Ultimate Fighting Championship: UFC London gym to open near Old Street in Islington

The first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gym in London is set to open this summer.

The UFC Gym will open at the new tower block development The Arc, in City Road between Old Street and Angel.

It will combine fitness with combat sports, and will be the third UK site for the brand which, since launching in 2009, has opened more than 170 locations and is in development in more than 40 countries. UFC Gym has more than 200,000 members.

UFC is an American mixed martial arts company based in the US.

The company Ghelamco is developing the site in Islington, on the boundary with Hackney.

Marie-Julie Gheysens, head of UK, international business development for Ghelamco, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome UFC Gym to The Arc and to be working with a brand recognised globally for its pioneering approach to fitness as we both launch our first London sites. The Arc’s focus on wellbeing and our work to create a positive environment across the development makes UFC GYM the perfect partner.”

The gym is scheduled to open this summer. Membership will start from £85 per month. The Arc residents will be entitled to a 20% discount.

Ghelamco said in a statement: "Covering all aspects of wellbeing, from exercise to nutrition, physiotherapy and also cryotherapy, the gym will offer extensive programming developed by experts, through access to the training regimens of UFC athletes. Backed and co-founded by former UFC champion Michael Bisping, UFC GYM’s unique approach to fitness incorporates a wide range of disciplines, including a variety of high-energy group classes, traditional resistance, and functional training for all ages and abilities.

"Members of The Arc’s UFC Gym will benefit from a full-range of fitness classes, group and personal training, dynamic performance-based sessions, plus youth programming. Membership includes unlimited access to signature classes such as the HIIT style Daily Ultimate Training, TRX, kickboxing and boxing conditioning, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts conditioning, women’s self-defence, as well as popular group fitness classes such as cycle and yoga."

UFC Gym is a 'brand extension' of UFC.