[Centraal] MMA topic #66 The Karate Kid

quote:

Bellator 35 ratings: 200,000 viewers
Bellator 36 ratings: 230,000
Bellator 37 ratings: 173,000
Bellator 38 ratings: 150,000
Bellator 39 ratings: 174,000
Bellator 40 ratings: 218,000
Bellator 41 ratings: 132,000
Bellator 42 ratings: 199,000
Bellator 43 ratings: 182,000
Bellator 44 ratings: 325,000
Bellator 45 ratings: 264,000

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One more step towards mainstream acceptance starts with more mainstream exposure for UFC.

That will come in the form of a recently announced sponsorship deal with Edge Shaving Gel, which will reportedly take effect in July of this year.

Sports Business Journal first reported the news and MMAPayout.com has more:

The signing of Edge gets the UFC in front of a broader audience as it will be in many retail stores. It also is a product used by many young males so the sponsorship makes sense for both parties. The brand activation will help the UFC introduce itself to consumers by the online and in-store promos. BJ Penn is a good pick for one of the UFC faces for this sponsorship as he is a very popular figure in the UFC and has crossover appeal. The sponsorship is another sign that the UFC is establishing itself as a valuable sports property.

The report states the sponsorship deal includes endorsements for five UFC fighters although it does not name which five. Care to guess who they will be? Penn seems like a natural fit, but who else?