Starting in February, UFC Gym, Santa Ana, California, will feature skill-based survival training classes through a new partnership with the Bear Grylls Survival Challenge (BGSC), named and inspired after Irish adventurer and television personality Edward "Bear" Grylls.
UFC Gym has been named the official pre-event training center for the inaugural BGSC event, a four-mile outdoor competitive survival experience inspired by Grylls. It will be held April 28-29 in Santa Clarita, California. The partnership marks UFC Gym's first major brand extension.
“UFC Gym is the ideal fitness partner for Bear Grylls Survival Challenge,” BGSC CEO Rupert Tate said in a Jan. 17 media release. “As we further define the unique category of competitive survival, our participants will be given an opportunity to engage with elite UFC GYM training techniques and world-class coaches, and put those skills to the test on our rigorous course.”
In February, select UFC Gym locations will begin hosting BGSC-inspired Daily Ultimate Training (DUT) regimens "to equip individuals with the tools and skills necessary to handle the unexpected," the release said. The DUT regimens have been developed by UFC Gym coaches and various industry consultants. They will also help prepare BGSC participants for the April event.
In April, BGSC participants will face 18 survival scenarios that span five environments: apocalyptic highway, cave complex, deserted village, mountain ascent/descent and snake-infested swamp.
Additionally, UFC Gym will host interactive training events during the BGSC,featuring UFC Gym equipment, the release said.
“We’re proud to align with Bear Grylls Survival Challenge in what promises to be a truly innovative collaboration providing real-world application for the intense, rewarding and tailored training our members and fitness community receive at UFC GYM," UFC Gym Vice President Steve Stonehouse said in the release.
Registration for the BGSC is currently open, with an exclusive pricing incentive for current UFC Gym members.
UFC Gym ranked No. 12 on Club Industry Top 100 Health Clubs of 2017, with $126 million in 2016 revenue. This was an 18 percent uptick from 2015.