The UFC’s massive donation campaign in Brazil was a resounding success
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently sponsored a social effort during the fight week of UFC 283: Teixeira vs. Hill, which took place on January 21 in Rio de Janeiro. The organization donated almost six tons of non-perishable food to eight different shelters across the city, helping over five thousand people in need of food.
The Institute Irmoos Nogueira, Usina de Campees, Nocaute com Christ, Escola de Lutas José Aldo, Santuário Arquidiocesano do Cristo Redentor, Faixa Preta de Jesus, Rio Inclui, and Instituto Reaço were among the institutions that benefited. [story via UFC.com]
Ricardo Cavalcanti, coordinator of the Faixa Preta de Jesus project stated:
“One of the pillars of the Faixa Preta de Jesus Institute, besides sports, is providing food to our students. The food received from the campaign went directly to our cafeteria, and has contributed to feed about 680 children, teens, and people of various ages in our training center every week. Social work is much more efficient when you have someone to join hands with to move forward together, and the UFC has been tireless in this.”
The ceremonial weigh-ins, which marked the company’s return to Brazil after almost three years, were essential in securing a portion of the proceeds. There was a food exchange for tickets to the event, with spectators required to bring one kilograms of nonperishable food in return for a ticket to the game.
“The UFC 283 campaign helped the Nocaute com Cristo social project a lot, guaranteeing not only the students, but also families of great financial difficulty identified by the project leaders to get a good basic food basket, providing happiness to their homes,” said Fábio Campos, coordinator of the Nocaute com Cristo project. Bringing current and future athletes closer to an organization of great recognition in the world of sports also demonstrates the importance of contributing to a more giving society.”
With UFC 283, the promotion hosted its 26th event in South America. Through their efforts, UFC has helped deliver over 83 tonnes of food to local charities.
UFC has also given money to schools from athletes and coaches that are affiliated with the company. In December of 2022, kimonos, training gear, and mats were donated to the Escola de Lutas José Aldo and the Irmos Nogueira Institute, which were directed by MMA luminaries José Aldo, Rogério Nogueira, and Rodrigo Nogueira, respectively.
The Diego Lima Institute in Sao Paulo also benefited from the generosity of donors by installing surveillance cameras at its building. The academy’s namesake trainer has a long history of working with MMA’s A-list, including Charles Oliveira, the sport’s previous lightweight champion.
The UFC continues to grow year-on-year, delivering solid numbers and thrilling action that fight fans worldwide crave. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has its sights set on several countries with significant growth potential. One of these nations is France, which legalised mixed martial arts in 2018 due to the UFC’s lobbying efforts. The UFC believes that Mexico, China, and several African nations are ready for additional investment in the form of live events or the construction of performance institutes to identify and develop talent.
During a Tuesday earnings call, Endeavor disclosed that the UFC was once again its most profitable division. The combined revenue of all of Endeavor’s owned sports businesses in the fourth quarter was $301.4 million, an increase of nine percent over the same period in 2021. This includes the UFC and Professional Bull Riders.
The UFC was a major contributor to the owned sports properties’ $1.3 billion in income in 2018, an increase of $224.1 million (or 20%) from 2021.
“Both organizations recorded record revenue last year,” Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel said. “All 21 UFC events with live audiences sold out, continuing a 29 event sell out streak since returning from the pandemic. UFC posted its best sponsorship year ever in 2022, unlocking new categories and inventory to reach a fan base that grew double digits over 2021 in the U.S. [Via MMA Fighting]
Chief Finance Officer Jason Lublin reported that the UFC’s run of sellout shows continued unabated in 2022, and that the resumption of UFC Fight Night cards outside of the UFC APEX contributed to even more record-breaking statistics for live gates.
“UFC set 11 arena records for highest-grossing events, including four of the highest grossing Fight Nights in the U.S. and the two highest grossing Fight Nights in UFC history, both at London’s O2 Arena. UFC also had its highest sponsorship sales in the company’s history,” Lublin said. “We added several new sponsors to our roster like V-Chain, New Amsterdam Vodka, and Project Rock. We also introduced new categories like the official commercial truck, the official law firm, and the official ready-to-drink partners of the UFC.”
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