Stipe Miocic Becomes First UFC Fighter to Ink Partnership Deal with Modelo

Stipe Miocic has a chance to become the longest reigning heavyweight champion in UFC history with his next fight and now he’s added another accolade to his resume.

On Tuesday, Miocic was announced as the first fighter to ink an individual endorsement deal with Modelo Especial, who became the official beer sponsor of the UFC at the start of 2018.

Not only will Miocic become synonymous with Modelo’s branding but he already shot a commercial that will air throughout 2018 as the beer company builds a new relationship with the UFC and its fans.

“Stipe embodies the ‘fighting spirit’: he’s more than the UFC heavyweight champion — he’s also a professional firefighter keeping his community safe, and always giving back to his hometown of Cleveland,” Ann Legan, vice president of marketing for Casa Modelo said in a statement.

“We’re proud of this partnership and look forward to working with Stipe as our brand ambassador, celebrating the fighting spirit that unites us all.”

For his part, Miocic is excited to partner up with a brand that not only stands behind him as a fighter but also looks at his body of work beyond what he does inside the Octagon.

“It’s amazing,” Miocic said about working with Modelo. “First off I like their beer, it tastes amazing so that’s always a good thing. We’ve been working with them already and they’re amazing people. They’ve got the fighting spirit just like I do.

“It’s perfect and I’m just excited to be part of the team.”

To kick off the partnership, Miocic flew to Los Angeles just recently to film a commercial for Modelo and while that was an exciting experience, nothing matched bringing his mother along to watch it all unfold.

Miocic’s mom is his biggest fan but she’s also never seen her son fight because she just can’t bare to witness her son getting punched in the face by anybody much less a professional mixed martial artist.

For the commercial shoot, Miocic mimicked his walk out to the Octagon as well as in cage action so it allowed his mom to get a close up view of what he does without the fright that he’s actually going to suffer any sort of damage.

“Shooting the Modelo project was special for many reasons, but what stood out most to me was having Stipe’s mom on set,” Miocic’s manager Jim Walter said about the commercial shoot. “She has never been to his fights or gotten to see her son in action. It was magical to watch her experience something so new — a shoot on a Hollywood set with her son — and get to be a part of everything.

“Modelo went above and beyond to make her experience fantastic, and I think it’s something both she and Stipe will treasure. Our Modelo partnership and this particular shoot are things I’m proud and honored to be a part of generally, but getting to see Stipe and his mom work together was truly special.”

The commercial is expected to air during the first quarter of 2018 as Miocic will be an integral part of Modelo’s new ‘fighting spirit’ campaign in coordination with the new UFC deal.

Miocic will already represent the brand at his upcoming fight at UFC 220 where he takes on Francis Ngannou in the main event from the TD Garden Arena in Boston.