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Ultimate Fighting Championship is betting that everyday people are looking for a chance to train like Brock Lesnar or Georges St. Pierre without being punched in the face.

UFC is partnering with Mark Mastrov, (R) founder of the 24 Hour Fitness chain, to build UFC Gyms, offering a blend of traditional and modern workouts with a healthy dose of UFC atmosphere.

For UFC President Dana White, (R) who worked in the fitness industry before moving into mixed martial arts, the gyms are a chance to extend UFC's brand as the company goes global. White, not one to keep his ambitions quiet, thinks the new business can make an impact.

"The fitness industry has gotten stale, much like the fight industry had gotten stale," White says. "A lot of it hasn't changed much since the 60s — a lot of the same equipment, a lot of the same stuff going on. We're going to have treadmills and weights for people who still want that, but there's going to be a lot of different things."

Those different things may include flipping tires, lifting chains, swinging sledgehammers or lugging bricks.

"If you look at the world today when it comes to training, everybody's starting to morph off into what I call nontraditional training," Mastrov says. "What UFC Gyms is going to do is leverage that."

Workouts can also include classes in mixed martial arts disciplines such as jiu-jitsu, taekwondo or Muay Thai fighting. But Mastrov and White see their gyms as a lively workout facility for all types of people, not as a breeding ground for new fighters.

"We're going to bring the programs to help you get in shape like those fighters," Mastrov says. "If you find yourself eventually wanting to be a fighter, you're going to go to the places that really train you to become a fighter. We'll have a lot of entry-level programming around that, and I'm sure a lot of fighters will come work out here on their strength, their core. The actual sparring and fighting isn't going to be done in our centers."

The atmosphere, though, may feel like a fight night. The gyms will have flat-screen TVs offering UFC footage as well as the usual cable choices, and Mastrov says they'll have plenty of music with "nice bass."

"When you're working out, it's going to almost be like being at an event — how visually stimulating an event is," White says.

Yes, the gyms will have an Octagon, the eight-sided cage used for UFC fights, for a few functions and perhaps for some curiosity-seekers who want to know how it feels to be confined in a fighting space. If customers would rather stick with treadmills and a kickboxing class, with an unconventional tire-flipping drill mixed in, the gyms will give that without the fight-club environment. "This gym won't be intimidating," White says.

Dana White



Mark Mastrov

MORE ON THIS ISSUE...

UFC Gets Into The Gym Business
From mmapayout.com

In what can be seen as extending out their brand (or going outside their core competence) the UFC announced today that they will be entering the health club business:

UFC Gym officials said they are close to breaking ground on the first of five health clubs planned in California, and plan to build more such gyms across the country and in Canada. "We're going to force all these other gyms to take it up to another level," UFC President Dana White told The Associated Press on Monday. "Just like we have in the fight business, and everyone's trying to compete with us now, same thing's going to happen in the fitness industry." White said most gyms and health clubs haven't changed in years, giving the mixed martial arts league an opportunity to attract new fitness customers or others wanting to get different kinds of workouts under the same roof. The gyms aren't intended for professional or amateur fighters.

The move shouldn't be a big surprise. The UFC have felt that various parts of the gym/training business have been reaping the benefits of the mixed martial arts explosion that the UFC claims credit for. Joe Silva (R, UFC Vice-President and Matchmaker) spoke with Florida Today and commented on the Zuffa mindset of others capitalizing off Zuffa's rise to prominence:

"What's the new hook that we can get people into the dojos with?" Silva said of an attitude that has disgusted him in the past. "Now you have Tae Kwon Do schools and they (say), 'Yeah, we have grappling.' They're looking to appeal to the consumer, and the consumer is watching UFC on TV, on Spike TV and on pay-per-view."

All of us here at the ISCF wish to express our deepest condolences and best wishes to the Family and Friends of
Pro MMA Fighter Justin Eilers.
The following is the story written by Loretta Hunt of www.Sherdog.com

By Loretta Hunt Of Sherdog.com - lhunt@sherdog.com
Pro MMA Fighter Justin Eilers was shot and died shortly after on Friday morning December 26th in an apparent domestic disturbance at an acquaintances home in Canyon County, Idaho. Eilers was 30 years old. Canyon County sheriffs arrived at the residence at 10:44 PM, MST, where Eilers was found shot and wounded.

"Emergency medical staff took live-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful," said Capt. Dana Maxfield. Eilers was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy conducted Friday released the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet reportedly punctured Eilers' lung before exiting his body, said Monte Cox, Eiler's longtime manager.

Cox said Eilers had gathered with relatives for the holidays, but tensions escalated with an ex-girlfriend, also in attendance. Eilers was asked to leave the residence, but was said to have refused and began throwing dishes and other objects in protest. The home's owner was then said to have pulled a gun on Eilers and shot him in the chest after a brief verbal confrontation.

Eilers' ex-girlfriend, mother, and young son were said to have been in the room at the time of the shooting. James Robert Malec, 48, was arrested and charged with second degree murder in relation with the shooting, said Capt. Maxfield. It is believed that Malec is Eilers' mother's boyfriend. Capt. Maxfield could not confirm this relationship or Eilers' alleged interaction with the ex-girlfriend. Maxfield did confirm that numerous relatives were at the scene at the time of the shooting.

Eilers was introduced to the fight game by close friend and former UFC champion Jens Pulver, who saw potential in the former Iowa State middle linebacker. After a brief tryout, Eilers became a member of the formidable Miletich Martial Arts team.

A well-liked figure in the fight community, the athletic heavyweight quickly rose through the ranks and fought for the UFC heavyweight championship against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 53 in June 2005. The fight was stopped 4:10 into the first round when Eilers incurred a knee injury and collapsed to the canvas. Eilers (19-7-1) appeared in the Octagon four times, and went 1-3 in the UFC.

The Boise native reeled off 10 victories in his next 11 fights and got his second title bid for the EliteXC promotion in 2008. After a second-round loss to the much heftier Antonio Silva last July, Eilers announced he'd be moving down to the 205-pound division. "He was really getting his fight career together," said Cox, who called Eilers a good friend.

Jeff Sherwood and Brian Knapp contributed to this report.
This Sherdog report can be found by clicking HERE with additional articles.

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