The @UFC will open a
new Performance Institute in Mexico to develop and support MMA
athletes from Latin America.Get all the details here ⤵️
— UFC News (@UFCNews)
February 7, 2023
Advertisement
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to open a third
Performance Institute in Mexico City in the fourth quarter of
2023.
The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the news on Tuesday. The
32,000 square foot facility will help to develop fighters from
Mexico and other Latin American countries. The UFC currently has
Performance Institutes in Las Vegas and Shangai. The Las Vegas
version opened in 2017 and is primarily used by current UFC
athletes for training, while the Chinese facility opened in 2019
and serves as a developmental hub for athletes in the region.
The UFC Performance Institute Mexico will be more like the latter,
“aiming to rapidly accelerate the skill level and UFC-readiness of
mixed martial artists in the region.” A full coaching staff will
provide sport-specific training and fighters will have opportunties
to showcase their skills at various talent evaluation events,
potentially serving as a springboard to a career in MMA.
According to a release, there are more than 150 athletes from Latin
American countries on the UFC’s active roster. Sixty-six of those
hail from Spanish-speaking countries — including 28 from Mexico.
Notables include current UFC flyweight champion Brandon
Moreno, interim featherweight title challenger Yair
Rodriguez, women’s flyweight contender Alexa
Grasso and female bantamweight contender Irene
Aldana.
“Some of the greatest athletes in combat sports history have come
from Mexico,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “Our
teams at the PI are the best in the world at what they do, and we
know that by making the resources and training available in the
country, Mexico can become one of the greatest sources of MMA
talent in the world. This is a massive opportunity for the sport of
MMA and for athletes throughout Latin America.”