December 16, 2014 – 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 and assets please visit the Reebok News Stream at news.reebok.com
For further information on UFC please visit www.ufc.com
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About Reebok
Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming which enable movement and is committed to accompanying people on their journey to fulfill their potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s training, running, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market. A subsidiary of the adidas Group, Reebok operates under the multiple divisions of the Reebok brand, Reebok-CCM Hockey and the Sports Licensed Division. Reebok is the exclusive outfitter of CrossFit and the Reebok CrossFit Games, the official title sponsor of the Reebok Spartan Race and exclusive apparel provider for Les Mills.
For more information, visit Reebok at www.reebok.com or, for the latest news at http://news.reebok.com/.
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About UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.
