PERTH, 7 February 2018 – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization and AirAsia today announced more details surrounding their inaugural scholarship offering.  As part of this program, one Asia-Pacific athlete will be awarded an all-expenses paid scholarship that includes travel to the United States and training at the UFC Performance Institute® in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The four-week curriculum devised by UFC will give the athlete the opportunity to test themselves and train with the best MMA athletes in one of the most world-class training facilities in the world.  The athlete will not only benefit from an all-expenses paid trip to the US but will be able to use the Performance Institute’s high-tech training and recovery equipment.

“This is the first scholarship of its kind in UFC history” UFC Vice President of International Partnerships Rene Valencia said. “Our ground breaking partnership with AirAsia is the catalyst for this inspiring program.  We hope the successful athlete will take full advantage of our state-of-the-art facility at UFC’s global headquarters in Las Vegas.”

Many UFC athletes train at the Performance Institute as part of their weekly routine at no cost.  This energised environment will soon be home to one lucky MMA athlete in the Asia-Pacific region courtesy of AirAsia.

AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said "We're thrilled to support the UFC scholarship and contender series program. AirAsia is committed to helping people make their dreams come true, whether it's connecting them to one of our 130 destinations or helping them to become ultimate fighting champions. We look forward to working together with UFC on these two opportunities for fighters in the Asia-Pacific region."

UFC’s partnership with AirAsia will also see one athlete from the Asia-Pacific region take part in the UFC’s original content series, Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. This UFC FIGHT PASS® program is focused on finding the next generation of UFC ready athletes by providing  access to the world’s biggest MMA stage in front of UFC President Dana White.

AirAsia’s integrated partnership showcases how innovative brands can come together to create authentic life-changing opportunities for athletes around the world and at the same time giving audiences engaging content they can enjoy.

For more information on AirAsia, please visit airasia.com or follow AirAsia on Facebook and YouTube (AirAsia), Twitterand Instagram (@airasia), Weibo (@亚航之家) or WeChat and Zhihu (@亚洲航空).

For more information on UFC, please visit UFC.com. Follow us on, WeChat, Youku, QQ, Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitterand Instagram (@ufc).