UFC Brand Revamp Includes Altered Logo, Changes to Fight Broadcast Presentation

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Starting with Saturday’s blockbuster pay-per-view event, UFC fans are going to notice some changes a familiar brand.

The Las Vegas-based promotion has partnered with California-based branding and marketing agency Troika to produce what it refers to as a “new visual identity.” At the forefront of the change is a minor alteration to the company’s logo, which has remained the same since the UFC was purchased by Zuffa, LLC in 2001.

At first glance, the UFC logo appears to be the same, but a closer look reveals that “C” is slightly different than in years past.

"It just wasn't as sporty or as clean as it could be," Gil Haslam, a creative director at Troika, told The Associated Press. "It was just a question of how far we could evolve it. We want the fans to feel the difference, but not feel like it's something brand-new, because it didn't need to be brand-new."

Many more subtle changes should be evident during the UFC 189 broadcast, including new graphics presentation as well as the fight clock being placed at the bottom center of the screen. According to a release, “the broadcast will feature innovations throughout the on-screen information system, enabling depth of storytelling while enhancing the viewing experience with a low profile footprint that does not distract from the action in the famed Octagon.”

Today, the UFC airs on a variety of platforms, from pay-per-view to Fox Sports 1 to UFC Fight Pass, and the promotion and Troika have produced “newly designed logo architecture and brand signatures” in order to help better differentiate the various types of events.

Additionally, all fight posters will have the date of the event in the same place, while championship bouts will be promoted using gold imagery, according to the AP report.

“UFC has and always will be true to its DNA,” UFC Chief Global Brand Officer Garry Cook said in a release. “We didn’t set out to reinvent ourselves. We looked at ways to build on our solid foundation and better deliver on a broad range of storytelling components, providing more context and meaning, and further enhancing the viewing experience for our fans.”