UFC Performance Institute
New England Patriots Visit UFC Headquarters
Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick And Players Tour The UFC Performance Institute Alongside UFC President Dana White
Heading into its final NFL preseason game on Friday, the New England Patriots stopped by UFC headquarters in Las Vegas to meet UFC President Dana White and tour the UFC Performance Institute.
When they arrived, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his players gifted White with an authentic team helmet that received a, “Holy s***,” from the long-time New Englander and diehard Boston sports fan.
After visiting the main headquarters that Belichick compared to having the feel of an Olympic village, New England’s players were given a tour of the UFC Performance Institute while discussing the various resources the facility has to offer in aiding the development and recovery of UFC athletes, including the sauna and cold plunge room.
The players then went upstairs and tried their hand inside the two authentic UFC Octagons, as well as testing their strength and technique on the various heavy bags and speed bags stationed along the grappling mats. The Patriots watched Octagon-side as UFC lightweight Jordan Leavitt got a handful of sparring rounds in during his training session in front of the players.
They were greeted by Vice President of Athlete Development and UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, alongside UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, former UFC strawweight and current Director of Athlete Development Claudia Gadelha, and heavyweight Ilir Latifi, who answered a handful of questions the Pats had about MMA and the facility.
“Our sport is harder than yours, mentally,” Griffin said, raising a smile and laughs from the Patriots’ players. “… [Fighting is being] a professional athlete 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
White addressed the room, asking how many players watch the UFC regularly, to which he received a little more than half a show of hands. Using UFC 278’s main event as an example of how unpredictable the sport of MMA is, White compared newly crowned welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ come-from-behind KO over Kamaru Usman to coming back from a 30-point deficit with two minutes left in an NFL game.
“[The UFC looks for] who we believe can be the best in the world,” White said. “Every Saturday is the Super Bowl for us.”
At the end of their visit, the Patriots’ players received Venum bags filled with UFC gear, while White wrapped a UFC championship belt around Belichick’s waist. Belichick, not known for demonstrative shows of emotion, threw his arms in the air as if he just won a world title, drawing a large reaction from his players and staff.
“The New England Patriots are the greatest team in NFL history, and it was an honor to host them here at UFC today,” UFC President Dana White said. “Having Coach Belichick, who is the greatest coach of all time, and his team here for a tour of our facilities was amazing and as a Boston fan, it couldn’t have been a better f****** experience.”
