UFC Gym eager to re-enter Singapore market after sudden closure of franchise

UFC Gym has expressed its keen interest in returning to the Singapore market and is committed to offering support to customers affected by the unexpected closure of its franchise in the country, according to CEO Adam Sedlack. He highlighted that Singapore continues to be an attractive market for the UFC Gym brand and their unique training approach.

Members of UFC Gym Singapore reported the sudden closure of its single outlet at CityLink Mall to the police and the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE). The gym had informed its members in February that it would be closing temporarily for renovation. However, members were later surprised to discover that another tenant had taken over the space, leaving unresolved questions about their memberships.

The Singapore-based UFC Gym is a franchisee of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion. It launched its first Singapore outlet at CityLink Mall in March 2019, offering a range of mixed martial arts classes and personal training. Later, it opened another outlet at City Square Mall, which closed in 2022 due to challenging market conditions and financial losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. UFC Gym Singapore explained at the time that they could not refund the unused portions of memberships or personal training services in cash, but would transfer memberships to the CityLink outlet.

Sedlack expressed his disappointment with the two Singapore gym closures bearing the UFC Gym name. He noted that the venues initially showed promise and progress, but the COVID-19 pandemic had severely impacted the fitness industry. UFC Gym’s headquarters provided a variety of concessions to support the Singapore licensee during the pandemic.

Sedlack revealed that UFC Gym Global is now gathering all relevant information and collaborating with a franchise partner to aid market recovery efforts. They are also actively encouraging the owner of the terminated Master Territory Agreement (MTA) to resolve all liabilities according to local laws. Additionally, he underlined that UFC and UFC Gym Global have no financial ownership of the two Singapore locations.

The February announcement regarding the renovation included the email address of Barnabas Huang, the gym’s managing director. When approached for comment on the sudden closure, Huang refused to provide any information, citing a non-disclosure agreement, reports Channel News Asia.