UFC Upgrades To Feature LED Displays Around Octagon
March 4, 2022
UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a groundbreaking upgrade to one of the most well-known settings in all of sports—the world-famous Octagon.
Starting this Saturday, March 5, with UFC 272: COVINGTON vs MASVIDAL at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Octagon will feature new state-of-the-art LED decking displays around its outer circumference, which will be used to enhance the spectacle of UFC events by incorporating thrilling lighting effects, graphics, animation, video, and more.
The pioneering lighting system, named UFC Fight Deck, has been custom built for UFC, weighs over five tons, and features eight tiles comprising over 175 sq. ft. of LED lighting around the standard 30-foot Octagon. Each panel offers full motion HD video that supports dynamic branding and messaging capabilities that can be used to augment the UFC experience with greater fan engagement and partnership branding opportunities.
“We take pride in giving our fans the best in-arena and broadcast presentation possible, and we’re always looking for ways to upgrade the experience,” said Craig Borsari, Chief Content Officer and Executive Producer, UFC. “This is a use of cutting-edge technology with the most famous setting in combat sports, the Octagon, and it’s going to transform how fans experience UFC events.”
“The possibilities for using this technology to integrate our partners into UFC events are limitless,” said Paul Asencio, UFC Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships. “We’ll be able to elevate our partners’ brands before millions of UFC fans around the world during the most-visible, most-anticipated moments of our events, including in-round action, fighter introductions, and walkouts from the locker rooms to the Octagon.”
UFC Fight Deck will also be integrated at key moments with UFC Fight Clock, UFC’s proprietary and innovative time-keeping system, to give a unified, multi-level LED look to the Octagon. UFC Fight Clock, which was introduced last year, utilizes advanced technology, including the most flexible high-definition screens in the world, to provide fighters and fans with the most accurate time-keeping system in combat sports. UFC Fight Deck will initially be utilized at every UFC event in the United States, including events at UFC APEX, with plans to eventually incorporate the system into international shows.
The UFC Fight Deck stricture was designed and built by premiere staging company All Access, Inc., while the LED display screens were manufactured by PixelFLEX, a leader in LED technology, which was previously involved in the design for the UFC Fight Clock.
