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UFC to provide $1M contribution to fund Professional Athletes Brain Health Study through 2030; WWE joins study; Zuffa boxing athletes now eligible to participate
UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a multiyear extension of its longstanding collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, continuing its support of the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study through 2030. WWE® and Zuffa Boxing, which, together with UFC, are part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), will also join the study through athlete participation and financial support.
This renewed commitment, which is backed by a $1 million contribution from UFC to the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, ensures that research will continue to help determine the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma and factors that put people at higher risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Since joining the landmark study in 2011, UFC has committed more than $3 million via four rounds of financial support.
Now entering its 15th year, this study, led by Charles Bernick, M.D., senior director of Cognitive Disorders at Cleveland Clinic Nevada, is the largest focused on professional athletes who have been exposed to repetitive head trauma and the first to include retired and active male and female athletes concurrently.
“We are proud to renew our commitment to supporting Cleveland Clinic’s groundbreaking work,” said UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein. “The research conducted by Dr. Bernick and his team is helping identify early indicators of potential health issues and giving athletes access to information that can help support informed decisions about their health, safety, and long-term well-being during their active careers and beyond.”
The Professional Athletes Brain Health Study (formerly the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study) was established in 2011 to examine the cumulative effects of repetitive concussive and sub-concussive impacts to the brain in a group of professional fighters.
The study has since expanded to include athletes in other sports exposed to repetitive head impacts, including professional bull riders, hockey players and motorsports drivers. Information from this project will help guide policies and practices that can improve brain health in athletes and other people exposed to repetitive head impacts in military or civilian populations.
“As we mark the 15th year of the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study, this renewal represents more than a milestone and underscores the unique value of a study built on longevity,” said Charles Bernick, M.D., Senior Director, Cognitive Disorders, Cleveland Clinic Nevada, and founder and primary investigator of the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study. “Following athletes over many years allows us to directly observe how conditions such as CTE develop over time and why long-term outcomes can differ so widely from one individual to another. That level of insight is only possible through sustained partnerships, and the UFC’s long-standing support has been essential to the success and continued impact of this research.”
“By expanding our partnership with Cleveland Clinic’s Professional Athletes Brain Health Study, we have an opportunity to contribute to meaningful research that reflects the unique demands placed on athletes,” said Nick Khan, WWE President and TKO Board Member. “Through this partnership with Cleveland Clinic, we can help advance the science of brain health and apply those insights to support future athlete safety.”
UFC’s commitment to aid in the funding of the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study is provided in conjunction with other organizations in the sports industry and facilitates ongoing progress in answering critical questions regarding the long-term effects of exposure to repetitive head impacts.
To date, the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study has enrolled more than 900 active and retired athletes. Participation is voluntary. Athletes in the study receive free, ongoing assessments of brain health and function, including MRI scans. Individual tests are repeated annually.
The longer an athlete is assessed, the more valuable the information that will be amassed. However, during the past 15 years, researchers have already detected subtle effects of repetitive head impacts on brain structure and proteins released in the blood following impact. These changes can be measured over time and may be early indicators of brain injury, bringing researchers one step closer to helping athletes proactively make informed decisions about their careers based on personal brain health data.
As the study enters the next decade of research, investigators will focus on lifestyle factors to better understand how one’s environment impacts the onset of CTE pathology, as well as continue ing the search for more precise predictive or diagnostic biomarkers and embarks on testing of new treatments.
Cleveland Clinic
Alan Perez, PEREZA49@ccf.org, 725.289.6434
Adrienne Hester, HESTERA4@ccf.org ,702.305.7361
UFC
Brian Smith, bsmith@ufc.com
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation, Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 83,000 employees worldwide are more than 6,600 salaried physicians and researchers, and 21,900 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,725-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 300 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2025, there were 15.9 million outpatient encounters, 343,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 336,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
Editor’s Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which opened in 2009, provides expert diagnosis and treatment for individuals and families living with Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body, frontotemporal and other dementias; Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, multiple system atrophy and other movement disorders; and multiple sclerosis. With locations in Cleveland, OH; Weston, Florida; and headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, the center offers a continuum of care with no-cost opportunities for the community to participate in education and research, including disease prevention studies and clinical trials of promising new medications. An integrated entity, Keep Memory Alive, raises funds exclusively in support of the Nevada location. clevelandclinic.org/Nevada
UFC® is the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, with more than 700 million fans and approximately 370 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while distributing programming to an estimated 1 billion broadcast and digital households across 210 countries and territories. UFC's athlete roster features the world's best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization's digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world's leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
WWE® is the global leader in sports entertainment. The company creates and delivers original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, Premium Live Events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE's TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion households worldwide in more than 20 languages through world-class distribution partners including Netflix, ESPN, NBCUniversal, USA Network and The CW. WWE is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO). Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
Zuffa Boxing is a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings, Inc. ("TKO") (NYSE: TKO) and Sela, the entertainment conglomerate. TKO serves as managing partner, providing day-to-day operational expertise, management, and oversight of the promotion, with executive leadership anchored by UFC President and CEO Dana White and WWE President and TKO Board Member Nick Khan. The promotion aims to reimagine the sport of boxing by evolving the current model to restore the sport's rightful place at the forefront of the global sports ecosystem. For more information, follow @Zuffa_Boxing on X; and @ZuffaBoxing on Snapchat, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.
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