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The world's seventh busiest online poker room, UltimateBet.com, has earned sponsorship rights to upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship 97 (UFC 97), the company informed Gambling911.com on Tuesday. The leading online poker site's logo and brand will appear at the upcoming UFC®97 event in Montreal, Canada on April 18, 2009.
A highlight of the UFC®97 deal for UltimatBet is the signing of mixed martial arts ("MMA") legend Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. The former UFC® light heavyweight champion will don the UB logo when he squares off against Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in what promises to be one of the most explosive match-ups of 2009, and one of the most watched Pay-Per-View UFC® events in the history of the world's leading combat sport.
"The Iceman", one of the most popular and charismatic fighters in the organization and one of its major box office draw cards, is widely credited for bringing MMA into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment. Liddell's star status and broad public appeal have won him fans even in Hollywood, with guest turns on cult TV dramedy Entourage, and cameo appearances in films including 300 and Drillbit Taylor amongst his credits.
The 39 year-old, all-American UFC® icon faces his most challenging role ahead of him, when he enters the OctagonTM looking to reclaim the magic that saw him notch up a spectacular 15-14 win-loss record from 1999 to 2006. On a mission to kick start another winning streak during the hotly-anticipated showdown against Rua, Liddell guarantees priceless brand exposure for UltimateBet and inestimable marketing value for the online poker room in over 100 countries and territories where UFC®97 will be telecast.
Along with opening billboards, in-venue commercials, and the stellar sponsorship of Liddell, fans will also see an additional four contenders on the fight card sport the UB logo in the UFC's return to Canada. The 27 year-old Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Thales Leites, who takes on Anderson "The Spider" Silva in the headlining event, Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski , Dutch kickboxer Antoni Hardonk and Franklinville, New Jersey native Eliot Marshall will also be waving the UltimateBet flag on fight night, adding even more clout to the sponsorship's appeal.
UltimateBet has netted the marquee sponsorship contract with UFC® ending several weeks of intense industry speculation, sealing a partnership between two camps that genuinely share a passion for champion competitors and a respect for the sporting ideal.
Securing the UFC® agreement is a triumph for UltimateBet, who will have their second outing in the OctagonTM at the "Redemption" event that is set to rock the capacity Bell Center crowd in Montreal.
Leading online poker site UltimateBet developed a taste for UFC® with the recent sponsorship of welterweight fighter Martin Kampmann on April 1, and the UFC®97 collaboration will further satisfy the company's appetite for premium sponsorships that represent various levels of opportunity, and that shine the spotlight on UB as the ultimate online poker experience.
Further details about the leading online poker site and its daily tournament schedule can be found at UltimateBet.com.
