The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series has agreed a sponsorship deal with Malaysian airline AirAsia.
The multi-territory deal encompasses Asia and Australia, and names AirAsia as the first official airline of UFC. The length of the agreement was not disclosed.
AirAsia will begin its international activations during UFC’s inaugural event in mainland China on November 25. AirAsia will receive rights to signage and branding inside the Octagon during the event, which takes place at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena.
AirAsia will also be given signage and branding rights at other selected international UFC events in 2018.
Co-branded content will also be delivered to Asian UFC fans through AirAsia and UFC’s respective media platforms, while AirAsia will also select the first ever UFC scholarship programme recipient, through which an Asia-based athlete will be awarded an all-expenses-paid scholarship in the US.
“This deal is an indication of how much UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts have grown in Asia and around the world,” UFC’s vice-president of Asia-Pacific, Kevin Chang, said. “AirAsia is an innovative and fast-growing brand, we thank them for the support and we’re looking forward to creating engaging branded content for fight fans and AirAsia customers to enjoy.”