The heavyweight champion will take 50% of his UFC 270 purse in Bitcoin

[ad_1]

UFC heavyweight title holder Francis Ngannou has announced that he will take half of his UFC 270 purse in Bitcoin (BTC) via Cash App.

The Franco-Cameroonian MMA fighter will take on the undefeated Ciryl Gane on January 23 and is expected to win a guaranteed $750,000. In a tweet posted on January 18, Ngannou noted that:

“After doing a lot of research on bitcoin, I really believe this is the future of money, man. Bitcoin is valuable, safe, and no one can deal with it.”

The event will take place inside the 18,000+ capacity Honda Center in Anaheim, California. In what is the first defense of Ngannous’ title reign, the fight is an intriguing heavyweight clash in which both fighters will enter the arena after their best performance yet and the winner could very well be the new face of the heavyweights for years to come.

Tickets are still up for grabs and the fight will air on ESPN+ PPV in the United States. Cash App is spending big on the fight, with another $300,000 giveaway for followers who post about the campaign on Twitter.

I believe bitcoin can empower people everywhere. So I’m thrilled to partner with @CashApp to take half of my #UFC270 purse in bitcoin. I want to make bitcoin more accessible to my fans, so I’m giving away $300,000 in bitcoin! Follow @CashApp + deposit your $cashtag with #PaidInBitcoin pic.twitter.com/8JEvJ1UYu1

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 18, 2022

The Cash App marketing campaign has seen prominent figures offering Bitcoins to their social media followers. Earlier in December, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow announced that she was giving away $500,000 in BTC to her Twitter and Instagram followers through a Cash App partnership.

Ngannou is also not the first professional MMA fighter to receive Bitcoin payouts. In an interview on December 17, Kevin Lee said that the Russian-based Eagle Fighting Championship will pay him in BTC.

Related: Crypto.com Partners with Los Angeles Angel City Football Club

Billions of people watch sports, and crypto brands are leveraging the power of sports partnerships to target mainstream users.

In one of Australia’s biggest crypto sports partnerships, the Aussie Rules women’s division called AFLW just struck a $25 million deal with Crypto.com. Crypto.com also reached a $700 million deal in mid-November to rename Staples Arena in Los Angeles as Crypto.com Arena for 20 years.

The crypto company also signed big sponsorship deals with Formula 1 and the UFC in June and July, respectively.

Cash App has formed partnerships with several NFL players, including Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The partnership will allow them to collect their salary in BTC.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has taken a stake in FTX Trading and will receive crypto as part of the endorsement deal. It acts as an ambassador for the crypto exchange. FTX also has deals with Miami Heat and Major League Baseball.

[ad_2]