UFC EXPANSION PROMISES CANADIAN TAKEOVER
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday proclaimed “Oh, Canada!” in a big way.
The promotion held a special press conference at the Rogers Centre in Toronto where the company’s top two executives – UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta – revealed plans for a Canadian office in Toronto. They also announced that former Canadian Football League commissioner Tom Wright would be the Dana White of the Great White North, heading up the Canadian office.
Opening up a headquarters in Canada doesn’t carry the glitz of announcing the promotion’s first live event in Toronto (where sanctioning has yet to be achieved) or a Team Canada vs. Team USA themed “Ultimate Fighter” for the country’s MMA fans. Fertitta’s full-time move to the UFC a couple of years ago didn’t carry that “Wow!” factor for fans either, but this is a move that, like Fertitta, will likely slip under the radar, but do the backbone work for the flashy moves that fans can latch onto.
“Now that we look back, it actually was a big deal,” White said of Fertitta’s focus on the UFC. “There’s only so much one guy can do. Now that Lorenzo’s here, he took on the initiative to go global.”
In the time that Fertitta came on board full-time: UFC 100 was beamed live into 75 countries across the globe; the promotion debuted live events in Germany, Australia, and Abu Dhabi; sold a 10-percent stake to an Abu Dhabi company to help facilitate quicker expansion into difficult markets; and secured numerous television deals across the globe, perhaps most importantly in China.
In short, the move paid off in spades.
The UFC has delegated much of its European and international responsibilities to Marshall Zelaznik, who recently made the move from UFC U.K. President to Managing Director of International Development.
Where Zelaznik heads much of the European and international efforts to expand the sport and the UFC brand into new markets, Wright will do much of the same in Canada, breaking down barriers in provinces where sanctioning still lags. But there’s much more to it than sanctioning according to Fertitta.
“The UFC is not just about throwing a live event,” said the UFC CEO. “Canada represents about 17 percent of our overall business as a company now. So we look to grow that.
“In addition to that, we have initiatives in new media, Video-On-Demand, video games, a thriving merchandise business. We’re in the process of rolling out UFC gyms in the market. The list really goes on and on and on.
“There is a whole business that needs to be run up here, PR, marketing, the whole gamut, so that’s what Tom will be doing.”
The UFC feels that Wright is the right man for the job.
“He brings a unique blend of business experience and sports experience,” said Fertitta. “He ran Adidas Canada for 11 years, he ran Solomon North America for two years, and was also the commissioner for the Canadian Football League for four years.”
Wright works and lives in Toronto, proclaiming deep ties with his community both personally and professionally. He’s worked with the Special Olympics in Canada, and feels that he has something special to offer with the UFC’s expansion efforts.
“After my family, my passions are sports and my country,” stated Wright, beaming with enthusiasm. “I think I bring a unique perspective and a different blend to build the UFC operations here in Canada. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this.”
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday proclaimed “Oh, Canada!” in a big way.
The promotion held a special press conference at the Rogers Centre in Toronto where the company’s top two executives – UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta – revealed plans for a Canadian office in Toronto. They also announced that former Canadian Football League commissioner Tom Wright would be the Dana White of the Great White North, heading up the Canadian office.
Opening up a headquarters in Canada doesn’t carry the glitz of announcing the promotion’s first live event in Toronto (where sanctioning has yet to be achieved) or a Team Canada vs. Team USA themed “Ultimate Fighter” for the country’s MMA fans. Fertitta’s full-time move to the UFC a couple of years ago didn’t carry that “Wow!” factor for fans either, but this is a move that, like Fertitta, will likely slip under the radar, but do the backbone work for the flashy moves that fans can latch onto.
“Now that we look back, it actually was a big deal,” White said of Fertitta’s focus on the UFC. “There’s only so much one guy can do. Now that Lorenzo’s here, he took on the initiative to go global.”
In the time that Fertitta came on board full-time: UFC 100 was beamed live into 75 countries across the globe; the promotion debuted live events in Germany, Australia, and Abu Dhabi; sold a 10-percent stake to an Abu Dhabi company to help facilitate quicker expansion into difficult markets; and secured numerous television deals across the globe, perhaps most importantly in China.
In short, the move paid off in spades.
The UFC has delegated much of its European and international responsibilities to Marshall Zelaznik, who recently made the move from UFC U.K. President to Managing Director of International Development.
Where Zelaznik heads much of the European and international efforts to expand the sport and the UFC brand into new markets, Wright will do much of the same in Canada, breaking down barriers in provinces where sanctioning still lags. But there’s much more to it than sanctioning according to Fertitta.
“The UFC is not just about throwing a live event,” said the UFC CEO. “Canada represents about 17 percent of our overall business as a company now. So we look to grow that.
“In addition to that, we have initiatives in new media, Video-On-Demand, video games, a thriving merchandise business. We’re in the process of rolling out UFC gyms in the market. The list really goes on and on and on.
“There is a whole business that needs to be run up here, PR, marketing, the whole gamut, so that’s what Tom will be doing.”
The UFC feels that Wright is the right man for the job.
“He brings a unique blend of business experience and sports experience,” said Fertitta. “He ran Adidas Canada for 11 years, he ran Solomon North America for two years, and was also the commissioner for the Canadian Football League for four years.”
Wright works and lives in Toronto, proclaiming deep ties with his community both personally and professionally. He’s worked with the Special Olympics in Canada, and feels that he has something special to offer with the UFC’s expansion efforts.
“After my family, my passions are sports and my country,” stated Wright, beaming with enthusiasm. “I think I bring a unique perspective and a different blend to build the UFC operations here in Canada. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this.”
