The UFC is known for bragging that its brand is ‘as real as it gets’ but it could be set to get a whole lot more ‘real’ for viewers after it was revealed Thursday that the fight league has partnered with Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to broadcast fight cards in virtual reality.
Facebook creator Zuckerberg has been a keen adopter of virtual reality tech, reportedly investing as much as $1.2 billion in his ‘Metaverse’ concept – a platform which perhaps could be best described as an integration of standard video calls and 3D technology.
But while the Metaverse has been mired in negative publicity amid rumors of an ever-shrinking user base and less-than-impressive user experiences, that hasn’t stopped Zuckerberg, who is a constant presence on lists encompassing the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, from attempting to forge new ground in his bid for the world to adopt VR tech.
It was announced on Thursday that Zuckerberg’s Meta has partnered with the UFC to broadcast fight cards in virtual reality, starting this Friday with an LFA event to which UFC owns broadcasting rights on its Fight Pass platform and which, according to a press release, will afford fight fans an opportunity to watch fights with other fans in real time “while enjoying unprecedented VR views of all the thrilling action in the LFA Octagon, including strikes, takedowns, grappling and more.”
“We are excited to offer an unprecedented level of engagement for Fight Pass subscribers and MMA fans around the world by producing a live MMA event in virtual reality,” said Crowley Sullivan, president and general manager of UFC Fight Pass.
“With Meta providing the VR platform and YBVR lending their production expertise, we’re confident this will be a great experience for fight fans.”
Zuckerberg turned heads recently by attending a UFC card at the organization’s Apex facility outside of Las Vegas – a development which led to the UFC temporarily restricting access to fans and media alike.
It also drew flak from fighters on the card, with some suggesting that they received reduced media spotlight as a result of the UFC decree.
Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan could be seen on several occasions on the broadcast cheering on fights from cageside.
The Facebook chief has also posted footage to social media in recent weeks showing him participating in mixed martial arts training.
It is expected that further fight cards to be broadcast in virtual reality will be announced in the coming weeks.