REEBOK DELIVERS ONE-TWO PUNCH SIGNING UFC® CHAMPIONS RONDA ROUSEY AND JON JONES
ROUSEY AND JONES TO HELP GLOBAL FITNESS BRAND INSPIRE MILLIONS TO TRAIN LIKE FIGHTERS
December - Canton, MA
– Reebok today announced
partnerships with two of the top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes in the world, UFC® World Champions
Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey. The signings of Jones and
Rousey follow the recent announcement of Reebok’s groundbreaking
partnership with UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts
organization, taking the global fitness brand’s commitment to the
sport to an entirely new level.
Jones,
the UFC Light Heavyweight
Champion, and Rousey, the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion will be
working closely with Reebok to help develop and launch the brand’s new
range of UFC apparel, as well as a new collection of footwear and
apparel specifically created for the more than 35 million
people around the world who participate in combat training to stay
fit.
“Not
only are Ronda and Jon admired
by millions of UFC fans, but they also are among the fittest, most
disciplined athletes in the world, and an inspiration to the millions of
people around the globe who train like fighters,” said Matt O’Toole,
President, Reebok. “We’re looking forward to working
with each of them and tapping into their insight and expertise to
create world-class training products and fight gear.”
On
December 2, it was announced
that, starting in 2015, Reebok will be the exclusive authentic global
outfitter of UFC. As part of the long-term partnership with UFC, Reebok
is creating, for the first time ever, UFC ‘Fight Week gear’ and ‘Fight
Night Kits’ for all UFC athletes, as well as
an apparel collection for millions of UFC fans around the world.
Jones
and Rousey join UFC Lightweight
Champion Anthony Pettis and former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny
Hendricks as part of Reebok’s growing roster of UFC athletes.
Ronda Rousey
An
Olympic medalist and Judo World
Champion, Rousey is undefeated in 10 MMA fights and was the first
female athlete to sign with UFC. A global phenomenon, Ronda has helped
to shift perceptions around the world of what it means for women to
compete in combat sports. Her next bout will be against
Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on February 28, 2015.
“From
the very beginning, it was
clear to me that Reebok is passionately invested in our sport and its
athletes. The team is committed to helping push our sport forward and I
am proud to be part of it. Reebok understands what tough fitness means
for women and what women need for their fitness
lifestyle. Together we’re going to inspire even more people to train
like fighters,”
said Rousey.
Jon Jones
Crowned
the youngest world champion in UFC history, Jones has one of the
greatest records in the Octagon®. Currently ranked #1 in official UFC
pound-for-pound rankings, Jones will take
on Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in Las Vegas on January 3, 2015.
“Reebok
is working with UFC to take
the sport to the next level. It’s going to be an amazing journey and
I’m incredibly proud to be a part of it. The brand has a great history
in fitness and training, and that comes through in everything they do.
What I’m particularly excited about is that the
input of the fighters is going to drive the product innovation, which
will ensure all athletes, whether they are fighting for a world
championship or just to be fit, will have the very best gear,” said
Jones.
“In addition to being one
of
the fastest growing sports in the world, MMA is also one of the most
demanding in
terms of training and conditioning,” said O’Toole. “The mental and
physical toughness and discipline required is remarkable. There are no
better examples of this than Ronda and Jon, and they have the
championships to prove it.”
For
further information on UFC please visit www.ufc.com
TOP 10 WELTERWEIGHTS MATT BROWN AND TAREC SAFFIEDINE COLLIDE ON SATURDAY, FEB. 14 IN BROOMFIELD
Plus:
STEPHEN THOMPSON vs. BRANDON THATCH
MAX HOLLOWAY (#14) vs. COLE MILLER
TIMOTHY ELLIOTT (#9) vs. ZACH MAKOVSKY (#10)
NIK LENTZ (#9) vs. THIAGO TAVARES
TICKETS FOR
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: BROWN vs. SAFFIEDINE
AT 1STBANK CENTER
ON SALE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5
Las Vegas, Nevada –
The UFC® will bring a stacked card to Broomfield on Saturday, February 14 as two top 10 welterweights jockey for position in the talent-rich division. Fifth-ranked
Matt Brown
clashes with No. 9
Tarec Saffiedine
in a Valentine’s Day special that is sure to bring the action.
Brown
(21-12, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) has finished all but two of his
21 victories, securing 13 by way of knockout. The heavy-hitting
33-year-old has long been on the
brink of title contention with wins over UFC standouts such as Mike
Swick and Mike Pyle, and he hopes that an impressive performance over
Saffiedine (15-4, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) will get him one
step closer to that elusive shot at UFC gold.
Former STRIKEFORCE®
champion and Belgium native Saffiedine has won five of his last six
bouts. A black belt in Shihaishinkai, a form of karate that includes
knockdowns
and throws, he’s been honing his grappling techniques under the
tutelage of former PRIDE® and STRIKEFORCE champion and U.S.
Olympic Team wrestler, Dan Henderson in Southern California and he will
prove to be a threat regardless of where the fight
goes.
