Props: Round 5 MMA
“Suga” Rashad Evans
A limited number of figures will be available at Toys “R” Us for the 2009 holiday season. Be sure to check out Lyoto Machida, Georges St. Pierre, Chuck Liddell, Kenny Florian and Clay Guida after the jump.
“The Dragon”
“Rush”
“The Iceman”
“KenFlo”
“The Carpenter”
For more on the upcoming line of UFC and MMA action figures and collectibles click here.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Under Armour, (NYSE: UA) the Baltimore-based leader in performance apparel and footwear, announced today it has signed Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre to a multi-year endorsement deal.
Under the terms of the agreement, St-Pierre, the 2008 Sportsnet Canadian Athlete of the Year, will serve as the face of Under Armour’s Underwear, one of the company’s most popular items, and will be featured in its multi-platform media campaign beginning this holiday season.
St-Pierre, known by his fans as GSP, will be featured in imagery displayed in Sporting Goods stores across North America, outfitted in Under Armour’s ColdGear®, performance apparel designed to protect athletes in cold temperatures.
Beginning in spring 2010, St-Pierre will become the face of Under Armour’s long-time top-selling BoxerJock® and BoxerBrief Underwear and will serve as one of the primary faces for Under Armour’s Recharge(TM) suit, a suit designed to re-energize your body, promote muscle repair and reduce swelling following a workout.
“It is quite an honor for me to represent Under Armour. I have always appreciated the quality of their products, and to be partners with them is a dream come true,” said St-Pierre.
“Not only is Georges one of the biggest stars in one of the fastest growing sports in the world, but his dedication to training and making himself the best at what he does aligns perfectly with our Brand’s mission to make all athletes better,” said Steve Battista, Under Armour Senior Vice President, Brand. “When we found out that he was a fan of ours, we jumped on the opportunity to bring him into the Under Armour family.”
“Georges St-Pierre’s continued success in MMA, his character and integrity, and his wide-reaching fan base make him a terrific brand ambassador for Under Armour, which, much like GSP, has become one of the foremost brands in sports in a short period of time,” said Howard Nuchow, Co-Head, CAA Sports, which represents St-Pierre in conjunction with Shari L. Spencer, President of GSP Enterprises. “Pairing GSP with Under Armour is a testament to the explosive growth of MMA, and the popularity and cultural relevance of its top fighter, among consumers worldwide.”
New for spring 2010, Under Armour has joined forces with Coretection Products Ltd. to bring state-of-the-art patented technology to athletes for all sports around the globe. St-Pierre will be prominently featured in in-store imagery highlighting the new Coreshort compression product.
The Coreshort product works to stabilize the core without obstructing movement. The unique technology creates efficient movement through the core, activating stronger motion and more explosive propulsion. Available in two styles; the Coreshort product will retail for $44.99 and the Coreshort Pro product will retail for $59.99.
Under Armour, the originators of performance apparel, has transitioned athletes into moisture-wicking apparel since 1996. Under Armour products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe.
St-Pierre rounds out an impressive roster of NFL, MLB, NBA and Olympic stars, including Super Bowl Champions Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens) and Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants); one of the world’s most accomplished downhill skiers, Lindsey Vonn; in addition to Devin Hester (Chicago Bears), Santana Moss (Washington Redskins), Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals), Nick Markakis (Baltimore Orioles), Alfonso Soriano (Chicago Cubs), lacrosse superstar Paul Rabil, and U.S. Olympian Lindsey Jacobellis.
For more information about St-Pierre, please visit www.GSPFightClub.com.
About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand’s moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.underarmour.com.
“My injury is 100 percent now, I’m ready to go. I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen next with the UFC…. I look forward to fighting again and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen between Swick and Hardy…. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, it’s always dangerous. I learned my mistake when I fought Matt Serra, who was a big underdog. I’m the kind of person who never makes the same mistake twice…. [Dan Hardy is] a great fighter, he really deserves it. … He’s got very lethal, very powerful hands. He can knock you out with one punch. It’s always a big danger when you fight a guy like him…. Mike Swick is very very fast, has probably the fastest hands in MMA. A very accurate puncher, he’s very well-rounded so it’s going to be a very interesting fight. They both have the tools to beat each other. I think the winner of this fight will be the guy who has the best strategy and who fights the smartest.”
– UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre informs the Canadian Press that he has completely recovered from a groin injury sustained during a five-round battle with Thiago Alves back at UFC 100 back in July. “Rush” refined his stand up skills while nursing his abductor ligament back to full strength. And now he’s apparently back in the gym, training full strength in preparation for his next title defense in early 2010. It will likely come against the winner of the 170-pound showdown between Mike Swick and Dan Hardy at UFC 105 next weekend. Any preferences on St. Pierre’s next opponent, Maniacs?
“My injury is 100 percent now, I’m ready to go. I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen next with the UFC…. I look forward to fighting again and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen between Swick and Hardy…. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, it’s always dangerous. I learned my mistake when I fought Matt Serra, who was a big underdog. I’m the kind of person who never makes the same mistake twice…. [Dan Hardy is] a great fighter, he really deserves it. … He’s got very lethal, very powerful hands. He can knock you out with one punch. It’s always a big danger when you fight a guy like him…. Mike Swick is very very fast, has probably the fastest hands in MMA. A very accurate puncher, he’s very well-rounded so it’s going to be a very interesting fight. They both have the tools to beat each other. I think the winner of this fight will be the guy who has the best strategy and who fights the smartest.”
– UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre informs the Canadian Press that he has completely recovered from a groin injury sustained during a five-round battle with Thiago Alves back at UFC 100 back in July. “Rush” refined his stand up skills while nursing his abductor ligament back to full strength. And now he’s apparently back in the gym, training full strength in preparation for his next title defense in early 2010. It will likely come against the winner of the 170-pound showdown between Mike Swick and Dan Hardy at UFC 105 next weekend. Any preferences on St. Pierre’s next opponent, Maniacs?
Props: TheSun.co.uk
Quoteworthy:
“I definitely want to fight GSP again. I’m biased and I have confidence in myself and I don’t think the fight would go anything like that if we fought again. I’ve got to defend the lightweight title and take on all challenges that make me better but if I get a chance to fight GSP again — even if it was a non-title fight — I’d jump at the opportunity. There will always be people to beat and as the lightweight champion I have to honor that and keep defending the title. But as a businessman you hope it’s someone with a big name who can bring a big fan base into the fight. This is a business — it’s the entertainment business and the biggest fights that can be put together will only benefit me. I am surprised Georges St. Pierre hasn’t tried to push for a fight with Anderson Silva. If I was the welterweight champion I’d try and push myself and see what I could do up at middleweight.”
Despite the fact that he’s heading into a very dangerous fight with Diego Sachez on Dec. 12, UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn is still hoping to get revenge on reigning welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre — as well as other “superfights” before he hangs up the gloves for good. “The Prodigy” will put his 155-pound title on the line once again when he faces the “Nightmare” at UFC 107 from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., and if he gets past the former TUF star, expect the GSP chatter to intensify. Anyone interested in a third go-round?
Photos courtesy of The Beckett Blog.
Check out Georges St. Pierre and Lyoto Machida after the jump. To see the entire gallery of select trading cards from the 2009 UFC Topps trading card set click here.
“Rush”
“The Dragon”
