The UFC and New Evolution Fitness Company (NEFC), announced today that UFC Gyms will partner with Georges "Rush" St-Pierre, UFC's Welterweight Champion, and BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, reigning Lightweight Champion to build "St-Pierre" and "Penn" UFC Gyms, with locations planned for St-Pierre's native city of Montreal and Penn's home state of Hawaii.

St-Pierre and Penn, who compete in a historic rematch for the UFC Welterweight Championship belt at UFC 94: ST-PIERRE vs. PENN 2 this Saturday, Jan. 31, live from MGM Grand Garden Arena, are the first UFC athletes to have UFC Gyms featuring their name and likeness.

"Besides being a great way for us to connect with UFC fans on a daily basis, UFC Gyms is another way that UFC is providing economic opportunities for UFC athletes outside of the Octagon," said Dana White, UFC President. "Combining the UFC brand with superstars Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn gives them an exciting business venture that is unprecedented in the fight industry."

"When you are presented with the opportunity to work with two of the greatest athletes, Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn, in the fastest growing sport in the world, the UFC, in two great destinations, Montreal and Hawaii, with the best promoter in sports, Dana White, and the business talents of Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, your decisions come fast and easy," said Mastrov.

"UFC Gyms" will be the first major brand extension for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the all-time industry leader in the sport of mixed martial arts. In alliance with NEFC owners Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley, developers of many of the world's most successful fitness brands, UFC Gyms will give UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers alike the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes, including Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn in their respective UFC gyms.

"It is a dream come true to have a St-Pierre UFC Gym in Montreal," said St-Pierre. "Ever since the UFC came to my country, the sport has been so huge - I know this gym will be very popular."

"I'm very excited to be a part of this tremendous opportunity, I look forward to working with the UFC to make UFC Gyms a huge success," said Penn. "It will be such an honor to have a UFC gym in my name, and right in my homeland of Hawaii."

With a diverse, loyal fan base of millions in the United States and abroad, UFC Gyms will become the fitness destination of choice, providing all-around training, conditioning and health options for men, women and children of all ages.

For more information about UFC Gyms, please visit UFCgyms.com.

Source: UFC.com

UFC President, Dana White has strung MMA fans along for a couple of weeks with talk of a major announcement. Today the announcement was revealed. Kevin Iole is reporting that Lorenzo Fertitta, part owner of the UFC, will resign from his position as President of Station Casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada to devote all of his time to working with the UFC.

Fertitta told Iole that the move was required due to the UFC's enormous groth and potential.

"The problem, if there is a problem, is that the business has gotten so successful, it's requiring more time, focus and attention," Fertitta said. “Station Casinos is a business my family and I have built and now it's a multi-billion dollar company. But the reality is, the UFC has gone through so much growth in the last eight years, my brother and I felt we'd be better in divide and conquer mode. He'll stay at Station Casinos and take care of that and I'll come over here and work on the issues involving the UFC."

The Fertitta's will still share ownership of the company but Frank Fertitta will now operate the family casino business solo as Lorenzo heads up the UFC's global expansion.

"Think about this for a second: India has 350 million men between the ages of 18 and 34, and that's our key demographic," Fertitta told Iole. "The magnitude of these markets is staggering. Dana has been doing a phenomenal job with this company, and I've been doing what I could given my responsibilities (at Station Casinos). The UFC is going to have a global footprint in the not-too-distant future. We're already working on furthering our position in Brazil. This is getting so big that it demanded I spend more time with it."

Dana White acknoledges that fans may be let down by the announcement but feels that the potential of the UFC with Fertitta coming on full time will catapult the company to new hights.

"I think the potential for the UFC within the next five years globally is that it is going to be bigger than the NFL, bigger than Major League Baseball. As huge as the NFL is here, they don't give a (expletive) about the NFL in Europe. But fighting transcends continents. Everybody on every continent understands a fight."

"The Internet may not consider this huge news, but what the people on the Internet think is huge and what I think is huge are two different things. But you know what? I think I have a pretty good track record. I think this is maybe the biggest day in UFC history. I'm so excited, I can't begin to explain it to you. This is an historic day for me and this company," White said.