LAS VEGAS – UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading streaming service for combat sports, today announced it is delivering live and on-demand MMA events in VR in Meta’s Horizon Worlds, an immersive social experience app available on the Meta Quest 2 headset.
FIGHT PASS’ first live MMA event to be featured in Meta Horizon Worlds will be LFA 144, on Friday, Oct. 14, at 9 p.m. ET, from Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The main event will feature a bantamweight world title fight between two of the division’s most exciting prospects, as top Tajik prospect Muin “Tajik” Gafurov will take on top Brazilian prospect Diego “Magrinho” Silva.
Fans will enter an immersive environment in Meta Horizon Worlds where they can see and speak with other fans in real time while enjoying unprecedented VR views of all the thrilling action in the LFA Octagon, including strikes, takedowns, grappling, and more.
YBVR will produce LFA 144 in VR180, a virtual reality video format that offers viewers a 180-degree panorama of the event.
“We are excited to offer an unprecedented level of engagement for FIGHT PASS subscribers and MMA fans around the world by producing a live MMA event in virtual reality,” said Crowley Sullivan, Vice President and General Manager, UFC FIGHT PASS. “With Meta providing the VR platform and YBVR lending their production expertise, we’re confident this will be a great experience for fight fans.”
As with previous LFA events, the entire main card of LFA 144 will also be streamed live as a traditional broadcast on FIGHT PASS.
FIGHT PASS plans to offer the similar VR experiences around select combat sports events in the future.
Fans can download the Meta Horizon Worlds app for free in the Meta Quest store and can subscribe to the fight HERE. The event will also be available as “always on” in Horizon Worlds from Oct. 23-27.
To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com or download the UFC app.
About UFC FIGHT PASS®
UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com or @UFCFightPass on Twitter, and Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/ufcfightpass.
About YBVR
YBVR is re-defining the way fans experience live sports. Fans can now experience the magic of ‘being there’ from anywhere. YBVR tech enables a new immersive and interactive dialogue with sport fans, especially the new generations, engaging from home and in-venue. YBVR cloud-based tech empowers sport and music event organizers/right-holders with new assets for engagement and monetization. Fans can decide when, how, what and with whom to enjoy live streaming with premium viewing experiences, in real-time, and across devices. YBVR’s technology provides high-quality 360-degree live streams in 8K with patented Field-of-View optimization that consumes up to 80 per cent less bandwidth.
About LFA
LFA is a professional Mixed Martial Arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. LFA was formed by the powerhouse merger between RFA and Legacy FC. LFA presents live Mixed Martial Arts events on a monthly basis around the United States including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix , Denver, Dallas, and Minneapolis. Based in Las Vegas, NV, LFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About Sanford Sports
Sanford Sports is the modern athletics arm of Sanford Health, the premier rural health system in the United States. Rooted in science and health care, Sanford Sports offers a combination of programs, services, events, facilities and partnerships intended to make active lifestyles accessible and rewarding for people of all ages and abilities.
Based on the 500-acre Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sanford Sports has been changing the way athletes play for 25 years. With operations in four states, more than one million athletes use Sanford Sports facilities each year. Visit sanfordsports.com for more information.