UFC, Dana White sign major deal with KSI and Logan Paul
The UFC just made a huge announcement as Prime is now an official sports drink of the promotion. Prime, a newer sports drink on the market, was founded by social media influencers Logan Paul and KSI. However, they are not just popular on social media, both men have also had successful boxing stints — depending on what lens you use to look at their careers.
The duo has signed a new deal with the UFC and the promotion’s president, Dana White, as reported by the company’s Twitter on Tuesday.
Paul has 23.6 million subscribers on YouTube and fought in an exhibition boxing match against the great Floyd Mayweather Jr. Meanwhile, KSI has 16.2 million subscribers on YouTube, and he has a record of 5-0-1 as a boxer. These two internet celebrities at least have some experience as athletes, so this partnership does make some sense.
The UFC is no stranger to plastering their octagon and events with advertisements. However, they do not let their fighters acquire their own advertisement deals, though that is a discussion for another day. The new Prime deal appears to be replacing the UFC’s deal with the Bodyarmor sports drink.
Prime is a sports and energy drink that is continuing to grow in popularity. The Prime catalog consists of multiple flavors such as Blue Raspberry, Grape, Ice Pop and Lemon Lime. Prime sports drinks and energy drinks continue to expand their flavors every year.
This will be a new development for UFC fans as now they will see Prime advertisements across the octagon. Also, the red and blue corners appear to be going under new names correlating with the new Prime deal.
The UFC and Jake Paul
This news is a bit surprising as Logan Paul’s brother, Jake, has had a tumultuous relationship with White. Jake is a social media influencer who has also made waves as a boxer. Nicknamed the “problem child,” Jake is 6-0 as a boxer defeating former basketball player Nate Robinson, former UFC fighter Ben Askren and former UFC fighter Tyron Woodley.
Jake Paul is a polarizing figure that has caused a lot of controversies. He has gone back and forth with Dana White on multiple occasions by criticizing the way the UFC treats its fighters. Although Jake Paul can be incredibly cringeworthy at times, he is at least a promoter of fighter agency and fighter benefits. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out with the new Prime deal and the ongoing feud between Dana White and Jake Paul.
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