UFC are to incorporate real-time statistics into the coverage of their fights for the first time, aiming to give their fans a better understanding of the bout they’re watching.

Modern sports are more than just spectator events, and even in the most primal of them – like mixed martial arts, which is arguably one of the simplest, making sport out of unmitigated hand-to-hand combat – viewers want more than just to gawk at the spectacle in front of them. Fans want insight, analysis and statistics, and rarely more so than in a sport like UFC, where entire fights can happen quickly and end in a flash.

Second screens are becoming an important part of the sporting experience, as spectators watch the event live whilst also joining in the conversation on social media, or searching the internet for stats and facts. And it’s clear that UFC, which has seen a massive surge in popularity over the last decade in order to become one of the biggest sports in the world, is seeking to make it easier for its fans to access data. And that’s not the only reason

UFC President Dana White showed that he is seeking to expand his brand’s popularity online when he said, “We’re working on a lot of stats. We want to see the best knock out – its perfect for social media.”

There’s always a buzz around UFC, and it only seems to be growing. With Conor McGregor about to fight Floyd Mayweather in what is set to be a fight to make hundreds of millions of dollars, the UFC star doesn’t seem to be about to stop rising.

The savvy attempt to grow its presence on social media by giving its fans something to post to their followers shows how the sport is well-suited to modern online audiences. Maybe we can expect to see more of it on our timelines, too.