Published on 14 Mar 2022 Time 6 min read Last update by 2 May 2024

UFC GYM Franchise Cost Takes 8+ Years to Recoup (2024)

Listen to this article

Apple Podcast    Spotify    Google Podcast

How much is a UFC GYM franchise?

CTA FDD 2

The initial franchise fee for a UFC GYM business depends on the category of the franchise. There are three models for a UFC GYM: Class (2,500 to 3,500 square feet), Core(6,000 to 10,000 square feet), and Signature (18,000 to 40,000 square feet). For the Class model, the initial fee is $30,000 and for the CORE and SIGNATURE models, the initial fees are $40,000 and $50,000 respectively.

UFC Gym Franchise Cost

The total investment to begin operation of a UFC Gym Franchise depends on the model that one chooses.

The initial investment for a Class Model ranges from $199,130 to $393,130 including an initial fee payable to the franchisor, the equipment for the GYM, a retail package and music licensing.

The total initial investment for a Core model UFC GYM ranges from $368,130 to $1,062,130 which includes fees to be paid to the franchisor that ranges from $202,130 and $325,630 depending on the size of your Core UFC GYM franchise.

For a Signature model, the total initial investment cost ranges from $1,079,630 to $4,211,630 which includes fees to be paid to the franchisor that ranges from $645,630 and $1,464,630 depending on the size of the franchise.

Company Franchise Requirements

To buy a franchise with UFC GYM, you’ll need to have at least $100,000 in liquid capital. 

UFC Gym’s Ongoing costs and fees 

Royalty Fees: UFC Class = 6% of weekly Gross Revenues, UFC Core = 5% of weekly Gross Revenues

Marketing: 2% of weekly gross revenues

How much do UFC GYM franchise owners make?

poop 911

UFC Gym’s 2020 Revenue Figures

12/31/2019 12/31/2020 Average FY 2020 Per Sq. Ft. FY 2020
Sq. Ft Member Count Revenue Dues # of Member Monthly Dues
Gym 1 39,811 5,015 4,618 4,187 $1,248,522 $623,663 0.12 $16
Gym 2 40,936 5,993 5,219 5,606 $1,321,965 $533,447 0.14 $13
Gym 3 45,000 5,342 5,431 5,387 $1,411,046 $664,861 0.12 $15
Gym 4 40,635 8,260 6,478 7,369 $1,932,325 $1,134,759 0.18 $28
Gym 5 36,602 8,004 6,685 7,345 $2,264,766 $1,646,898 0.20 $45
Gym 6 39,183 8,900 6,912 7,906 $2,224,487 $1,392,384 0.20 $36
Gym 7 27,456 8,281 6,717 7,499 $2,655,589 $1,775,795 0.27 $65
Gym 8 33,520 4,285 4,089 4,187 $1,351,588 $562,577 0.12 $17
Gym 9 45,388 5,611 4,786 5,199 $1,468,116 $704,202 0.11 $16
Gym 10 42,343 4,156 4,197 4,177 $1,832,804 $761,528 0.10 $18
Gym 11 29,734 5,601 4,616 5,109 $2,114,115 $1,185,462 0.17 $40
High 45,388 8,900 6,912 7,906 $2,655,589 $1,775,795 0.27 $65
Low 27,456 4,156 4,089 4,177 $1,248,522 $533,447 0.10 $13
Average 38,188 6,313 5,432 5,873 $1,836,848 $998,689 0.16 $28
Median 38,811 5,611 5,219 5,387 $1,832,804 $761,528 0.14 $18

For the year ending in 2020, the average revenues of UFC franchises was $1,836,848.

The median annual revenue in 2020 was $1,832,804 which we can use to predict the time it will take you to recoup your initial investment in each of the three UFC GYM categories.

The midpoint investment of all the three business models is $2,205,380

Initial Investment (Midpoint) %Profit Margin of Average Franchise Revenue Estimated Profits Time to Recoup Investment
$2,205,380
10% $183,280 14 years
15% $274,920 10 years
20% $366,560 8 years

The time to scale up the business has been incorporated in the time to recoup initial investment, which is about 2.5 years.

Is the Company Franchise Profit Worth the Franchise Cost?

UFC Gym

To assign a valuation multiple for UFC GYM, we leverage estimates from DealStats, a database of acquired private company transactions sourced from U.S. business brokers and SEC filings. We reviewed the larger fitness franchise industry as well as selling price multiples for larger systems like Anytime Fitness where more transaction data is available.

