Hassan Maishera
One of the most crucial partnerships in the crypto space is that of crypto companies and sporting entities. Over the past few years, crypto companies, including Binance, KuCoin, Crypto.com, and several others, have partnered with various sporting entities and personalities.
Chiliz is a major Web3 sports blockchain that has issued fan tokens for various football clubs, such as FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and more.
Fightfi is another Web3 platform that is making waves in the sporting world. Its latest partnership is set to boost fan engagement.
Fight.ID and UFC Expand Partnership
Fightfi, the company behind Fight.ID, a Web3-enabled platform designed for combat sports fans and athletes, announced over the weekend that it has expanded its partnership with UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.
In a press release shared with Cryptowisser, the team said this partnership aims to enhance UFC’s digital fan engagement through the continued development of blockchain-powered products and experiences.
Fight.ID is the official partner of UFC Strike digital collectibles. The expanded partnership allows Fight.ID to leverage blockchain technology to bridge the gap between UFC’s global fanbase and the growing ecosystem of Web3 users.
The company intends to achieve this objective by developing a digital identity and loyalty system, a prize pool mechanism to support additional fighter bonuses, and a line of premium merchandise exclusive to the Fight.ID ecosystem.
While commenting on the expanded partnership, Grant Norris-Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Partnerships at TKO, said,
“UFC has always embraced an innovation-first mentality. James and his team have proven to be a dynamic and innovative partner for us, and we are extremely excited to support the Fight.ID ecosystem over the next several years.”
James Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO of Fight.ID added that as the world continues to become more digitally enabled, this is an excellent time to invest in blockchain projects.
“As fight fans, we have long admired UFC’s grit and innovation. Over the past three years, our teams have developed incredible trust and collaboration in building UFC’s official digital collectibles. It’s time now to expand our offerings to invite all fight fans to join the tribe of digital ownership,” Zhang added.
Fight.ID Discloses a New Funding Round
To support this expansion and the next phase of its platform, ight.ID has closed a new funding round. The new funding round will see participation from Anthos Capital, Aptos Foundation, Aquanow Ventures, Blockchain Coinvestors, Fabric VC, Jupiter, and Memeland.
The round also includes angel investors from the sports and entertainment industries. Notable backers include UFC athletes Gilbert Burns, Josh Emmett, Dan Ige, Vicente Luque, Eric Nicksick, Alexandre Pantoja, and Gregory Rodrigues. Additional investors include Craig Kallman, Chief Music Officer at Atlantic Music Group; NBA veteran Baron Davis; NFL Pro Bowler Cam Jordan; and Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands.
Fight.ID added that the funds raised from this round will be used to develop various digital products that will capture Web3 functionalities such as digital asset ownership, programmable rewards, and enhanced user interaction.
