Ronda Rousey the Face of UFC's Premium Apparel Line?
- Nens Bolilan
- Jul 29, 2014 03:36 PM EDT
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Things have been going well for Ronda Rousey, but like her career is still hungry for starpower, she could be the person for UFC's foray into the apparel industry.
According to an Ad Week report, UFC women's bantamweight champ "Rowdy" could likely be the front act for the tourney's first-ever official outfitting deal, per Mike Mossholder, SVP of global marketing partnerships.
The possibility comes after a nationwide deal to endorse Xyience Xenergy, and considerable screentime on "Entourage," "The Expendables 3" and "Fast & Furious 7," it said.
The 27-year-old Best Female Athlete at the ESPY Awards morphed into the biggest star in the UFC, formerly dominated by manly men, the report adds, and is cementing her spot with the deals she has gotten herself.
MMA Torch notes that rumors about the apparel sponsorship have been on since early 2014, with the UFC weighing the pros and cons, especially regarding the monetary impact on the fighters. But the likely endorsement deal with Rousey signifies a "renewed push" it said.
The UFC is "actively engaged" in negotiations with a "premium" brand, an exclusive deal to outfit all 400-plus fighters on the line, Mossholder told Ad Week. He refused to namedrop the outfitter, and Nike, Under Armour, Reebok and Adidas have either refused to respond to the media outfit or could not be reached.
Rousey's spot as the "No. 1 most requested athlete" in sponsors' minds makes her a likely choice, the report said, and her No. 3 spot in terms of ticket sales also helps.
Athletes have previously entered into deals with outfitters. Georges St-Pierre is signed by Under Armour and Nike, Fox Sports said. Reebok, a newcomer in MMA, has Johny Hendricks, and Robbie Lawler just signed with Adidas.
Rousey welcomes all the ad revenue. "You give yourself more value if you don't walk out looking like a race car covered in ads," Rousey told Ad Week. "I like to think my sponsors are valued more because it looks more clean." However, she said she was in "no rush."
MMA Torch thinks it is likely for the growing UFC to expand its ambit, with the uniform deal a first step. It ascertaints that some of the fighters could be affected negatively, it might just be beneficial for most.
The products Rousey endorse do get a jolt in sales, the Ad Week report said. When Xyience Xenergy, the official energy drink of UFC, printed her image on cans, it experienced a 12-percent increase in sales, according to the product's president, John Lennon.
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