The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced the launch of the ‘Strike’ non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace in collaboration with blockchain technologies company Dapper Labs.
The financial details of the partnership have not been disclosed, but Sportico reports that profits from the NFTs will be split equally between the UFC and athletes.
Priced at US$50 each, the UFC’s NFTs will feature iconic moments and highlights. The mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has confirmed the digital collectibles will feature some its biggest stars, including Francis Ngannou, Amanda Nunes, Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, Derrick Lewis and Justin Gaethije.
The first drop will consist of 200,000 total NFT packs, each containing three highlights, with the first 100,000 made available from 23rd January following the UFC 270 pay-per-view event. Striker Marketplace users will be able to buy and sell their NFTs through the new platform.
These ‘Fully Loaded’ packs will feature action images from numerous camera angles, fight commentaries and crowd responses. The additional content, made available because of the UFC’s in-house production unit, mark a first for Dapper Labs in terms of utilising these extra aspects in NFT products.
The UFC will reveal more drops in the coming months, with new collections being released to correspond with the promotion’s event calendar.
“Dapper Labs is an innovator in this field, creating an industry that didn’t exist a few years ago,” said Tracey Bleczinski, senior vice president of global consumer products at the UFC.
“Their vision for the potential of these products is the reason UFC chose Dapper Labs as its first NFT partner. We’re thrilled to finally be able to offer these amazing digital collectibles to enrich the UFC experience for our fans.”
