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Like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), sports apparel juggernaut Nike is a friend to the gay and lesbian community. So much so, that the largest sporting-goods company in world wants to sponsor -- for the first time ever -- an openly gay athlete.
Rick Welts, the openly gay president of the NBA's Golden State Warriors said he was specifically told by Nike officials that if he knows of any gay athletes, to have them come forward, because the most recognizable sports brand in the world wants to sponsor them and make them even more financially richer.
Bloomberg.com got the scoop from Welts:
"They made it clear to me Nike would embrace it. The player who does it, they're going to be amazed at the additional opportunities that are put on the table, not the ones that are taken off."
According to the report, the first openly gay athlete to come forward could stand to make millions in endorsements provided, of course, he's a "recognizable name."
It's important to note, however, the key word used in said report is "he." So it isn't exactly clear if Nike officials are only looking to sponsor a male NBA athlete or if they are also opening their doors to other mainstream stars in other sports, including women.
Enter Liz Carmouche.
Upon hearing the news, "Girl-rilla" took to her Twitter account to lobby for the honor of becoming Nike's first-ever gay sponsored athlete.
Carmouche is no stranger to making history.
Just last February at UFC 157, she took part in UFC's first-ever women's fight, taking on Ronda Rousey for the bantamweight title. And while Carmouche came up short in her bid to capture the title from "Rowdy," she made a name for herself thanks to her spirited effort and will now forever be a part of MMA and sport's history.
And she wants to make some more history with the sports apparel giant.
Nike already sponsors a few high profile MMA stars such as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones (see his new gear here), former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and of course, middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.
Sponsoring a female MMA fighter would definitely be breaking ground for the blue chip company.
Whether or not Nike takes Carmouche's pleas into consideration is something we will all have to wait and see. Nevertheless, Liz is counting on her loyal fan base -- the same fan base who bombarded UFC President Dana White's Twitter feed in an effort to get her the fight against Rousey -- to help make it happen.
"Lizbos," get to work.
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