The First Light Observatory
The deepest record of commercial value in professional fighting.
The Observatory follows every professional fighter across promotions worldwide, from their first bout to their latest post. It measures what a name is worth inside and outside the cage, and what moves it. Its readings decide which names First Light backs.
The Observatory reads Google Search, Wikipedia page views, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X. It captures followers, views, engagement, search, countries, markets and languages. Fighter skill level is measured by the First Light Rating (FLR). It does not just look at panel rankings: it is built from in-cage performance and results, and tracks a fighter’s skill beyond the simple win/loss record. It is more accurate than all industry incumbents. The Observatory also records earnings: money earned inside the cage and out.
Coverage spans 20+ organisations and 8,000+ active pro fighters, with readings taken continuously around every event. The First Light Index (FLI) compares a fighter’s fame against what the FLR predicts, on a scale from −1 to +1. It shows which fighters are undervalued phenoms, and which are overhyped names.
On the sport, no filter: fighters, bouts and promotions from everywhere, not only the UFC. On the audience, a deliberate Western lens, mostly English-speaking and American, because that is where the advertising market is largest. Hence the platforms we read.
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Journalists may publish Observatory data.Credit: First Light Observatory.contact@firstlightequity.com