Revolutionary United Fight League on the Rise Ahead of UFL 5

By Martial Arts Videos August 30, 2024
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A year and a half after its first event, the
United Fight League has ushered a new era in mixed martial
arts. As the only MMA promotion to provide health insurance, life
insurance and shares in the company to all of its signed fighters,
the UFL vows to set the new standard for the fight business.

“We are the first combat sports league to offer health insurance
and shares in the company to show that hey, if you help us build
this idea, we’ll all win, we’ll all eat together,” UFL CEO Harrison
Rogers told Sherdog.com. “It had only been a crazy idea. It’s been
like twisting arms to get people to take a chance with us, but the
fans want better options for fighters [and] the fighters want
better options, so to see that idea come to fruition this weekend
is the most fun part.”


UFL 5 “Phoenix vs. Las Vegas”—headlined by a bantamweight title
fight between reigning champion Hunter
Azure and fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship vet Vince
Morales—takes place on Friday at the Gila River Hotels and
Casino in Chandler, Arizona. Fights start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
and are set to stream at Kick.com.

While the Azure-Morales showdown should produce fireworks, Rogers
is thrilled to unveil the UFL’s new team-versus-team format. Team
Phoenix is coached by former UFC flyweight and bantamweight
champion Henry
Cejudo, while Team Las Vegas is headed by former UFC
heavyweight kingpin Frank Mir. The
teams will compete in five matchups, with extra points being
awarded for finishes. In case of a draw after all five fights have
been completed, the tiebreaker will be the least cage time. Here is
a look at how the points will be determined:

• Round 1 Finish = 4 Points/6 Points in Main Event
• Round 2 Finish = 3 Points/6 Points in Main Event
• Round 3 Finish = 2 Points/6 Points in Main Event
• Decision Win = 1 point

Winning teams will split $50,000 and the all-important bragging
rights. Rogers indicated that there will be eight teams total, with
Florida (Rashad
Evans) and Southern California (Quinton
Jackson) already confirmed to one day help turn the UFL into
“the NBA of MMA.”

“We’ll have our eight teams throughout the country that will have
consistent schedules fighting at least four times a year,” Rogers
said. “When we start being able to do drafts and bring fighters
into their new teams or have trade deadlines, it’s going to be fun
to become the NBA of MMA.”

With a team of experienced fight veterans like Cejudo, Mir, Evans
and Jackson in his corner, Rogers believes the UFL is headed toward
a prosperous future. “Fight with Us, Not for Us” is the company’s
mantra and is proudly displayed on its championship belt. While
staying in business and making money is important, the weight the
UFL places on being a fighter-friendly organization will lead it
into the future.

“We talk about how MMA can be better and we all can think we’re so
smart, but these big personalities have lived it and pioneered the
sport into what it is today,” Rogers said. “From ‘Rampage’ coming
over from Pride [Fighting Championships] to the UFC to Frank living
in Las Vegas and seeing the sport’s mecca, them telling me that
we’re on to something is reassuring and reinvigorating. They would
be living so much differently with the UFC shares. They would’ve
felt appreciated and loved. That’s what I want for our fighters—for
them to look back and say, ‘Man, I helped build that, and they took
care of me for it.’”

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