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During last month's events in Macao, the UFC took its MMA-inspired physical fitness contest to the city for the first time. The event drew a massive number of participants to test their reactions, striking power and grip strength, while trying MMA pros' training methods.

The series of contests was launched in July 2023 in partnership with the leisure sports department of the General Administration of Sport of China to raise awareness about the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. It also aims to improve fitness levels of the Chinese public by leveraging UFC resources in fitness conditioning, nutrition and rehabilitation.

"We know how to test and evaluate the various techniques in our sport. And these have all been integrated into this mixed martial arts-inspired fitness competition," said Kevin Chang, UFC senior vice-president and head of UFC Asia.

"We also have expertise in training the nontechnical aspects of all sports of which strength and conditioning are particularly relevant …We've trained countless elite-level athletes of all sports disciplines, and this has contributed greatly to how we've designed the format of the competition."

The fitness contest reflects the UFC's commitment to not just helping develop the country's burgeoning MMA scene, but also facilitating the entire sports and fitness sector, Chang added.

"I think it goes much broader than that," Chang said of the UFC's investment in China, which includes the establishment of the Performance Institute, a multi-function training facility, in Shanghai.

"We want to come in and lend our expertise in overall sports science in various aspects of training for athletes of all disciplines to improve their chances of success."