Las Vegas – UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a multi-year extension of its partnership with Hospital for Special Surgery, the world’s leading academic medical center dedicated to musculoskeletal health. Under the terms of the renewal, HSS will continue to serve as the “Official Hospital of UFC” and “Official Orthopedic Consultants of UFC” while providing access to the hospital’s sports medicine physicians, who will serve as orthopedic consultants in conjunction with UFC’s medical team.
HSS will also continue to assist UFC in the recruitment and placement of physical therapists who will be onsite at the HSS Sports Rehabilitation Center at the UFC Performance Institute® in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’re proud to extend our partnership with HSS,” said UFC Chief Operating Officer Ike Lawrence Epstein. “The care and service they provide our athletes is second to none. HSS has enhanced UFC’s industry leading health and safety protocols for our live events and for the UFC Performance Institute, and we’re thrilled that they will continue to help provide our athletes with best-in-care medical services.”
"Health and safety are of the greatest importance, especially during these unprecedented times," said HSS President and CEO Louis A. Shapiro. "HSS is proud to continue delivering the highest-quality, most responsible musculoskeletal care to UFC athletes, and to thousands of others who want to get back to doing what they enjoy most."
Daphne A. Scott, M.D. and Robert G. Marx, M.D. will serve as UFC’s Head Consulting Orthopedic Physician and Head Consulting Orthopedic Surgeon, respectively. Together, they will be on-call during UFC events for orthopedic consultation.
"The HSS Sports Medicine Institute has a long history of providing trustworthy and comprehensive care to elite and high-performance athletes," said Daphne Scott, primary care sports medicine physician at HSS and the UFC's Head Consulting Orthopedic Physician. "Our top priority is injury prevention, however when injuries do occur, we bring 157 years of specialization to ensuring athletes have a safe return to activity both in and out of the octagon."
“Mixed martial arts is a combat sport that demands extensive training and caring for these athletes requires the expertise of experienced sports medicine professionals,” said Robert G. Marx, MD, sports medicine surgeon at HSS and the UFC’s Head Consulting Orthopedic Surgeon. “This partnership provides seamless integration of care and we continue to look forward to positively impacting the health and well-being of these elite athletes.”
As the organization’s official hospital, HSS will also receive branding inside UFC’s world-famous Octagon® at select events, as well as digital and social advertising, and a new content series in 2021, along with participating in UFC-based corporate social responsibility programs. For more information, please visit UFC.com.
In addition to serving as UFC’s first-ever official hospital, HSS also provides care to the highest-performing professional, collegiate, and amateur athletes and organizations around the world, including USA Basketball, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the New York Giants, New York Knicks, New York Mets and Brooklyn Nets, among others.
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 318 million fans and 126 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 171 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 72 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.
About Hospital for Special Surgery
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 11th consecutive year), No. 4 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2020-2021) and named a leader in pediatric orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2020-2021). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest complication and readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. The global standard total knee replacement was developed at HSS in 1969. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Global Innovation Institute was formed in 2016 to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 130 countries. Through HSS Global Ventures, the institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
