UFC has partnered with Betclic, a French online gambling and sports betting operator, to make the company its Official Betting Partner in France, Poland and Portugal.
The sport was only legalised in France recently, with French Minister of Sport Roxana Maracineanu lifting the 15-year ban on 24 June, 2019, following a decade of campaigns from UFC.
The first UFC event was held in France last September, with tickets selling out almost immediately for the first between Frenchman Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa.
The next UFC Fight Night Paris will be held on 2 September, with Betclic participating as the presenting partner.
This marks the first global organisation Betclic has partnered with and the French operator will have a presence both inside the Accor Arena and on UFC social media posts.
Nicholas Smith, UFC Vice President Global Partnerships, said: “France is an incredibly important market to the UFC.
“Throughout the company’s hard work to have the sport of MMA recognised, one of our main objectives was to create impactful and meaningful partnerships with local organisations.
“We are looking forward to working alongside Betclic to enhance our fans online gambling experience and bring some exciting activations to our upcoming event in Paris.”
The September UFC Fight Night Paris will feature a heavyweight fight between hometown Ciryl Gane as he takes on Moldovan Serghei ‘Polar Bear’ Spivac.
Nicolas Béraud, Managing Director of Betclic, said: “We are delighted to be UFC’s first partner in our three main markets, France, Portugal and Poland.
“UFC has accomplished amazing things in developing the sport of MMA. It is at the core of our mission to promote and partner with emerging sports and enhance fans’ passion.
“With this partnership, we will offer them a new experience with increased interactivity during UFC events and some surprises for UFC Fight Night Paris on September 2!”
France isn’t the only market to legalise UFC, as the UFC betting ban was lifted from Ontario earlier this year too.
