UFC is joining up with Facebook's parent company Meta in a deal that will bring mixed martial arts to more fans around the world.

Meta Platforms has signed a multi-year deal to become the first “official fan technology partner” of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), whose CEO was elected to the Facebook parent’s board in January.

Joelle Pineau, Meta Platforms’ head of artificial intelligence research, said she would step down effective May 30, creating an executive vacancy as the company aggressively invests and competes in the booming sector.

The head of Meta’s artificial intelligence research division said she plans to step down, vacating a high-profile position at the parent company of Facebook and Instagram at a time of intense competit

Her departure comes at a challenging time for Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made AI a top priority, investing billions of dollars in an effort to become the market leader ahead of