UFC Heavyweight Champ Announces Cash App Partnership; To Receive Part Of Purse In BTC

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has become the latest athlete to foray into the crypto space after announcing a partnership with Cash App. MMA reporter Ariel Helwani first reported the news. 

Helwani also revealed that Ngannou would be giving away $300,000 worth of BTC to fans on social media. 

First MMA Fighter To Partner With Cash App 

Following the announcement, the UFC Heavyweight Champion becomes the first MMA fighter to sign a deal with Cash App, joining a host of other stars from various sports. Earlier, Cash App had announced that it had partnered with NFL stars Aaron Rodgers and Odell Beckham Jr. 

Ngannou had earned around £400,000 for his win against former champion Stipe Miocic, which means his partnership with Cash App would enable him to earn at least six figures worth of BTC. Francis Ngannou will be defending his title against interim champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 and spoke about his contractual dispute with the UFC to ESPN, stating that he would no longer fight for $500,000 or $600,000. 

The Future Of Money 

After announcing the partnership, Ngannou released a statement confirming the news and labeling Bitcoin as the future of money. The statement read, 

“After learning more and more about bitcoin, I truly believe it is the future of money. Bitcoin has the ability to empower people all over the world, and that’s why I’m excited to partner with Cash App to give some of my fans the opportunity to own some bitcoin of their own. Bitcoin is the future, and I hope to help lead the way in Africa.”

MMA And BTC Converging  

The world of MMA has embraced crypto recently, with ESPN’s PFL announcing that it will be paying its athletes in BTC. The UFC has also ventured into the crypto space after signing a deal with Crypto.com, which sees the Crypto.com branding on all UFC athletes’ fight gear. With the Cash App partnership, Ngannou became the first fighter on the UFC roster to convert a part of his purse into BTC. 

Cash App’s Other Partnerships

Cash App has partnered with several high-profile athletes who would be receiving part of their salary in BTC. Back in November, Cash App had announced that it had partnered with Aaron Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, with Rodgers receiving part of his salary in BTC while also giving away $1 million worth of BTC. Earlier this month, Cash App had revealed that it had partnered with Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala, with both receiving a part of their salary in BTC. 

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.