RYU is newest UFC sponsor

The Portland Business Journal reports that Respect Your Universe, Inc.(RYU) has struck a deal with the UFC to become an official event sponsor. Fans of MMA will begin seeing the name and logo of the clothing company based out of Portland, Oregon beginning at UFC 141.

RYU is a publicly traded company that is led by former Nike executives. The company is focusing its marketing efforts into the growing UFC market.

Via the Portland Business Journal:

…the RYU brand will be visible during and running up to the event (UFC 141), including logo displays, live announcements during bouts, TV promotions and placement on the UFC website.

The ads on UFC.com alone equal tens of millions of impressions, the company said. That’s before you tally the expected million-plus pay-per-view buys, a figure that grows exponentially figuring that as many as eight people are watching per buy.

RYU raised $5.3 million from investors this past summer in preparation for the release of its inaugural full clothing line coming out next spring. Its target is the MMA-inspired premium performance apparel market.

Payout Perspective:

With Nike-pedigreed executives managing this company, we will see if RYU can make an impression in the world of MMA. The sponsorship deal with the UFC should bring the company some notoriety and we will see how that equates to customers. The apparel market in MMA is competitive and there are many brands out there and we will see if the investment in sponsorship gives RYU an edge. Being a publicly traded company, we’ll be able to see how its doing financially as it goes.