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PokerStars Announces Launch of UFC Spin & Go

Late last year, PokerStars and the UFC announced a partnership making PokerStars the “Official Poker Partner” of the UFC. The was the first time that the Mixed Martial Arts company had formed a major partnership with an online poker site.

Moving forward with this partnership, PokerStars has announced the launch of their new UFC Spin & Go ahead of the debut of the PokerStars as a featured sponsor at UFC 236: Holloway vs. Poirier 2 this weekend.

Play Online Poker Inside the Octagon

As part of the ongoing partnership between PokerStars and the UFC, PokerStars has launched UFC Spin & Go’s. This is the standard fast-paced, three-handed, lottery-style sit and go tournament but instead of playing at a standard poker table, players will compete inside the octagon.

For this initial launch, the prizes available are the standard cash prizes available in Spin & Go tournaments. This can range up to a few thousand for low buy-in Spin & Go’s up to $3 million for the $25 Spin & Go games.

However, additional prizes will be added in the upcoming weeks as outlined on the PokerStars Blog. While the prizes were not listed, in the promotional video it mentioned UFC Fight Passes among the prizes available to players.

Just the First of Many Sponsored Events

UFC 236 will be the first time that the giant red spade will be featured in a UFC ring, but it will certainly not be the last time. According to a press release sent out by PokerStars on Tuesday, PokerStars will be featured at UFC events throughout the rest of the year, including UFC 237: Namajunas vs. Andrade.

According to Christopher Coyne, Chief Marketing Officer for Stars Interactive, “UFC is the perfect pick for PokerStars. UFC fans have a high propensity to engage in gaming and many of our players are fans of UFC. Our plan is to thrill as far and wide as possible with games, promotions, contests, and competitions that trigger passions and enhance the overall experience at PokerStars. We’ve so much in store. This is just the beginning.”

UFC Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships Paul Asencio also spoke about the partnership, stating, “It’s been great to work on exciting, new and innovative ideas alongside PokerStars since our exclusive partnership went live. UFC Spin & Go is a great example of how PokerStars are integrating our brand into their world and bringing exciting new products to our fans.”

Great Partnership for the Big Red Spade

Over the years, poker companies have made some interesting choices for partnerships, often signing deals with anyone that will give them the time of day. Fortunately, poker has become much more mainstream and deals with major companies such as Hershey’s, Jack Link’s, and Miller Light have opened the doors for other major sponsorships like this one.

PokerStars’ partnership with the UFC is a great choice considering the popularity of the brand and Mixed Martial Arts as a whole. This will give PokerStars tremendous exposure on a global scale and will likely bring in additional players who want to stay loyal to brands associated with the UFC and MMA.

Unfortunately, PokerStars is not available in the United States outside of New Jersey, so the majority of Americans will be unable to take part in this partnership. However, most of the rest of the world will be able to take their shot at massive prizes with UFC Spin & Go’s.

We look forward to a long and successful partnership between the UFC and PokerStars and look forward to future partnerships with other major brands, and potentially other major professional sports in the future.

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