UFC Named As Official Sponsor For 2015 World Wrestling Championships

The UFC is set sponsor the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, this coming September 7th. The event marks the first time the championships have been held in the USA for 12 years and the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization is keen to jump on board.

There will be 24 medals contested for by an expected 800 athletes, all vying for glory in the men’s free style, Greco Roman and women’s wrestling categories. There are 18 Olympic weight classes, with the best from each going on to represent their nation at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. As per the report on UFC.com, the collaboration between the UFC and World Wrestling Championships continues to grow:

“We’ve already enjoyed a growing partnership with UFC and this is a natural extension,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “We’ve had numerous athletes that have gone on from our National and Olympic teams to great success in UFC, including trailblazing athletes like two-time Olympians Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier and Olympic champion Henry Cejudo. With UFC located in Las Vegas, it made a lot of sense for both organizations to partner on this historic event.”

“We are thrilled to sponsor the 2015 World Wrestling Championships and welcome wrestling competitors and enthusiasts from 100 countries to Las Vegas,” UFC Vice President of Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility Lou Lauria said. “Wrestling is a key member of the combat sports community and UFC will continue to support the development of men’s and women’s amateur sports globally.”

The UFC has showed a lot of support for Olympic wrestling since the Olympic committee decided to drop the age-old traditional sport from the 2020 Olympics. The sports world was in uproar over the controversial decision and, along with many other large organizations, the UFC has showed consistent support for wrestling in the modern age. Wrestling goes as far back as the Ancient Olympics in Greece and starting with the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896.

The IOC eventaully reinstated wrestling at the 2020 games, and now the UFC has yet another ally in their quest to expand across the hectic sports market.

The World Wrestling Championships 2015 wll be held from September 7-12 in the Orleans Arena, adjacent to The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.