UFC, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, recently announced a series of historic milestones that represent the company’s ambitious growth plans in China.
The first milestone marks the culmination of more than a year of planning and construction, as UFC celebrates the grand opening of the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai, the world’s largest, state-of-the-art MMA training and development facility. Nearly three times as large as the original UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, the 93,000 square-foot facility in Shanghai will serve as a training hub to develop and support the next generation of MMA athletes from around the Chinese mainland and the greater Asia-Pacific region.
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai official opening
UFC will also use the building to house UFC employees and UFC Performance Institute staff, including experts in the fields of MMA, strength and conditioning, sports science, physical therapy and nutrition. Additional features will include hospitality suites, dining facilities, retail services and a fan experience area.
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai official opening
The grand opening of the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai comes as UFC prepares for a historic live event in China this August that will mark a series of firsts for the company.
On Saturday August 31, UFC will make its debut in Shenzhen – the company’s third live event on the Chinese mainland in three years. UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang (presented by AirAsia), will be held at Universiade Sports Centre and will feature the first-ever UFC championship fight held in China, as well as the first-ever Chinese athlete to compete for a UFC title.
Andrade vs. Zhang face-off photo
UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang is headlined by a strawweight championship showdown, as newly-crowned champion Jessica Andrade looks to defend her title for the first time when she takes on No. 6-ranked contender Weili Zhang. Andrade (20-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is the No. 15-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world and is on a mission to build her legacy as the new champion by stopping Zhang’s 19-fight win streak.
Meanwhile, Zhang (19-1, fighting out of Beijing, China) is the highest-ranked Chinese UFC athlete in history and has had 16 of 19 wins via finish, including nine by KO and seven by submission, with 10 first-round finishes.
UFC is working together with Endeavor China, a subsidiary of Endeavor, to ensure UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang is as successful as UFC’s two previous events in China, in Shanghai in 2017 and Beijing in 2018.
Damai Sports is the official co-promoter of UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang, which is also supported by China Boxing Federation and Shenzhen Longgang Administration of Culture, Television and Radio, Sports and Tourism.
Tickets for UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang are on sale now via Damai.cn and Ticketflap.com.
Ticket prices are as follows: Floor: RMB2,880-12,880; Riser: RMB280-1,880
More bouts for UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang will be announced in the coming weeks and fans can keep up to date with the latest event information by following UFC on Weibo: @UFC终极格斗冠军赛, Wechat: UFC终极格斗冠军赛(ufcofficial) , Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc). For event livecast, please follow PPTV Sports and BesTV.
[All images courtesy of UFC]
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