Ike Lawrence Epstein, Senior EVP and Chief Operating Officer at UFC (left), Isabelle McLemore, Vice President, Corporate Communications at UFC (center left), Dave Lockett, Director, Public Relations at UFC (center right), and Professor Chris Smith (right), M{2e} Co-Director.
USC Annenberg / Ben Dunn

Photos: Inside the Octagon: A conversation about media strategy for combat sports with UFC

Over the course of its 23-year existence, UFC has elevated mixed martial arts competition from being a sideshow on the fringe of mainstream culture, to its status today as the dynamo behind a global sports empire. 

In July 2016, the talent powerhouse WME-IMG announced the acquisition of UFC for $4 billion, further attesting to the fight organization’s central position within the upper echelon of sports and entertainment brands. 

Ike Lawrence Epstein (Senior EVP and Chief Operating Officer, UFC) joined M{2e} co-director, Christopher H. Smith, for an in-depth conversation on March 6th about the sports franchise's incredible growth story.  The event was part of the M{2e} Spring 2017 Speaker Series: Sports Programming in the Post-TV Era.

Click below to see a gallery of photos from the visit:

Inside the Octagon: A Conversation about Media Strategy with UFC