UFC
UFC Champ Jon Jones signs with Nike for global sponsorship deal
Aug 8, 2012 - 7:30:20 PM UFC Champ Jon Jones signs with Nike for global sponsorship deal

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The sport of mixed martial arts is one driven by names, fighters who draw in viewers and excite fans around the world. Though names like Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, and Georges St-Pierre have all at times held appeal at the top of the sport, a mainstream star hasn't yet broken through.

St-Pierre has been one of the closest, netting deals with Gatorade in Canada, and several others have been big in regional markets, such as Silva in Brazil, but now one of the biggest endorsement deals in the history of MMA belongs to the newest rising star in the ranks: Jon Jones.

The 25-year-old UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has inked a global sponsorship deal with Nike, according to a report from MMAFighting.com, with an announcement expected within the week.

Jones will be featured in advertising for the sports apparel and lifestyle brand around the globe, will get his own signature line of products, and will be featured in Nike gear come fight night, beginning with his next Light Heavyweight Title defense on Sept. 1 at UFC 151.

Signing a deal with a company like Nike has been one of Jones' goals since reaching the pinnacle of the 205 lb. division, and he and his camp opted not to seek out sponsorships with typical MMA clothing companies in order to secure such a deal. He's not the first MMA fighter to be associated with Nike, either, as both Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama have represented the brand in their home countries. However, Jones does become the first to be the global face of MMA for Nike.

Penick's Analysis: This is a huge sponsorship deal for Jones, and a big moment for the UFC as they have another star breaking out into the mainstream. Jones' skills inside the cage have been incredible to watch, and he continues to gain a bigger and bigger audience each time he fights. After breaking the 700,000 buy mark in April for his bout with Rashad Evans, it's not out of the question he hits the million buy mark against Dan Henderson on Sept. 1. If he has another typical performance, his star will be at an all-time high. Add in spots for Nike around the world, and he has the opportunity to quickly become a closer-to-household name than any fighter the UFC's had on their roster.

UPDATE: Jones confirmed the news on Twitter, writing "Blessed to be signed by the biggest sports apparel company in the world #NIKE Dreams do come true."

[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]