Under the renewal, Smith+Nephew will continue as UFC’s Preferred Sports Medicine Technology Partner, a designation it received as UFC’s inaugural partner in that category, as it activates its brand around some of UFC’s biggest events.
“The continued growth of this partnership is a positive development for combat sports,” said Robby Miller, Vice President, U.S. Global Partnerships, TKO. “Our initial collaboration has led to meaningful conversations with the combat sports community about advancements in health and safety using Smith+Nephew technology. We’re confident that together we’ll continue to play a part in making this sport safer for athletes and fans.”
“We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with UFC as their Preferred Sports Medicine Technology Partner focused on injury prevention, repair and recovery,” said Scott Schaffner, President of Global Sports Medicine for Smith+Nephew. “The global reach of UFC continues to provide us with an unmatched platform to highlight our advanced portfolio of Sports Medicine technology solutions designed to help treat anyone who suffers from an activity-related injury and get back to doing what they love.”
A true highlight of the initial agreement was a first-of-its-kind medical education course hosted by Smith+Nephew and UFC for treatment of injuries in combat sport athletes. Chaired by Dr. Michael Banffy from the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, the Smith+Nephew UFC Combat Sports Medicine Course featured a roster of world-renowned medical experts gathered to discuss current trends and techniques for treating combat sports injuries.
In addition to leading physician faculty, special guest presenters included UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell, and former UFC Featherweight Champion and current UFC BMF Champion Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway.
Sports Medicine surgeons who missed the first iteration of the course will have another opportunity next year, as the second Smith+Nephew UFC Combat Sports Medicine Course will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from February 18-20, 2026. Surgeons interested in attending should contact their Smith+Nephew representative.
In another key element of the partnership, UFC offers Smith+Nephew the flexibility to integrate UFC athletes throughout its marketing efforts, providing opportunities for select UFC personalities to represent the brand. In 2024, UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall served as Smith+Nephew brand ambassador, while in 2025, fan favorite Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier filled that important role. Both have had injuries treated using Smith+Nephew technology – aiding their recovery and return to active competition.
Smith+Nephew offers world-class Sports Medicine solutions including advanced technologies, instruments and implants that enable surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery including the repair of soft tissue injuries and degenerative conditions of the shoulder, knee, hip and small joints. Recent advancements in its biological healing portfolio include the REGENETEN◊ Bioinductive Implant for rotator-cuff repair and the CARTIHEAL◊ AGILI-C◊ Cartilage Repair Implant. Both technologies are transforming the way healthcare professionals treat soft tissue repair and actively improving patient outcomes versus the current standard of care.1-2
References
- Altschuler N, Zaslav KR, Di Matteo B, et al. Aragonite-Based Scaffold Versus Microfracture and Debridement for the Treatment of Knee Chondral and Osteochondral Lesions: Results of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2023;51(4):957-967. doi:10.1177/03635465231151252
- Ruiz Ibán MA, Navlet MG, Marco SM, et al. Augmentation of a transosseous equivalent repair in posterosuperior non-acute rotator cuff tears with a bioinductive collagen implant decreases the re-tear rate at one year. A randomised controlled trial. Arthroscopy. Published online 12/27/2023.
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