UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and Smith+Nephew, the global medical technology leader, have announced a multi-year extension of their landmark worldwide marketing partnership originally forged in 2024.
The renewed agreement reaffirms Smith+Nephew’s position as UFC’s preferred sports medicine technology partner and deepens its collaboration around athlete safety, injury prevention, and medical innovation.
Through the extended partnership, Smith+Nephew will continue to integrate its cutting-edge sports medicine technologies into UFC’s ecosystem, activating its brand at major events around the world and maintaining a visible presence across UFC’s Performance Institutes in Las Vegas, Shanghai, and Mexico City. These facilities serve as global hubs for athlete training, research, and recovery, offering an ideal platform to demonstrate the role of advanced medical technology in modern sports performance.
As part of the collaboration, Smith+Nephew and UFC will co-host the second edition of their joint Medical Education Program, a pioneering course focused on the treatment and prevention of combat sports injuries. Scheduled for February 18–20, 2026, in Las Vegas, the event will convene surgeons, sports medicine specialists, and performance professionals to explore the latest advancements in orthopedic repair, regenerative solutions, and athlete rehabilitation.
The partnership also continues to spotlight authentic athlete experiences through Smith+Nephew’s ambassador program. Following UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall’s participation in 2024, veteran lightweight contender Dustin Poirier will serve as the brand’s 2025 ambassador. Both athletes have recovered from injuries using Smith+Nephew’s leading innovations, including the REGENETEN® Bioinductive Implant and the CARTIHEAL® AGILI-C® Cartilage Repair Implant, highlighting how medical science is directly influencing athlete longevity and performance.
Robby Miller, Vice President, U.S. Global Partnerships, TKO, said, “The continued growth of this partnership is a positive development for combat sports. Our initial collaboration has led to meaningful conversations with the combat sports community about advancements in health and safety using Smith+Nephew technology. We’re confident that together we’ll continue to play a part in making this sport safer for athletes and fans.”
Scott Schaffner, President of Global Sports Medicine for Smith+Nephew, added. “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with UFC as their Preferred Sports Medicine Technology Partner, focused on injury prevention, repair, and recovery. The global reach of UFC continues to provide us with an unmatched platform to highlight our advanced portfolio of Sports Medicine technology solutions designed to help treat anyone who suffers from an activity-related injury and get back to doing what they love.”
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Smith+Nephew operates in more than 100 countries and reported approximately US$5.8 billion in sales in 2024. Its product portfolio spans technologies for the repair, regeneration, and replacement of soft and hard tissues, aligning closely with UFC’s focus on long-term athlete performance and rehabilitation.
UFC, a division of TKO Group Holdings, continues to expand its global reach, with more than 700 million fans, 318 million social media followers, and broadcast distribution in over 210 territories. The extension of this partnership underscores UFC’s ongoing commitment to innovation, athlete welfare, and collaboration with industry leaders in sports medicine and health technology.
Through this renewed alliance, UFC and Smith+Nephew aim to further integrate medical innovation into the fabric of combat sports, reinforcing that the future of athletic excellence depends not just on performance, but on safety, recovery, and longevity.
Smith+Nephew continues its association within UFC’s global partnership network, which also includes Meta, Aviator, Total Wireless, Corpay, WOLFpak, Drip Water, and Pepperstone, among others.
