April 7 2026- UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS),the world’s leading academic medical center dedicated to musculoskeletal health, today announced a multiyear renewal of their longstanding partnership. Under the terms of the new agreement, HSS will continue to serve as the exclusive Official Hospital of UFC and Official Orthopedic Consultants of UFC while providing access to the hospital’s sports medicine physicians, who will serve as orthopedic consultants in conjunction with UFC’s medical team.
Robert G. Marx, M.D, knee surgeon at HSS and Todd McGrath, M.D. sports medicine physician at HSS, will serve as UFC’s Head Consulting Orthopedic Surgeon and Head Consulting Orthopedic Physician, respectively. Together, they will be on call during UFC events for orthopedic consultation.
Said Dr. Duncan French, Senior Vice President, UFC Performance Institute, “HSS has been a trusted partner for nearly a decade. Their expertise has been instrumental in UFC providing industry leading services for injury prevention, treatment, and recovery for the athletes who compete in the Octagon. Together, we’ll continue to ensure UFC athletes have access to the highest level of medical care and support in combat sports.”
“Our partnership with UFC reflects a longstanding commitment to delivering the highest standard of athlete care,” said Dr. Marx. “Our focus remains on elevating performance, accelerating recovery, and ensuring fighters have the comprehensive support they need to succeed in and out of the Octagon.”
“Success inside the Octagon starts with a strong foundation of health, and we are committed to helping fighters stay strong, recover fully, and prepare with confidence.” said Dr. McGrath. “We’re proud to work alongside UFC in advancing a unified approach to athlete health, safety, and competitive readiness. Through close collaboration with performance and medical teams, we’re ensuring fighters have the consistent, high-quality care required to meet the demands of this sport at every stage of training and competition.”
“We’re proud to extend our partnership with Hospital for Special Surgery, a world-class leader in orthopedic care and athlete health,” said Sana Shuaib, Senior Vice President, Partnership Marketing & Digital of TKO. “The continuation of our partnership reflects the strength of our collaboration and our shared commitment to supporting the performance and long-term well-being of UFC athletes.”
The renewed partnership builds on a proven track record of supporting UFC athletes in maximizing performance and recovery. As part of the expanded agreement, HSS will maintain a significant presence across the UFC Performance Institute, including an enhanced role at the Mexico City facility, which reflects a meaningful extension of HSS’s international footprint. HSS also remains integrated into the state-of-the-art HSS Sports Rehabilitation Center within UFC’s flagship Performance Institute headquartered in Las Vegas.
As an Official Partner of UFC, HSS will continue to receive highly visible brand placement inside the world-famous Octagon® at selected UFC Numbered Events. In addition, HSS will be prominently featured at UFC’s annual marquee event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where HSS is headquartered.
UFC and HSS will also collaborate on a custom content series featuring UFC athletes and HSS doctors, underscoring a shared commitment to peak performance and long-term athlete health. This series will be amplified across UFC’s massive digital ecosystem that includes Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube, collectively reaching more than 353 million social media followers worldwide.
In addition to serving as UFC’s first-ever official hospital, HSS also provides care to the highest-performing professional, collegiate, and amateur athletes and organizations around the world, including the New York Giants, New York Rangers, New York Knicks, New York Liberty, New York Mets and Brooklyn Nets, among others and is recognized by FIFA as one of only 3 FIFA Medical Centres of Excellence in the United States.
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 16th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2025-2026), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2025-2026). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fifth consecutive year (2025). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
