The UFC sells itself to two YouTubers and turns a combat sports classic into an absurdity

In 2015, the UFC banned fighters from promoting their individual sponsors. As a result, monopolizing all sponsorship deals and most of the money that comes with them. At the time, one of the arguments was not wanting the wrestlers to resemble NASCAR cars, which are plastered with sponsor stickers from one place.

At the moment, the UFC has contradicted itself, because it is precisely its octagon and set of sponsors that resemble the “NASCAR machine”. The UFC has its own official energy drink, water, beer, tequila, “ready-to-drink” vodka, and even “flavored whiskey.” “Bodyarmour” has now been replaced as the official sports drink by Paul and KSI’s joint project “PRIME”.

The Sports Business Journal estimates the deal to be three years long with a total value in the “high seven figures.”

As a result, a very absurd name has been given to the so common “blue and red corner” of combat sports. For many years, in combat sports, blue and red have marked the corners of the octagon or the ring, to which certain wrestlers go after the end of the round to recover and receive advice from trainers.

Now even the wrestler’s coach will have to sit on a special octagonal bench decorated with the “PRIME” logo. But the future name of the wrestler’s corner is the most absurd – “Red/Blue PRIME hydration recovery station” (English – “Red/Blue PRIME hydration recovery station”).

I wonder if Bruce Buffer, known as the “Voice of the Octagon”, will really say before the fights: “I introduce you first – fight from the blue corner…” before the fights: “I introduce you first – fight from the blue “PRIME” hydration station…”?

Such a turn would likely be a major tongue twister for even the most experienced wrestler and would thoroughly destroy the tension that builds up in the wrestler’s submission process.