...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones became the first man in mixed martial arts to nab an international endorsement deal with Nike, and now he's nabbed another major sponsor ahead of UFC 165.
Jones' management group revealed on Thursday that the 26-year-old now has a deal with Gatorade, and will be the first UFC fighter to sport their logos inside the Octagon. UFC Welterweight Champion GSP had been with Gatorade Canada a couple of years ago, but that wasn't an international deal and he didn't have Gatorade as a sponsor in the cage.
The Champ is excited for the opportunity to represent another major entity in the world of sports when he tries to set a record for most title defenses in the light heavyweight division.
"It's great that a company like Gatorade sees the value that their products bring to MMA athletes," Jones said in a press release. "They're one of the biggest brands in sports worldwide, and I am honored to have their support moving forward.”
"It does not get any better than Gatorade when it comes to fueling your body, during training and competition."
"This is a historic day for UFC competitors," added his manager, Malki Kawa. “Gatorade is one of the most recognized brands in the world. Jon has earned this relationship through hard work, determination, and pure dominance inside the Octagon.”
Penick's Analysis: This is another big deal for Jones, and with his endorsement/sponsorship deals, he's quite well on his way to becoming one of the highest paid fighters in the sport, if he's not there already. He doesn't quite make the same on pay-per-view as Georges St-Pierre yet, as he hasn't been that level of a draw to this point, but he's getting there, and this is an impressive and major acquisition by Kawa for the young Champ.
[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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