UFC Gym faces uncertain reopen date
STAMFORD — The downtown UFC Gym is on hiatus, with no announced reopening date.
For several weeks the establishment at 81 Summer St. has stood dark, since an “unexpected power outage,” noted in a sign posted on the front door. The franchise, which is independently owned and operated, is still working to resolve the electrical issues, according to a spokeswoman for the UFC Gym parent company, which is based in Newport Beach, Calif.
“UFC Gym is proud to have a franchise location in Stamford and are hopeful that the current situation will be resolved and the existing gym will re-open shortly,” the spokeswoman said in an email.
Since 2013, UFC Gym has operated on the ground floor of the Park Square West apartment complex, on the same block as several eateries in the restaurant row on lower Summer Street.
The business’ acronym refers to the mixed martial arts-based “Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Its programming includes MMA, jiujitsu, boxing and kickboxing training.
There is one other UFC Gym in Connecticut: at 250 Westport Ave., in Norwalk. More than 150 locations operate in total, with most based in the U.S.
Among other changes on the block, window signs at the Bar Zepoli restaurant, at the corner of Summer and Broad streets, say that it has closed for renovations, gone under new management and is “coming soon.”
On the ground floor of the apartment tower at 66 Summer St., the owner of the Greenwich-based Val’s Putnam Wines & Liquors plans to open a store.
UFC Gym’s lull, coincidentally, follows the April 30 shutdown of the Stamford Athletic Center, at 75 Third St., on the outskirts of the downtown.
Church of the Archangels officials, whose parish council approved the closing, highlighted the cost of operating the club in a building covering more than 30,000 square feet. They declined to provide financial results for the club or its number of members and employees.
Archangels will continue to operate 75 Third St. as its Greek Cultural Center and still host events such as its Greek Fest, as well as Sunday School programs and church basketball and volleyball leagues.
Many other fitness and athletic centers also operate in Stamford. The largest is the approximately 465,000square-foot Chelsea Piers Connecticut complex, near Interstate 95’s Exit 9 and next to NBC Sports Group’s campus.