This past month, the UFC announced a partnership with Performance Inspired, a nutritional supplement company co-founded by Mark Wahlberg. With that partnership, the brand becomes the “Official Sports Supplement” of the UFC.
As the Official Sports Supplement, Performance Inspired will provide its lineup of products to the UFC Performance Institute, a training center available to UFC athletes at no cost. At that facility, athletes will be able to access Performance Inspired supplements through an on-site area called the “Performance Inspired Fueling Station”. The Performance Institute is available to all athletes competing under the UFC banner.
“The UFC has the most comprehensive anti-doping program in sports, and we just opened a state-of-the-art performance institute at our new offices, so the health and performance of our athletes is essential to everything we do,” UFC President Dana White said in a June 29 press release announcing the partnership.
“That’s why we’re partnering with Mark (Wahlberg). The reason he’s been incredibly successful is because he does things the right way, so our fighters know his Performance Inspired products are top quality, natural ingredients, that are safe to use and will help them maximize their own performance.”
Performance Inspired co-founders Mark Wahlberg and Tom Dowd were excited about the partnership. Mark praised the charity element of the partnership, while Dowd described how the supplements are designed with elite level athletic performance in mind:
“We’re proud UFC has put their trust in Performance Inspired products,” Dowd said. “We spared no expense formulating Performance Inspired to ensure our products both taste amazing with meaningful formulas to support the needs of athletes and customers who are looking for effective high-end nutrition they can trust.”
What is the Performance Institute?
The Performance Institute is the world’s first research and performance center catered to the mixed martial arts community. It’s a 30,000 square foot facility available to athletes who compete under the UFC banner.
At the Institute, athletes can access a full-time staff of experts who specialize in different areas, including strength and condition, nutrition, and physical therapy.
The overall goal is to provide athletes with world-class performance optimization strategies at no cost to the athletes.
The partnership with Performance Inspired will involve access to the company’s supplements at the Performance Institute. Athletes will be able to access Performance Inspired supplements at no cost using the Performance Inspired Fueling Station located on-site.
What Does This Mean for the UFC?
The UFC recently announced a similar partnership with Reebok. Ever since that deal was signed, we’ve seen Reebok logos all across the Octagon during UFC events. You can expect similar treatment for Performance Inspired, along with featured placement in social media campaigns.
In December 2015, supplement manufacturer MusclePharm announced that it was ending its partnership with the UFC. For the foreseeable future, Performance Inspired will be the organization’s official sports supplement.
