Anderson Silva appears on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone magazine in Brazil as Michael Jackson. The cover is another sign of the mainstream popularity of the middleweight champ in his home country.
Mike Chiappetta of MMA Fighting tweeted that Silva has now secured a sponsorship from personal care company Philips. Silva counts blue chip sponsors Nike and Burger King in his portfolio as well. The sponsorships are rolling up as his long-awaited rematch with Chael Sonnen is July 7th.
The making of the cover via RollingStoneBrasil
Payout Perspective:
With the rise of the UFC in Brazil through TUF Brazil and its return to the country for live events last year, Silva is a hot commodity right now.If the card would have stayed in Brazil as originally scheduled, Silva would have racked up more sponsorships and even more press. Silva is a mainstream success in Brazil as evidenced (most recently) by the Rolling Stone cover. There will be a lot of pressure on Silva to win against Sonnen. It’s hard to say how much of a financial impact a loss could have on Silva.
Silva is a very creepy individual.