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With the increasing popularity of cryptos such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), some athletes are now being paid in cryptocurrencies. For instance, UFC will be awarding Bitcoin bonuses to the top mixed martial arts fighters for each pay-per-view event.
UFC and cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com announced last week the creation of the Fight Night bonuses for UFC athletes. The top three fighters at each UFC pay-per-view event voted by fans worldwide will be given bonuses in Bitcoin (BTC).
Called the Fan Bonus of the Night, the top fighter as decided by fan votes will receive US$30,000 in BTC. The second placer will receive US$20,000 in Bitcoin while the third placer will receive US$10,000. The actual BTC each fighter will receive will depend on the crypto’s current exchange rate in U.S. dollars.
The first Fan Bonus of the Night was introduced at the UFC® 273: VOLKANOVSKI vs THE KOREAN ZOMBIE, which took place on April 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The new Bitcoin bonus feature is on top of the existing Fight of the Night and Performance bonuses.
A five-figure Bitcoin bonus is a significant boost to a UFC fighter’s earnings. According to Coindesk, the average annual earnings of a UFC athlete in 2021 is around $160,000.
“Crypto.com has been an official UFC partner for less than a year, and I'm telling you they are already one of the best partners we've ever had,” UFC President Dana White said. The crypto exchange became UFC’s partner in a 10-year deal worth $175 million.
“They're constantly coming up with new ideas about how we can work together to connect with the fans,” White added. “This new Fan Bonus of the Night is an awesome way to get fans more engaged in our events while rewarding the fighters for bad-ass performances.”
Each fan will get three votes to nominate the fighter of their choice for the Fan Bonus of the Night during each UFC pay-per-view event. The voting takes place on Crypto.com/FanBonus and is open to fans globally. Voting starts at the start of the pay-per-view prelims and ends one after the event concludes.
