UFC and FoodStory Brands Bring the Fight to the Snack Aisle with Main Event™ Protein Bars
FoodStory Brands (FSB), an award-winning consumer packaged goods (CPG) incubator and innovation company, and UFC have officially launched Main Event, a new performance nutrition brand created to bring sports science and athlete-focused nutrition into consumers’ everyday routines.
The brand is jointly owned by UFC and FoodStory Brands and was developed in close collaboration with the UFC Performance Institute (UFC PI), the organization’s global center for combat sports performance training, research, rehabilitation, and nutrition. Main Event represents an effort to translate the nutrition principles used by elite combat sports athletes into a convenient protein bar designed for everyday consumers.
The new brand was developed and packaged by IMG Licensing, a global leader in brand partnerships. The collaboration brings together UFC’s expertise in elite athletic performance, the scientific capabilities of the UFC Performance Institute, and FoodStory Brands’ experience in developing consumer food products.
Eighteen Months of Sports Nutrition Development
Main Event was developed over an intensive 18-month period in collaboration with experts at the UFC Performance Institute. The formulation process involved world-class nutritionists, performance specialists, and PhDs who worked to create a product capable of meeting demanding nutritional requirements while remaining accessible to consumers outside the professional sports environment.
Rather than simply creating another conventional protein snack, the development team focused on combining protein, fiber, functional ingredients, and carefully considered nutritional characteristics in a single product.
The goal was to create a protein bar that could serve a variety of everyday occasions, including use before or after exercise, as a convenient snack during busy days, or as part of a broader nutrition routine.
The development approach was influenced by the nutritional needs of UFC athletes, who require convenient sources of fuel that can support training, recovery, and performance. Main Event brings elements of that approach to a broader consumer audience.
Four Protein Bar Varieties
Main Event launches with four multi-textured flavors designed to combine taste with a performance-focused nutritional profile. The initial lineup includes Chocolate Crunch, Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Caramel Chocolate Crisp.
Each bar provides 20 grams of protein from a blend of milk protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, and collagen peptides.
The combination of different protein sources is intended to provide a premium protein profile while giving consumers a convenient option for incorporating additional protein into their daily diets.
Alongside its protein content, each Main Event bar contains 5 grams of fiber and just 3 grams of sugar. The products also contain zero sugar alcohols and are made without artificial sweeteners or seed oils.
These characteristics reflect the brand’s focus on consumers who increasingly look beyond protein content alone when selecting functional snacks. Main Event is positioned around a combination of protein, fiber, taste, and functional ingredients rather than relying on a single nutritional attribute.
Functional Ingredients for Daily Performance
Main Event also incorporates a functional performance blend featuring L-theanine and tart cherry.
L-theanine is included as part of the product’s focus on supporting everyday performance and focus, while tart cherry is incorporated with an emphasis on muscle recovery. Together with the protein and fiber content, these ingredients form an important part of the brand’s performance-oriented formulation.
According to FoodStory Brands and UFC, the ingredients were selected with the objective of creating products that can fit into daily routines while drawing on the sports nutrition expertise used at the UFC Performance Institute.
The result is intended to bridge the gap between traditional protein snacks and products designed specifically around broader performance nutrition.
Bringing UFC Performance Science to Consumers
The UFC Performance Institute has built its work around research, athlete development, rehabilitation, nutrition, and evidence-based approaches to human performance. Its involvement in Main Event gave the product development team access to expertise developed through work with elite combat sports athletes.
Dr. Duncan French, Senior Vice President of the UFC Performance Institute, said the organization approached the development process with the goal of creating something different from a conventional protein bar.
“At the UFC PI, our entire mission is built around optimizing human performance through evidence-based sports science,” French said. “When we set out to develop Main Event, we refused to create a standard protein bar. Every macro, every gram of fiber, and every functional ingredient was intentionally selected and rigorously vetted for fuel that genuinely moves the needle for human performance.”
His comments highlight the role of sports science in the formulation process. Rather than treating the product simply as a snack carrying the UFC name, the development team sought to apply nutritional principles used in high-performance athletic environments to a consumer product.
Combining Nutrition and Taste
FoodStory Brands said another important objective was to address a common challenge in the protein bar category: balancing nutritional characteristics, functional benefits, and taste.
Many consumers use protein bars as convenient alternatives to traditional snacks, but nutritional priorities can sometimes come with trade-offs in texture or flavor. Main Event was developed around the idea that consumers should not have to choose between a high-protein product and one that delivers an enjoyable eating experience.
Jordan Jedeikin, Executive Vice President of Business Development at FoodStory Brands, said the company wanted to remove those compromises through its collaboration with UFC Performance Institute experts.
“Our goal was to eliminate the compromises consumers have to make between a protein bar with excellent macros, functional benefits, and a great taste,” Jedeikin said. “By collaborating with UFC PI’s experts, we didn’t just create a high-protein snack, we built a comprehensive daily performance tool. Main Event delivers exceptional macros and targeted benefits so that everyday consumers can fuel their bodies exactly like world-class athletes.”
A New Approach to Performance Nutrition
The launch of Main Event reflects the continued convergence of sports, nutrition, and consumer packaged goods. As consumers increasingly incorporate protein-rich and functional foods into everyday routines, brands are developing products that go beyond traditional sports nutrition categories.
Main Event is positioned at that intersection, using UFC’s global sports platform and the expertise of its Performance Institute to introduce a product designed for both active consumers and people seeking convenient nutritional options throughout the day.
The four initial flavors provide variety, while the formulation emphasizes 20 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, low sugar, and selected functional ingredients. The absence of artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and seed oils also forms part of the brand’s positioning for health-conscious consumers.
For UFC, the launch extends the organization’s connection with performance and athlete development into the consumer food and beverage sector. For FoodStory Brands, the partnership provides an opportunity to translate specialized sports nutrition expertise into a widely accessible CPG product.
With Main Event, UFC and FoodStory Brands are bringing together combat sports performance science, food product development, and consumer-focused formulation. The resulting protein bar line is designed to offer a convenient way for consumers to incorporate high-quality protein and functional nutrition into everyday life while drawing inspiration from the performance standards of elite UFC athletes.
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