The goal of UFC's expanding schedule of int'l events is for the company's offices "around the world to eventually become self-sufficient in staging global fights that meet UFC’s lofty production standards of high-energy video, music, lights and audio," according to Alan Snel of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. But like any U.S.-based company "producing a product overseas, UFC will keep a close and watchful eye on quality control of the foreign production from the U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas." UFC is "staging 26 fight shows outside the U.S." in '14, marking a "big increase" over the 16 int'l UFC events held in '13. The '14 UFC schedule includes "six local fight shows each in Asia and Europe." UFC Exec VP/Operations & Production Craig Borsari said that to assure the int'l fight show productions "meet UFC standards, the Las Vegas headquarters is sending staffers with fight event operations, regulatory, technical and production experience to work with UFC international offices and locally hired production crews and freelancers." Borsari said, "We know what works here and we think the high-energy experience has a global appeal. We do not want to strip that down and change anything in terms of the energy. We want the signature look and feel of the UFC, but localize it to fans in that market." Snel noted Borsari has to "walk a fine line of re-creating UFC’s fight show atmosphere while being sensitive to the local customs, language, culture and traditions in the local market of any particular international setting." UFC officials in Las Vegas "will work with their managers in the field across the world for everything from finding local on-air TV talent to companies that own TV equipment that are compatible with UFC’s broadcast system" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/13).
