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.’”
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.
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