This past week fans of the UFC were treated to a three-part mini-documentary series, ‘FIGHT INC: Inside The UFC’ on the Roku Channel which provided a unique look at what makes the UFC such a premier company and leader in combat sports. Just as with all their live programming and events, the UFC and their production team did a fantastic job highlighting different aspects of their business. Giving fans an inside look to situations, fighters, and UFC employees in a never-before-seen way, ‘FIGHT INC’ was an absolute knockout of a series. Here’s a brief summary of each episode of ‘FIGHT INC: Inside the UFC’ an absolute masterclass for fans of the UFC, mixed martial arts, and combat sports.
Episode 1: Fighting Is in Our D.N.A.
The debut episode begins with the UFC celebrating their 30-year anniversary and showing just everything that the promotion has to deal with. Showing how things change in a moment during events and just how hard the public relations and UFC staff as a whole work together, there was a look inside UFC 289 when fans fell from a barrier in the stands.
When it comes to a fighter who embodies the pure definition of being a fighter, enter reigning heavyweight champion Jon Jones. The long-time UFC light heavyweight champion was followed by cameras leading up to his heavyweight division debut when he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 for the title. Credit is deserved for the show magnifying both the ups and downs of Jones’ career who has always been overcasted by legal issues outside of the cage.
From Dana White to the UFC employees who make every event happen, to the fighters in the Octagon, a fighting D.N.A. is a must to run the operation.
Episode 2: Star Power
In today’s era of the UFC and combat sports as a whole, being a star isn’t just defined by wins and losses, or even a world title, it’s all about brand building and name recognition. That’s where viewers got to witness the rise of the Suga Show in bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.
Showcasing his rise from Helena, Montana to Dana White’s Contender Series, to winning the UFC bantamweight championship, fans are welcomed into the life of O’Malley both inside and outside of competition.
An unquestioned star in today’s UFC, O’Malley’s life and career have all been about his manifestation of becoming a superstar world champion. Whether or not viewers are fans of O’Malley, this episode shows everything it takes both as a fighter and a person to achieve stardom in the UFC today.
Episode 3: Building Sandcastles
In what was the most intriguing and insightful episode of the series, viewers got a look into who is easily the most significant person on the UFC staff outside of Dana White, Hunter Campbell. The company’s Chief Business Officer was highlighted throughout the episode as he was shown alongside White when situations got bad.
When fighters pull out of a fight or fights are having difficulty being made, Campbell would step in to either resolve the situation or find a resolution with a new fight. One specific spotlight for Campbell was his hard work to get Jones to agree to a mega-fight against former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. After meeting with Jones in a parking lot, the two emerged from a vehicle shaking hands, confirming a deal had been made.
It was shortly after that things once again blew up after Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle and the UFC team, with Campbell leading the way, had to work hard and quick to deliver new fights. That was UFC 295, where Alex Periera and Jiri Prochazka fought for the light heavyweight title and an interim heavyweight title fight was made between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich.
The amount of effort and work put in by every single UFC employee, showcased or not on the series, is unmatched. There are things fan may never see or realize that allows them to watch the premier MMA promotion put on events throughout the entire year.
If you want a real look into day-to-day operations of the UFC, ‘Fight Inc.’ is appointment viewing.
