UFC and PFL Enter the Web3 Gaming Space

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and its competitor, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), have taken a significant step into the digital realm with the unveiling of their ambitious Web3 gaming ventures. These ventures include UFC's mobile roster management game and PFL's fighter-based playable collectibles, hinting at a digital revolution for MMA.

UFC Partners with Concept Labs for UFC Strike: Fight Camp

UFC has partnered with Concept Labs, a company specializing in fan-driven digital experiences, to expand its UFC Strike digital collectibles. The new expansion, UFC Strike: Fight Camp, is a mobile roster management game compatible with UFC Strike's digital collectibles. The game aims to engage and delight UFC's ardent fanbase. The original UFC Strike collectibles, released in partnership with Dapper Labs in early 2022, feature iconic moments from UFC history and have gathered over 100,000 fans.

Simultaneously, PFL is forging a partnership with GameOn, a next-gen fantasy sports platform, after recently announcing a new NFT ticketing system for live events. According to the press release, the partnership with GameOn will result in a new web3 game based on real-world PFL fighters and events. PFL CEO, Pete Murray, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, viewing it as an opportunity to strengthen the league's digital connections with fans globally.

PFL vs UFC: A Challenge to UFC's Monopoly?

PFL's expanding fighter roster is internationally diverse, with the league recently signing the UFC lineal heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou. Although a smaller league than the UFC, the PFL offers its fighters a fairer percentage of revenue. The UFC only pays 20% of revenue to their fighters, unlike other leagues like the NBA and NFL, which pay roughly 50%. Only time will tell if the UFC manages to maintain its monopoly over MMA or begins to lose ground to rivals like the PFL.

These technological strides by both companies signal a bright future for the growth of MMA. This industry boasts a global fan base of over 600 million and is the youngest audience demographic of any sport.