“After learning more and more about Bitcoin, I truly believe it is the future of money,” Ngannou stated via his agent.
Francis Ngannou, the current UFC heavyweight champion, has revealed that he will accept half of his UFC 270 prize money in Bitcoin (BTC) via Cash App.
On Jan. 23, the French-Cameroonian MMA fighter will face the undefeated Ciryl Gane for a guaranteed $750,000 purse. Ngannou stated in a tweet on January 18 that:
“After doing a lot of research on Bitcoin, I really believe it is the future of money, man. Bitcoin is valuable, secure, and no one can mess with it.”
Francis Ngannou’s partnership with CashApp
Francis Ngannou, a UFC fighter, has a reputation for being the world’s hardest recorded puncher. According to BJPenn.com, he is the latest athlete to join the world of Bitcoin, joining Aaron Rodgers and Odell Beckham Jr. He will receive half of his UFC 270 prize in bitcoins.
The Cameroonian MMA fighter has partnered with CashApp, which will convert half of his purse into bitcoins. He would also distribute $300,000 in bitcoins to his social media followers.
“As I learn more about Bitcoin, I am convinced that it represents the future of money,” Ngannou said through his agency. “Bitcoin has the potential to empower individuals all over the world, which is why I’m thrilled to be partnering with Cash App to give some of my followers the chance to own some Bitcoin.”
“Bitcoin is the future,” he subsequently remarked, “and I aim to help lead the way in Africa.”
He is looking forward to defending his heavyweight belt against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. It’s a rematch between the two former training partners, and it’s also the last fight in Ngannou’s contract, which he doesn’t like.
“I will not fight for $500,000 [or] $600,000 anymore,” the boxer said to ESPN. “It’s over. I took this fight for personal reasons because I want to make sure that regardless of [whether] it’s fair, I can make my case that I have completed the fights.”
Famous individuals have given away Bitcoin to their social media followers as part of the Cash App marketing effort. Gwyneth Paltrow, a Hollywood actress, said earlier this month that she would be giving away $500,000 in Bitcoin to her Twitter and Instagram followers through a Cash App deal.
Ngannou isn’t the first professional MMA fighter to accept Bitcoin as payment. Kevin Lee stated in a Dec. 17 interview that the Eagle Fighting Championship, based in Russia, will pay him in BTC.
Hundreds of millions of people watch sports each year, and crypto companies are utilizing the power of sports partnerships to reach out to a wider audience.
The Australian Football League’s women’s division, known as the AFLW, has just signed a $25 million contract with Crypto.com, making it one of Australia’s largest crypto sports collaborations. In mid-November, Crypto.com also obtained a $700 million deal to rebrand the Staples Arena in Los Angeles as the Crypto.com Arena for the next 20 years.
In June and July, the crypto business also signed lucrative sponsorship arrangements with Formula 1 and the UFC.
Several NFL stars, notably Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, have partnered with Cash App. They will be able to collect their income in BTC as a result of the partnership.
Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, invested in FTX Trading and will earn cryptocurrency as part of the endorsement contract. He is representing the cryptocurrency exchange as an ambassador. The Miami Heat and Major League Baseball have also partnered with FTX.
