UFC Announces Head of Asia Division

Mark Fischer, the former Senior Vice President of NBA Asia, was named the newly appointed Manager Director of UFC Asia on Saturday.

UFC President Dana White introduced Fischer as the latest component of the promotion’s global expansion plans at the post-fight press conference for UFC 118 in Boston.

According to his NBA.com bio, Fischer oversaw the branding of the professional basketball league’s expansion in China from 2002 to October 2007, which included “marketing partnerships and events, television and digital media, and licensed merchandise.”

Fischer joined the NBA in 1997 and helped launch NBA Taiwan, Ltd., according to the bio.

“As successful as the NBA was in China and what we were able to do with that, I think we could do just as much with the UFC,” said Fischer on Saturday. “As far as the sports properties that have come in, it’s the one that are doing things that are striving for excellence in quality and that are willing to make a commitment (that succeed.)”

Fischer said Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia had “tremendous potential” for UFC brand expansion.

Prior to his involvement with the NBA, Fischer was a vice president of Richina Media Holdings Ltd., in Beijing, an advertising and sports marketing agency.