Dana White, UFC’s President, recently shared that the company considers NFTs as a critical revenue driver and fan engagement platform during a press conference
UFC: Committed to the Web3 Space
UFC is one sports league that hasn’t held back in its adoption of Web3 technology, and the UFC was one of the first major sports leagues to partner on NFTs. With impressive collections released up till now, they can boast of one of the most impressive NFT collections of any sports league globally.
One factor that makes UFC NFT projects even more impressive is that the projects are athlete-friendly. The UFC has committed to giving the majority of proceeds from its NFT projects to associated fighters, putting more money in the pockets of athletes risking their health daily.
As you may recall, the UFC partnered with Dapper Labs in January 2022 to release the company’s NFT project – UFC Strike. UFC Strike grants their fans the opportunity to buy packs of virtual moments that occurred during fights, similar to how fans of the NBA can purchase highlights through the NBA Top Shot platform.
Over the last few months in the NFT space, the UFC upper management has noticed the growth in revenue and the untapped potentials regarding UFC NFTs and Web3, and UFC’s President recently made some exciting statements about the future of NFTs in the UFC. From the look of things, NFT projects and collections from the UFC have only just begun.
UFC NFTs
During a virtual chat with Dana White on Monday, 21 March 2022, he was ecstatic about the immediate impact NFTs have had on the martial arts league, and among other things, White shared the following during the virtual chat.
“Everything that we’ve put on sale has sold out in minutes. It’s not just the NFT business. Whether it’s signed posters, the guys’ fight kits, worn or unworn, NFTs … actual trading cards like when we grew up — all of that stuff is on fire right now……… If it keeps heading in the direction it’s heading in now; it’s going to be massive.”
UFC fighters will undoubtedly pull their weight to ensure that all NFT projects are successful; when you consider that UFC fighters are entitled to 50% of NFT-related revenue, it’s enough to motivate them to support UFC NFT-related endeavors.
What does the future hold for UFC in the Web3 space?
Apart from the revenue that UFC management and athletes stand to make, NFTs and Web3 technology give UFC the ability to engage fans in immersive experiences like never before. During the interview, White shared, “We’re even at a point now where Dapper Labs is creating a variety of content during fight week, the open workouts, the press conferences, the weigh-ins and things like that.”
What this means is that soon, NFTs will be an essential tool for fans and enthusiasts to gain access to behind-the-scenes activities like never before.
