Betway’s commercial ambitions will now be supported by another brand ambassador in UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis.
Du Plessis became the first South African fighter to become a UFC world champion after beating American Sean Strickland for the title.
He has since defended his belt against former two-time champion Israel Adesanya. Currently, his record stands at 22 wins and two losses – commanding a 10-fight win streak.
On his partnership with Betway, the champion commented: “Betway having chosen to invest in me and my sport is a tremendous honour. Knowing that this collaboration creates opportunities for aspiring MMA-athletes and South African sports talents, provides me with a great sense of pride and motivation to maintain our country’s championship status – you can bet on that!”
Betway will leverage the champion image of Du Plessis to strengthen its presence in the African country ahead of the 31-year-old fighter’s title fight on 8 February.
The company has a history in South Africa, which is one of its core markets outside of Europe. To support its brand presence there, the firm has signed brand ambassador and sponsorship deals in sports like football and cricket.
Mark Rowles, Betway Africa’s Head of Marketing, added: “At Betway, we pride ourselves on aligning our globally recognized brand with exceptional sporting properties such as the Betway SA20, Betway Premiership, and the Springboks, as well as working with inspirational sports stars and we are immensely proud to have Dricus join us.
“He’s a great ambassador for South Africa and African MMA. He has established himself as one of the top MMA athletes in the world, his International Fighter of the Year award is testament to the incredible year he has had in the UFC and we wish him well for his title defence at UFC 312. We’re all behind the champ.”