UFC Challenge is a large-scale boxing attraction created for Dave & Buster’s, combining licensed UFC presentation with competitive punching and knee-strike gameplay. The game was developed by Rider, IGPM Group, Adrenaline Amusements and Betson, and was announced as available at Dave & Buster’s venues across North America during March 2025.
For Australian arcade fans, it is an interesting example of how modern family entertainment centres are turning sporting licences into physically active arcade experiences. Rather than using a conventional joystick and button layout, UFC Challenge asks players to attack padded targets while the cabinet tracks performance, accuracy and endurance.
From boxing prototype to UFC attraction
The concept follows earlier boxing products associated with Polish manufacturer Kalkomat. In 2022, the company presented a game called Hit The Green to IAAPA that year. That idea later developed into the more polished MMA Boxer, which retained the basic punching challenge while adding a more elaborate rear section, an LED dot-matrix marquee and a stronger visual presence.
Those Kalkomat products are officially represented in North America by IGPM Group. UFC Challenge takes that foundation into a much larger, branded format designed specifically for a busy FEC environment.
The attraction was designed by Dave & Buster’s and developed over more than a year with Rider, IGPM Distribution, Adrenaline Amusements and Betson. Its reported footprint is approximately 11 feet wide by 12 feet high, with a weight of 1,700 pounds.
A full-size UFC presentation
UFC Challenge is built to look more like a small arena installation than a traditional upright arcade cabinet. The unit includes large LCD screens, prominent UFC branding and a cage structure intended to evoke the organisation’s Octagon environment.
The presentation includes UFC-branded visuals, Venum Fusion fight kits and UFC gloves. The soundtrack also features “Face the Pain” by STEMM, giving the attraction a recognisable fight-night atmosphere. The result is closer to a themed sports attraction than a standard boxing machine, while still relying on straightforward, immediately readable arcade rules.
How UFC Challenge plays
The game supports solo and head-to-head modes. Both are based on striking targets accurately and maintaining a strong score, but the two formats create different kinds of competition.
- Single-player: Players work through three rounds and attempt to build the highest possible score. Reaching more than 200 points is presented as the mark of a UFC champion.
- Two-player: Two competitors face off while their scores change in real time. Accurate strikes add points, missed targets can reduce a player’s total, and reaching zero results in a knockout.
Punches are only part of the challenge. Players can also use knee strikes against the padded base, making lower-body attacks an important part of the scoring strategy. That physical range helps distinguish UFC Challenge from simpler punching testers and gives repeat players another technique to master.
In solo play, the objective is to survive three rounds and exceed 200 points. In two-player play, accurate attacks increase the score while missed targets can cost points; a player reduced to zero is knocked out.
Where it fits in the arcade market
Large licensed attractions such as this are designed for social play, quick turnover and strong visual impact. The scale of UFC Challenge allows it to stand out among the other machines in an FEC, while the simple premise means a first-time player can understand the objective without a lengthy tutorial.
It also reflects a broader arcade trend: physical skill games are being given the same branding treatment as video attractions. For operators, that can make a machine part game, part photo opportunity and part event entertainment. For home collectors, the footprint is a reminder that not every successful commercial arcade attraction is practical for a private games room. Our arcade machine buying guide covers the space, access and ownership considerations that matter when comparing commercial and home-sized equipment.
Readers looking for a more manageable footprint can also browse upright arcades or compact bartop arcades, although neither category is intended to replicate the scale or physical action of UFC Challenge.
Dave & Buster’s UFC partnership
The attraction extends a partnership between Dave & Buster’s and the UFC that was first announced in 2022. The entertainment chain promotes itself as a place to eat, drink, play games and watch sport, with UFC broadcasts shown on more than 30 HD televisions and large 40-foot WOW Walls.
The company said UFC Challenge was intended to add an interactive element to its fight-night offering. Guests could play the attraction before or after watching UFC Pay-Per-View and Fight Night events, with the March 2025 announcement highlighting UFC Fight Night at London’s O2 Arena on 22 March, UFC 314 at Miami’s Kaseya Center on 12 April, and UFC 315 at Montreal’s Bell Centre on 10 May.
At the time of the announcement, Dave & Buster’s promoted an Eat & Play Combo starting at US$19.99. The package included a US$10 Power Card, a selected entrée and a fountain drink, with an optional limited-time upgrade for unlimited gameplay. Listed meal choices included Smokehouse BBQ Ribs, Creamy Chicken Pasta, the All-American Smash Burger, Boneless Wings and a Crispy Chicken Sandwich.
What the companies said
Dave & Buster’s Senior Vice President Simon Murray described the attraction as a way for UFC viewers to test their skills before watching professional fighters compete on the venue’s large screens.
Meghan Mernin, UFC Vice President of Licensing, said the two organisations worked closely on the project to create an authentic and physically engaging extension of the UFC brand for fans of different ages.
Availability was announced for Dave & Buster’s locations nationwide in the United States, with guests advised to confirm the attraction at their selected venue. The game had already begun appearing at locations during March 2025.
The companies behind the release
Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Coppell, Texas. The company reported 232 venues in North America across two brands: 171 Dave & Buster’s stores in 43 US states, Puerto Rico and Canada, plus 61 Main Event locations in 22 US states.
Its venues combine food, beverages, arcade games and televised sport. Main Event locations additionally offer bowling, laser tag, hundreds of arcade games and virtual reality attractions.
UFC describes itself as the world’s leading mixed martial arts organisation, with more than 700 million fans and approximately 300 million social-media followers. It stages more than 40 live events each year, broadcasts to more than 950 million households across over 170 countries, and has athletes representing more than 70 countries. Its digital services include UFC FIGHT PASS. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or explore arcade repairs and maintenance for advice on keeping a machine ready for play.
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