UFC FightTrax
As part of FOX Sports’ relationship with UFC, the company wanted to develop a means to follow events live and review them when completed for fans who don’t have the ability to watch. While many sports have established data and data visualization conventions, UFC was acutely lacking in these areas.
Data
CHALLENGE: While some raw data was available, it wasn’t familiar to users, nor did users understand the relative importance of the different pieces of data to the fight.
SOLUTION: FOX Sports undertook a deep data analysis project with the data supplier, correlating key metrics to advantages and eventual outcome. This data was then weighted and key data identified for inclusion. FOX Sports then coordinated with the data provider to optimize data collection and distribution to ensure real-time data delivery.
Visualization
CHALLENGE: Visualize this new data in an engaging, immersive way to drive fan interest in the events.
SOLUTION: Represent both participants photographically and significant content both numerically and graphically, with explanatory labels, Separately, represent their relative positions graphically, without trying to provide an actual simulation.
Timeline
CHALLENGE: Cumulative stats do not effectively tell the story of a UFC bout. How can the feature allow users to experience the progress and development of a fight from start to finish—whether live or after the fact?
SOLUTION: Create a timeline function with replay capabilities, allowing users to “watch” the fight as it happened, following all its twists and turns.
