PokerStars Becomes 'Official Poker Partner' of the UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced this week that they've signed a sponsorship agreement with online gaming giant PokerStars, making the company the UFC's "Official Poker Partner".

The deal will see PokerStars branding being put into future UFC telecasts, as well as UFC digital platforms and social media channels. The Initial branding will take place at UFC 232, which will be held on Saturday in Los Angeles. The fight was originally scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, but was moved to LA after fighter Jon Jones failed a drug test and couldn't legally fight in Nevada.

Speaking about the deal UFC Senior VP Paul Asencio said, "We're excited that PokerStars has joined our roster of global partners and has helped us create a new sponsorship category for our final event of 2018. This agreement lays the foundation to work together with PokerStars in the future to grow our respective customer bases in key markets."

PokerStars is expanding throughout North America, as various states legalize online poker and casino games. The brand is also known around the world, and the UFC reaches more than 160 countries with millions of viewers.