Ahead of his second defense of his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight title, Israel Adesanya has made history. “The Last Stylebender” recently became the first-ever mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter to ink a deal with Puma, the world-renowned sports apparel brand.
Israel Adesanya has signed a multi-year deal with Puma. He will be the face of their Oceania division but will also be a part of their global marketing plans, as well. It is an apparel and shoe sponsorship. He is the first MMA fighter to ever be sponsored by Puma. pic.twitter.com/ciNMnEZBpn
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 17, 2020
To commemorate the historic signing, Puma unveiled its first video ad featuring the Middleweight champ ahead of his big title fight against Paulo Costa, which is set to go down on Sept. 26, 2020, in Abu Dhabi. Adesanya joins the likes of Julian Edelman, Neymar, Usain Bolt and Greg Norman on Puma’s highly-impressive roster of athletes.
The 31-year old hasn’t slowed down since bursting onto the UFC scene in 2018, winning eight straight fights, including the interim strap in just his sixth fight inside the eight-walled cage. A win over Costa will not only give him his second title defense, but it will settle the long-time beef Adesanya has had with the Brazilian bruiser.
Furthermore, an impressive outing will further raise his stock, which will likely bring more blue chip sponsorship opportunities moving forward.
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