In addition, two of the best strikers in the welterweight division will collide in an early Fight of the Night candidate as
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (10-1, fighting out of Simpsonville,
S.C.) meets Denver’s own Brandon Thatch
(11-1, fighting out of
Denver, Colo.). Thompson made the transition to MMA after posting a
perfect kickboxing record of 57-0 that included more than 40 knockouts, a
trait that he’s carried with him, as half of his MMA fights have also
ended with a KO. Thatch will make his return
to the Octagon® just 20 minutes from his hometown and will
look to keep his 10-fight win streak dating back to 2009 intact in front
of his hometown fans.
Also scheduled for the card:
·
Riding a four-fight win streak with all finishes, No. 14
Max Holloway
(11-3, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) will meet submission specialist
Cole Miller
(21-8, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a featherweight showdown.· In a battle of top-10 flyweights, ninth-ranked Timothy Elliott (10-5-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) clashes with No. 10 Zach Makovsky (18-5, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.).
· Ninth-ranked Nik Lentz (27-6-2, 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) will look to use his superior wrestling when he takes on Brazilian grappler Thiago Tavares (23-5-1, fighting out of Florianopolis, Brazil) at featherweight.
· Flyweight submission ace Ray Borg (7-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets dynamic finisher Chris Kelades (8-1, fighting out of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia Canada).
For more information or current fight news, visit
www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Tickets for
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: BROWN vs. SAFFIEDINE go on sale Friday, December 5 at 10 a.m. MT and are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at
www.altitudetickets.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone
with a major credit card, call (866) 461-6556. Tickets are also available at the 1STBANK Center box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.
A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, December 4 starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC
newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: BROWN vs. SAFFIEDINE will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m.
ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, February 14, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS™ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
REEBOK STEPS INTO THE OCTAGON®
GLOBAL FITNESS BRAND AND MMA GIANT UFC® ENTER INTO LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP
December, Canton, MA –
Global fitness leader Reebok today announced a groundbreaking partnership with
UFC®, the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. Under
the long-term deal, Reebok will become the exclusive authentic global
outfitter of UFC,
creating for the first time ever UFC ‘Fight Week gear’ and a ‘Fight Night kit’ for all UFC athletes.
Reebok will also be the exclusive apparel provider for the millions of UFC fans around the world.
In
addition to benefiting UFC athletes and fans, the Reebok and UFC
alliance also has a significant charitable component. Starting
in 2015, a percentage of sales from Reebok/UFC product will directly
benefit
Fight for Peace, an international NGO that uses boxing and martial
arts, combined with education and personal development, to realize the
potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and
violence.
“This partnership is much more than a licensing agreement,” said
Matt O’Toole, President, Reebok. “It is a true collaboration
between two great brands, which will not only give UFC a new and
exciting look, but it will harness the global reach of both brands to
also benefit young people around the world,
particularly those at risk of being involved in crime and violence.”
“Together with Reebok we are changing the landscape of MMA,” said
Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“Working with another global brand with such a strong history in
training and fitness will deliver long-term value for UFC athletes and
their brands by elevating and further professionalizing
the events and the sport. Every UFC athlete will benefit from high
quality performance apparel specifically developed, tested and produced
for MMA athletes. Never before has the sport had a global athletic
footwear and apparel brand committed to investing
so much in the research and development of products specifically for
MMA.”
The Reebok/UFC apparel line, including the ‘Fight Week gear,’
‘Fight Night kit,’ and UFC fan gear, will be developed in conjunction
with UFC and its athletes, including current Reebok athletes UFC
Welterweight Champion
Johny Hendricks and UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis. In
addition, UFC athletes will be helping Reebok to develop a new fight
training-specific apparel collection.
“Not only is Mixed Martial Arts one of the fastest growing sports
in the world, it is also one of the most challenging in terms of the
dedication to training, overall fitness level and mental and physical
toughness required.
And nowhere is this on display more than in the UFC Octagon,”
said O’Toole. “This
partnership not only further cements Reebok as the leading fitness brand
in the industry, it will also help us reach a wider audience and become
the brand
of choice for the more than 35 million consumers worldwide who use
disciplines like boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts to live a fit
lifestyle.”
Partnership to Benefit Fight for Peace
Last
week, at Fight for Peace’s Academy in London, Reebok announced its
long-term commitment to Fight for Peace, which was founded
in 2000 by Luke Dowdney MBE,
a former amateur boxer
and British light-middleweight Universities champion, as well as the
acquisition of LUTA Sportswear, an authentic boxing and MMA brand, also
founded by Dowdney
to help support Fight for Peace’s mission.
“Our
partnership with Reebok is incredibly exciting
for Fight for Peace and its future and Reebok entering into this
long-term deal with the UFC will magnify the positive impact and reach
of this partnership,” said Dowdney. “Reebok and Fight for Peace have a
shared belief in the power of fitness – and specifically
fight training - and the impact it can have on young people’s lives,
particularly those who are impacted by crime and violence. Today’s
announcement between Reebok and the UFC will help us continue to build
international awareness for the Fight for Peace mission,
allowing us to reach even more at risk young people globally.”
For further information and assets please visit the Reebok News Stream at
news.reebok.com
For further information on Fight For Peace please visit
www.fightforpeace.net