When you go to sell a UFC GYM franchise based on the median multiple of .54 and net sales averaging $1,836,848 in 2020,  it would sell for $991,897. This figure falls between midpoint investments of the Core and Signature UFC GYM categories of $715,130 and $2,645,630. For example, if we consider the Core category, selling the UFC GYM will actually lead to a profit of over $250,000.

As an owner of multiple UFC Gym franchises, you do have the ability to make more profit. Gym owners with over b million in sales have a median multiple of 1.21. So, if you had 10 UFC GYMS this would be ~$18,368,480 in average sales given the 2020 sales figures.

Therefore, selling your multi unit franchise system would amount to $22,225,860.  The more franchises you own, the more earning potential you have as private equity firms become interested in your business instead of individual owner operators.

UG FRANCHISE OPERATIONS, LLC
STATEMENT OF OPERATION
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020

                            Revenues
Initial Franchise Fees $2,404,776
Franchise Royalty Fees 2,199,415
Product and Equipment Sales 4,417,502
Other Income 503,959
Total Revenues 9,525,652
Cost of Revenues 3,910,314
Gross Profit 5,615,338
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses 3,028,744
Loss on Asset Impairment 18,564,088
Net Loss $(15,977,494)

UFC Gym Income Statement Key Insights

In 2020, UG franchise operations, LLC(the franchisor) made a net loss of $15,977,494. Asset impairment contributed the most to the loss with a total cost of $18,564,088. This is not a great indication of the profitability of the franchisor.

UFC Cashflow Statement

CTA FDD 1

UG FRANCHISE OPERATIONS, LLC
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020

Cash Flows For Operating Activities
Net Loss $(15,977,494)
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Loss to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Amortization and Depreciation 155,647
Provision for Inventory 249,208
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 541,215
Loss on Asset Impairment 18,564,088
Changes in operating Assets and Liabilities:
Accounts Receivable 3,699,337
Inventory (189,696)
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (25,602)
Accounts Payable 166,567
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (1,717,068)
Deferred Revenue (3,802,166)
Due to Related Parties 51,406
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 1,715,442
Cash Flows For Investing Activities
Due From Affilliates, Net (1,492,965)
Purchases of Equipment (1,658)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities (1,494,623)
Net Increase in Cash 220,819
Cash – beginning of year 113,320
Cash – end of year $334,139
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Cash Paid During the Year for: Interest
Supplemental Disclosures of Non-Cash Financing Activities
Related Party Liability Forfiveness (Note 3) $1,883,624

At the end of 2020, the franchisor(UG Franchise Operations, LLC) had cash of $334,139 left after all adjustments of operating activities were made. Despite the net loss, this shows that the company has healthy financials as it manages its investing, operating, and financing activities appropriately.

How many UFC units have opened and closed 

System-wide Outlet Summary

Outlet type Year Outlets at the Start of the Year Outlets at the End of the Year Net Change
Franchised 2018 91 86 -5
2019 86 77 -9
2020 77 63 -14
Company-Owned 2018 13 14 +1
2019 14 14 0
2020 13 14 0
Total Outlets 2018 104 100 -4
2019 100 90 -10
2020 90 76 -14

In 2020, UFC GYM saw a net change of -14 in the number of franchised outlets. There were a total of 63 franchised outlets at the end of 2020 which was a decline from the number of outlets in the previous two years. In 2019, there were 77 outlets at the end of the year and in 2018, the number of outlets was 86. It is also clear that UFC GYM has more franchised outlets than company-owned outlets, indicating that most of the income comes from franchising.

Is it worth investing in a UFC Gym franchise?

UFC Gym provides potential franchisees an opportunity to be a part of a business making over $1 million in revenue per year. Based on your financial situation, you can choose to purchase one of UFC GYM’s franchise models: Class, Core and Signature.

The cost of investment increases from the Class model to the Core model to the Signature model. Based on our analysis, it will take a significant amount of time to recoup your initial investment. With a 20% profit margin, it will take approximately 8 years to recoup your initial investment. We advise that you speak to at least 5 UFC Gym franchise owners before deciding to purchase a franchise.

Speak to a franchise specialist today.

Discover which franchise is best for you.

Speak to a franchise specialist today

Visit Franchise Profiles mentioned

See more profiles

Access to unbiased franchise data.

Easy to access franchise data for everyone from first time franchise buyers to institutional investors buying whole franchise systems to everyone in between.