Ahead of UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden, Premier mixed martial arts and IBM announced the next phase of their technology partnership.
IBM and UFC have launched “Intermediate Intelligence,” a live AI alerting platform
“In-Fination Insights” is set to debut at UFC 322, which will feature multiple fights, including the Welterweight main event between Champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev on Saturday in New York City.
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UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev pose outside Hudson Wards on November 10, 2025 in New York City. (Ed Mulholland / Zuffa LLC / Zufma Images)
As the official AI partner of the UFC, this new technology taps more than 13.2 million points from more than 20 years of fighting, as well as data from current and beyond UFC fighters. This helps elevate the viewing experience for both die-hard and casual fans alike.
“The UFC engine built with IBM Watson is a sophisticated AI package that goes deep into discovering new, real-time fan skills in seconds,” said Alon Cohen, Senior Vice President of Innovation in charge of TKO. “Anyone who uses AI tools knows that they can often be deeper or faster, but not both. Working with IBM on these new battle statistics to achieve both – a true game changer.”
UFC, IBM Team Up to develop advanced analytics engine using Watsonx
As Cohen noted, this new technology is part of the UFC Insights engine built on IBM Watsonx. The most advanced evolution of the program to date and the first integration of live fighting since the IBM-UFC partnership was launched one year ago.
The IBM logo is seen on the entrance to the highlight towers in Munich, Germany, December 15, 2015. (Photo by Matthias Balk / Photo Alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Not only “fight” and understanding “fans help fans, but it will also be a tool for broadcasters, giving them a quick understanding of the content to share during the fight. The understanding will be integrated with the Broadcast feed, allowing UFC and IBM to bring a new level of real-time intelligence to analysts, production teams, and fans alike.
| It’s teasing | Security | – Last | Answer | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM | International Business Machines Corp. | 304.86 | -10.12 |
-3.21% |
| It’s teasing | Security | – Last | Answer | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tko | TKO Group Holdings | At 182.64 | +0.96 |
+ 0.53% |
“The launch of In-Fight Insights is the latest example of how AI is truly changing the game for the live sports experience for fans around the world,” said Jonathan Adashek, IBM’s Senior President of Marketing, in a statement. “It’s a testament to the UFC’s commitment to always think outside the octagon to better capture the great storytelling and action that takes place inside the cage.”
The UFC and IBM have been working together since November 2024, establishing the foundation of the UFC Insights engine while integrating and analyzing the organization’s extensive library of fight data to create personalized and data-driven experiences.
General view of the UFC 322 Press conference at the theater at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2025 in New York City. (Jeffttari / zuffa LLC / Zufma Images)
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“In-Fight Insights” is the latest advancement in a broader effort to scale the Insights Engine across all UFC platforms, including social media channels, in-venue activations, and pre-event programming.
As the sport continues to grow globally, UFC and IBM are bringing fans closer to the octagon and its athletes with AI and data.
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