LAS VEGAS — UFC sponsors UH football shoot at its Apex production facility, giving the Rainbow Warriors a high-end photo and video package ahead of Mountain West Media Days.

On Tuesday, UFC hosted a nearly three-hour photo and video session at its state-of-the-art Apex for four Hawai‘i players chosen to represent the program in Las Vegas: quarterback Micah Alejado, running back Cam Barfield, linebacker Jamih Otis, and nickelback Elijah Palmer. A crew also filmed the group visiting their alma mater, Bishop Gorman High School, a national powerhouse in the city.

According to team officials, the footage and images will roll out in commercials, on social media, and in-game at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Mānoa. The production and crew were valued at more than $100,000, but UFC waived the cost and donated the deliverables to the program.

UH associate head coach Chris Brown, who helped arrange the collaboration, called the access to UFC’s facility and staff a rare opportunity. “To open it up to us is huge,” Brown said, noting the program’s gratitude. Alejado added that the exposure is “humongous” for the Warriors.

UFC sponsors UH football shoot through personal ties

The partnership grew from a long-standing friendship between Brown and Craig Borsari, UFC’s chief content officer and executive producer. They met during Brown’s tenure on Bishop Gorman’s staff. Borsari’s son, Hudson, is a UH kicker and Bishop Gorman graduate, and Borsari had expressed interest in supporting the Warriors.

Borsari opened the Apex, a 130,000-square-foot complex that includes a ballroom-sized fight stage, broadcast studio, interview room, announcer’s booth, production and control room, locker rooms, and a cut man’s room. Borsari oversees UFC’s widely viewed promotional content and recently produced a UFC event at the White House.

Emmy-winning senior producer Nick Brown led the UH shoot. The UFC vibe permeated the day, from photos in the corridors to the guest pass outside the dressing room.

Chris Brown said he asked for a “legendary” look that would let fans nationwide feel the Warriors’ identity. The crew laid tracks for dynamic camera movement and used three green-tinted spotlights for dramatic effect.

“It’s very epic how the lighting makes the players pop,” Brown said, praising the professionalism of the production. Roughly a dozen crew members handled staging, cameras, lighting, sound, and editing.

UH media relations director Derek Inouchi brought uniforms, helmets, and the Hawaiian flag for the set. Barfield, who grew up in Las Vegas, called the experience surreal and said he is a big UFC fan, citing stars such as Jon Jones, Max Holloway, Conor McGregor, and BJ Penn.

Bishop Gorman connection front and center

With four Bishop Gorman alumni representing UH at Media Days in their hometown, Brown said the timing was ideal. The Warriors’ 2026 roster features 16 former Gaels, while UNLV has five, according to the program.

Alejado said returning to Bishop Gorman underscored the roots of their journeys and the chance to represent both Hawai‘i and their high school. Program officials said Borsari is also playing a key role in a new players’ lounge on the Mānoa campus that will double as a meeting room.

Work on that project has begun, and fans can look forward to seeing more Hawai‘i athletes featured on the national stage, much like Shane Victorino at the MLB Futures Game.