zuffa would be providing year-round customized insurance coverage for any injury suffered by a UFC or StrikeforceStrikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
athlete.
The policy covers any injuries that occur during competition, training, and non-training related accidents.
The policy was underwritten by Houston-based specialty insurance group HCC Insurance Holdings
HCC Insurance Holdings
HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. ) is a leading international specialty insurance group with offices across the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Ireland. The company is based in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. and has a heavy concentration in property and casualty insurance...
and went into effect on June 1, 2011.
The details of the policy include:
- The policy covers all athletes signed by the UFC or StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
. - The policy covers athletes of all residing both within and outside of the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - Zuffa will pay for all premiums for the policy, and athletes will not be required to pay anything.
- The policy allows athletes to use up to $50,000 in annual coverage for any injuries that occur while under contract to Zuffa. This includes services such as, doctor services, laboratory tests, emergency medical evacuation, and physical therapy.
- The policy covers athletes regardless if they are scheduled to compete.
- The policy also includes life and dental insurance at no cost to the athletes.
- The policy does not cover minor illnesses, but does cover training-related illnesses like staph infections.
An insurance policy is not a first for mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
or combat sports as a whole. Former promotions such as the International Fight League
International Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
, offered insurance to its athletes. However Zuffa's policy is the first to cover a large group of combat sport athletes.
According UFC president Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
, the policy was a goal of the company since Zuffa first purchase the UFC in 2001. In addition UFC chairman and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Joseph Fertitta is an American businessman, casino executive, sports promoter and entrepreneur. Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Teresa and three children.- Education :...
stated that the policy took three years to establish while trying to find possible insurers.
Prior to the introduction of this policy, Zuffa provided up to $100,000 for an athlete on each event to cover injuries sustained during competition. However if an athlete was injured outside of competition they would have to pay for their own medical expenses.
Notable incidents where UFC athletes were injured outside of competition include,
- Frank MirFrank MirFrancisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
, who was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle in 2004, and forced out of competition for over 20 months. - Brock LesnarBrock LesnarBrock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
, who was forced out of action for several months while struggling with diverticulitisDiverticulitisDiverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
.