Junior dos Santos Latest Fighter to Sign with Nike

UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos is now “like Mike,” or should we say “like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones,” having signed a sponsorship deal with Nike in Brazil.

Nike is considered a “gold standard” in the world of sports sponsorships. And dos Santos recently became the third mixed martial artist to sign on with the brand, according to a report by SporTV in Brazil.

“I want to share my happiness with you guys because now I’m part of team #NIKE biggest sports brand in the world It’s an honor t me Thank GOD,” dos Santos later tweeted.

Jones’ deal was considered a landmark due to it being global in nature, but the sponsorship of dos Santos is just the latest sign that companies like Nike are standing up and taking notice of the sport’s rising popularity throughout the world.

dos Santos is next slated to fight at UFC 155 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas, when he will put his UFC heavyweight championship on the line in a rematch with the man he won it from, Cain Velasquez.

dos Santos (15-1) has never lost a fight in his nine-bout UFC career. He has defeated the likes of Velasquez, Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga, Fabricio Werdum, Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve, and others.

Junior dos Santos is currently the No. 1 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world.

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