UFC And IBM Launch AI-Based In-Fight Insights Technology To Present Real-Time Statistics

UFC 322 performance illustration: DELLA MADDALENA vs. MAKHACHEV (photo: dock.ufc)

JAKARTA - UFC and IBM are officially entering a new phase in their technological collaboration by introducing In-Fight Insights, an artificial intelligence platform (AI) capable of monitoring, analyzing, and reporting critical statistics in real-time during the course of the UFC fight.

This latest technology was first used in the UFC 322: DELLA MADDALENA vs. MAKHACHEV which took place on November 15, 2025 at Madison Square Garden, New York.

As UFC's Official AI Partner, IBM utilizes the capabilities of the IBM watsonx platform to process more than 13.2 million fighting data points collected over 20 years, covering more than 2,400 UFC athletes. With this massive database, In-Fight Insights is here to provide a richer viewing experience, both for hardcore fans and casual audiences.

In-Fight Insights is a continued development of the UFC Insights Engine, as well as the integration of the most advanced fighting information since the UFCIBM partnership was announced in 2024. If previously the system only provided pre-fight and post-fight analysis, now the data analysis is carried out directly in the middle of a fight.

This platform is capable of detecting and displaying important moments such as:

Total attacks that surpassed the record,

Series of strokes,

Another significant statistical achievement.

All analyzed in seconds and sent directly to broadcasters and broadcast production systems.

Alon Cohen, Executive Vice President of Innovation for TKO, asserts that In-Fight Insights is a major breakthrough. Anyone who uses AI knows: usually you can only get quick answers or deep answers not both. With a collaboration with IBM, we managed to get both. This is truly a game-changer," Cogen said in a release received by VOI.

'In-Fight Insights launch is a real example of how AI changes the experience of watching live sports. This brings new storytelling levels and understanding to fans around the world,' said Jonathan Adashek, IBM Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications.

Pre-Fight Insights remains to be used to provide analysis before the fight begins. But now, In-Fight Insights will give broadcasters a real-time context that can be directly shared with millions of viewers.

All data recorded during the fight are stored in the system for the archive and follow-up analysis, ensuring the UFC has a more robust statistical database.

Since the UFCIBM partnership was launched in 2024, the two organizations have been working to unify and analyze the UFC fight data library as the foundation of Insights Engine. The addition of In-Fight Insights is an important step towards bringing data to more UFC platforms, ranging from live broadcasts, social media content, to on-site activation.

With the increasing popularity of the MMA globally, the UFC and IBM are committed to utilizing AI and data to provide a more immersive, interactive, and informative viewing experience that brings fans closer to their favorite actions and athletes more than ever before.