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UFC Gym Singapore has recently been exposed for reportedly closing its UFC CityLink outlet without informing its members and leaving unresolved membership concerns.
When UFC CityLink members noticed that the gym at CityLink had been turned into an Anytime Fitness outlet, many of them became concerned about being refunded their membership fees.
UFC Gym Singapore is a franchise of the US mixed martial arts (MMA) programme Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). UFC launched its first Singapore outlet at CityLink Mall in March 2019, offering a range of mixed martial arts classes and personal training.
CityLink Mall is Singapore's first underground mall, located within the One Raffles Link development at Marina Square. The underground mall connects City Hall and Esplanade on the Mass Rapid Transit, and to Suntec City Mall, Marina Square, hotels in Marina Centre, Millenia Singapore, Raffles City and to Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.
UFC Gym Singapore initially had two outlets in Singapore, one in City Square Mall at Farrer Park, and the other in CityLink at City Hall.
In November 2022, the fitness franchise closed its City Square Mall branch. According to a post on Facebook, this was due to “challenging market conditions” and “financial losses” from the pandemic.
UFC Gym Singapore explained at the time that they could not refund the unused portions of City Square Mall branch memberships or personal training services in cash but would transfer memberships to the CityLink outlet.
Then members were told via email that UFC CityLink would be closing for renovations and facility upgrades and all memberships would be placed on hold for the duration of the closure.
The email reportedly stated that the memberships would resume when the gym reopened but failed to offer a definitive relaunch date.
However, the CityLink branch ceased operations in February 2023, three months after they closed the Farrer Park gym.
The Strait Times reports that UFC Gym Singapore allegedly failed to inform members of its permanent closure, leaving them in the dark. They were not aware that the gym would not be reopening.
When members of UFC CityLink discovered that Anytime Fitness are to occupy the space, they were understandably worried about whether their membership fees would be refunded.
When Channel News Asia visited City HAll, it observed Anytime Fitness' advertisements on the boards covering the unit previously occupied by UFC Gym Singapore, although the latter's advertisement board was still on a nearby wall.
Anytime Fitness has been promoting their new location at City Hall with presale memberships since the end of April via social media and now has a dedicated website claiming to be the biggest 24/7 gym in Singapore.
This leaves unresolved questions about UFC CityLink memberships.
As such members of UFC Gym Singapore have reported the sudden closure of its UFC CityLink outlet to the police and the Consumer Association of Singapore.
According to The Strait Times, Singapore Police Force confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Consumer Association of Singapore president Melvin Yong, said that the consumer watchdog received two complaints against UFC Gym Singapore's sudden closure from 1st Feb to 9th May this year.
Who is responsible for the unresolved memberships?
Channel News Asia reports that when they approached UFC Gym Singapore's managing director Barnabas Huang (pictured above far right) for comment on the sudden closure, Huang refused to provide any information, citing a non-disclosure agreement.
Huang is also the founder of parent company NutriFirst and is also somehow connected to NF Fitness. A NutriFirst Facebook post in July 2018 noted "we are excited that our sister company, NF FITNESS, will be bringing @ufcgymsingapore to our
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