UFC Joins MMA & Boxing Organizations to Support Fighters Brain Health Study at Cleveland Clinic

Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of The Ultimate Fighting Championship, on Tuesday joined with Top Rank President Todd duBoef, SpikeTV President (Bellator/Glory) Kevin Kay, and Bernard Hopkins representing Golden Boy Enterprises CEO Richard Schaefer at a United States Capitol press conference, along with Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and John McCain (R-AZ) to ensure research continues in a landmark study for professional fighters at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

“Nothing is more important to the UFC than the health and safety of our athletes. As the world’s premier MMA organization we have consistently lived up to that commitment to our fighters and we always will. UFC was the first – and remains the only – combat sports organization to provide our athletes with accident insurance coverage for training-related injuries,” Fertitta said.

“Today’s announcement is a ‘no brainer’ for us, as we continue our commitment to athlete safety. We are proud to join with these other prominent promoters – our colleagues and competitors – to support the Cleveland Clinic’s brain health study. We are encouraged by the early results of the study and we look forward to the final findings of the Lou Ruvo Center’s research, knowing that they will benefit our athletes, as well as athletes from many other sports,” Fertitta said.

“Finally, the support shown by Senators Reid and McCain, and many of their colleagues, cannot go unnoticed. They have been true leaders and we thank them on behalf of the UFC, our athletes and our fans,” Fertitta said.

Also attending the Washington press conference were UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who grew up in Endicott, New York, and currently lives in Ithaca, New York, and UFC light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira. Jones and Teixeira will meet in the Octagon on April 26 in Baltimore at UFC 172.