The UFC Joins the Metaverse, Launching NFTs; UFC Champion Gets Paid

The UFC is entering the metaverse and plans to bring with it a unique 360° experience of the inside and outside of the Octagon. With the exciting feature, fans will be able to watch matches up close and personal from the referee’s perspective. It’s currently unclear exactly when UFC matches will debut in the metaverse, but details and updates are expected soon.

“We’re looking to do a fight in the metaverse. We’ve been working on it for a while, be it a live fight, an actual fight that takes place inside the metaverse,”
said Dana White, the president of UFC.

The world’s premier mixed martial arts organization cooperated with Dapper Labs to launch the ‘UFC Strike’ NFT marketplace. The first drop, featuring iconic moments from UFC history packed into NFTs called ‘Fully Loaded,’ completely sold out on the 23rd of January. The second set of the collection is set to drop on the 31st of January.

In other news, Francis Ngannou, one of the top UFC fighters, and the current UFC heavyweight title holder, shared his interest in with his Twitter (NYSE:) followers. He revealed that he receives part of his salary in Bitcoin via CashApp, and has partnered with the mobile payment service to give away $300,000 worth of Bitcoin to fans.

On the Flipside

• An NBA match featuring the Brooklyn Nets was the first such sports event to debut in the metaverse.
• The rise of VR events has been a clear signal that the metaverse is not about gaming, but about experiences.
• According to SportsPro, Dapper Labs was valued at $7.6 billion in September and has created NFT platforms for the NBA, the NFL, and LaLiga.