UFC GYM® Kicks off 2013 With Acquisition of LA Boxing® Franchising Platform

LAFAYETTE, Calif., Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- UFC GYM^®, the ultimate fitness destination and first major brand extension of the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®, continues its worldwide expansion with the acquisition of LA Boxing^®. UFC GYM looks to bring its 'Train Different' philosophy, which combines the best of traditional fitness with the innovation of mixed martial arts, to LA Boxing's already established, elite facilities. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111220/NY25681LOGO)

"The UFC GYM experience is second-to-none. Our gyms have incredible energy and through innovative programs members see amazing results," says UFC President Dana White, "With this acquisition, we continue to grow our footprint as leaders in the global fitness industry."

Founded in partnership with New Evolution Ventures, LLC™, UFC GYM currently has five full-service facilities which average 35,000 square feet in California and Hawaii. It has also started selling membership for locations in New York Metro and Sydney, Australia which will open by April 2013. UFC GYM will begin to transform the boutique LA Boxing facilities, which average 5,000 square feet, to the UFC GYM format.

"The goal of UFC GYM when we launched it three years ago was to create a unique MMA-styled fitness experience for men, women and children that went far beyond the traditional workout," says, Mark Mastrov, Chairman of New Evolution Ventures. "We were drawn to LA Boxing based upon the similarities in our brand DNA. We are thrilled to partner with the existing LA Boxing team and their franchisees in expanding our shared vision worldwide." 

With the addition of  the current 81 LA Boxing locations, UFC GYM will begin to franchise this new model of boutique clubs while preserving the character and guiding principles of its brand. Franchisees will have the unique opportunity to own and operate the new UFC GYM franchise model across the US and the globe. 

"Our new partnership will build upon LA Boxing's growth over the past 10 years in boxing, kickboxing and MMA.  We will grow the franchise in the US and internationally benefiting current LA Boxing franchises, their staff, trainers, and members," said Anthony Geisler, President of UFC Gym Franchise. "The partnership will enable UFC GYM to continue to provide a superior workout experience at a great value and will add even more benefits for current members and franchisees."

The first location  under the new ownership will open in Chicago's thriving River North neighborhood with media invited to visit the facility on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 11:30 a.m. This media-only event will feature a workout with main card athletes from UFC^® on FOX: JOHNSON vs. DODSON which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the United Center and will be broadcast on FOX.  For more information visit www.ufcgym.com.

About UFC GYM®: UFC GYM® is the first major brand extension of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world leader in the sport of mixed martial arts.  In alliance with New Evolution Ventures™(NeV), developers of many of the world's most successful fitness brands, the UFC Gym brand gives UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers of all ages the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes. Offering a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA style youth programming, UFC GYM creates something for all ages and fitness levels. As the first to combine the world of mixed martial arts and fitness, UFC GYM has developed an atmosphere where members can see immediate results. UFC GYM is the ultimate fitness experience. The brand is not what you expect, and more than you can imagine, aiming to continue revolutionizing the fitness industry. For more information, please visit www.ufcgym.com.

About LA Boxing®: LA Boxing® is the world's largest boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts fitness franchise with nearly 81 locations open nationwide and another 50 in various stages of development. The LA Boxing Workout-aimed at suburban men, women, and children-which burns 800-1,000 calories per hour, is taught by professionally-trained boxers, kickboxers and mixed martial arts fighters. For more information about LA Boxing, visit http://laboxing.com/.

About New Evolution Ventures (NeV): Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures (NeV) has a two-decade plus record of success in delivering superior returns on investment, specializing in the acquisition, development and operations management of both domestic and international fitness endeavors.  Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is setting industry-wide standards one brand at a time. Operations have spanned over 20 countries worldwide and included hundreds of facilities. Our team's industry experience has positioned NeV as a global leader in its field, expanding and reinventing the vision of fitness. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®: Universally recognized for its action-packed, can't-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

SOURCE UFC GYM