UFC 165 headliner Jon Jones becomes ZUFFA's first Gatorade-sponsored athlete

Thanks for paving the way, Georges, but "Bones" will take it from here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will become the first mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter to be sponsored by sports-drink powerhouse Gatorade, beginning with his UFC 165 pay-per-view (PPV) title fight against Alexander Gustafsson this Saturday night (Sept. 21, 2013) at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

From the champ's official press release:

"It's great that a company like Gatorade sees the value that their products bring to MMA athletes. They're one of the biggest brands in sports worldwide, and I am honored to have their support moving forward. It does not get any better than Gatorade when it comes to fueling your body, during training and competition."

Previous athletes under the "G" banner include Michael Jordan, Eli Manning and Serena Williams, among others.

The Gatorade logo will be "prominently displayed" on Jones' fight trunks as he looks to defend his 205-pound title for a record sixth time. In order to break the mark set by UFC hall-of-famer Tito Ortiz, he must first break "The Mauler," who will undoubtedly look to spoil the coronation with a career performance.

It's not like it hasn't happened before.

For Jones, this latest sponsorship is yet another landmark in his already historic combat sports career. In late 2012, "Bones" announced a multi-year endorsement deal with NIKE, the sneaker and apparel giant who also slapped a swoosh on former middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Feather, meet cap.

For more on this weekend's UFC 165: "Jones vs. Gustafsson" PPV event in Toronto click here.