Ufc Gym Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $1.1M – $5.0M
- Disclosed sales
- $3.7M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 38.1%
- on 31 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
UFC GYM is a fitness franchise offering mixed-martial-arts training, group classes, strength and conditioning, and personal training. Franchisees run gyms built on memberships and coaching, licensing the UFC brand.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A UFC GYM franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.1M – $5.0M, including a $30K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2023 FDD, average unit revenue was $3.7M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 38.1% charge-off rate across 31 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - issued more than two years ago
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $1.1M – $5.0M
- 95th pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- $3.7M
- 36th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 13th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 81
- 77th pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA charge-off
- 38.1%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Health & Fitness median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $1.1M – $5.0M including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $3.7M/year.
- RISKVerdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 25/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 38.1% across 31 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -4 franchised outlets in the latest year (13 opened, 17 closed); 64 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -15.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- UG Franchise Operations, LLC
- Parent company
- Ultimate NeV, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2023 FDD
- Predecessor
- LA Boxing
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- CEO and President
- Adam Sedlack
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 1501 Quail Street, Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660
- Auditor
- Baker Tilly US, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $9.4M
- vs $9.9M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Adam Sedlack
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 679% above the typical health & fitness franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $275K | $700K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $794K | $4.2M |
| Total initial investment | $1.1M | $5.0M |
Source: UFC GYM 2023 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $1.1M – $5.0M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $275K – $700K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $50 |
| Inventory (initial) | $13K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 678% above the health & fitness norm.
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for UFC GYM until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$3.5M
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one UFC GYM unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $3.7M
- Per unit, per year
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 8 outlets
- vs category median 11
- Range (low → high)
- $2.4M→$5.5MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 58 of the 2023 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2022
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2023
- Disclosed in the 2023 filing, covering 2022
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 173 Health & Fitness brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $3.7M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.2x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Health & Fitness median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -15.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Health & Fitness medians
How Ufc Gym Compares
Category median of published Health & Fitness brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 81
- Opened
- 13
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 17
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 21.0%
- Company-owned
- 20
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 75%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -15.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -15.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Signed, not yet open
- 64
- 0.79 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 15
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 2.5%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 3.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 22.2%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
48 current owners across 19 states.
- CA 9
- FL 6
- TX 6
- NJ 5
- IL 4
- NY 3
- VA 3
- AZ 1
- CO 1
- CT 1
- HI 1
- IN 1
- +7 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 31 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 31
- Loan volume
- $17.4M
- Median loan
- $350K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 38.1%
- on 31 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 61.9%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 50.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 23
- Defaults
- 8
- Typical loan rate
- 6.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 15.8%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 340
- 2.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 8%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 89% went to startups / new businesses, 11% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in fitness and recreational sports centers, franchised businesses charge off at 15.8% vs 18.2% for independents — franchising is associated with 13% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Ufc Gym charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Ufc Gym franchisees
Showing 3 of 23 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Ufc Gym from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 22.5%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 75%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.50%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $417K
- Lender concentration
- 8.0%
- Job velocity
- 2.3 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 12.5%
- NAICS 713940
- Jobs supported
- 340
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 8% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 2 | $1.7M | 100.0% |
| 2 | The Bancorp Bank National Association | 2 | $766K | 100.0% |
| 3 | LendingClub Bank, National Association | 2 | $924K | 0.0% |
| 4 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 2 | $779K | 0.0% |
| 5 | KeyBank National Association | 2 | $1.4M | 100.0% |
| 6 | The Huntington National Bank | 2 | $783K | 0.0% |
| 7 | Zions Bank, A Division of | 1 | $135K | 0.0% |
| 8 | Banc of California | 1 | $271K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Columbia Bank | 1 | $250K | 100.0% |
| 10 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 1 | $150K | 100.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 8 | 2 | 33.3% |
| ILIllinois | 2 | 1 | 100.0% |
| INIndiana | 2 | 2 | 100.0% |
| OHOhio | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| AZArizona | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| MNMinnesota | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NJNew Jersey | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NVNevada | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 38.1% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 3 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 38.1% — 138% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Three settled cases including former-franchisee fraud/breach claims settled at $275,000 and $125,000. Strong financials ($16.99M net worth, $2.62M net income, $3.75M avg gross sales) offset legal exposure, but system contracted sharply (-15.3% net growth, 81 to fewer units). Item 19 disclosed.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Three cases: (1) Jeffrey Mathews et al v. UG Franchise Operations, LLC - fraud, DTPA violation, breach of contract, unfair competition - settled $275,000; (2) James Biggs v. UG Franchise Operations, LLC - breach of contract, rescission, declaratory relief - settled $125,000; (3) UG Franchise Operations, LLC v. Frank Carranza - declaratory judgment with counterclaim for fraud and unfair trade practices - settled $30,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Baker Tilly US, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 25 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHThree settled cases including franchisee fraud claims ($275K, $125K)
- 02MINORSystem contraction: -15.3% net growth
- 03MEDMitigant: strong financials, $16.99M net worth, $2.62M net income, Item 19 disclosed
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 4 mi |
| Territory population | 150,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 27 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Within 10 miles of franchisor's principal business address (Orange County, California) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Three cases: (1) Jeffrey Mathews et al v. UG Franchise Operations, LLC - fraud, DTPA violation, breach of contract, unfair competition - settled $275,000; (2) James Biggs v. UG Franchise Operations, LLC - breach of contract, rescission, declaratory relief - settled $125,000; (3) UG Franchise Operations, LLC v. Frank Carranza - declaratory judgment with counterclaim for fraud and unfair trade practices - settled $30,000
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 22 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 71 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor approval required; franchisor may connect franchisee with a commercial real estate broker
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Gym Management System and POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Gym Management System and POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
79 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a UFC GYM franchise?
The total investment to open a UFC GYM franchise ranges from $1.1M – $5.0M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do UFC GYM franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the UFC GYM FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $3.7M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns UFC GYM?
UFC GYM is franchised by UG Franchise Operations, LLC. Its parent company is Ultimate NeV, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2023 filing.
What is Item 19 in the UFC GYM FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the UFC GYM FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is UFC GYM's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, UFC GYM has a charge-off rate of 38.1% across 31 loans, meaning 38.1% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many UFC GYM franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, UFC GYM has 81 total units in the United States, including 61 franchised units and 20 company-owned units. 13 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is UFC GYM a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates UFC GYM as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 25 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent UFC GYM, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Health & Fitness franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Health & Fitness category
Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.