GSP signs endorsement deal to become face of NOS energy drinks

Just as Dana White and the UFC have released a video promising MMA's continued growth, it appears that evidence to support that claim has surfaced. UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, not seen in the Octagon since the medieval ages of April 2011, has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with NOS energy drinks, itself a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola company. St. Pierre has been targeted as the face of the product, which makes quite the waves in the advertising world in terms of MMA's development into a mainstream sort. St. Pierre himself spoke up about his excitement to be involved with the Coca-Cola company:

“I feel very privileged. It’s great we can work together to create a product to best fit the athlete, and with NOS that’s what it’s all about. I’m very happy to be in the family of Coca-Cola right now and to be associated with the product.”

St. Pierre will no doubt increase the exposure of NOS and MMA as a whole as he appears in television spots and other promotional materials for the company. You may have noticed the prominence of NOS energy drinks on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter, last Friday's TUF Season 16 premiere. Coca-Cola has coupled their marketing strategy with the UFC, something that is huge for the overall evolution of MMA as a popular sport. Coca-Cola's director of sports and entertainment marketing Arjun Chowdri described their plan of using GSP and MMA as an advertising strategy:

“As we looked to expand, we looked at different areas, and MMA was a really ripe opportunity. It’s got that grit, that no nonsense, that high-performance energy that NOS is about. As we looked at the sport, we looked at athlete partners, Georges St-Pierre obviously jumped to the top of the list. He’s an incredible person, actually came down to our offices and we talked about our brand, he talked about his brand, and we felt like there was a very organic fit around our brand really being focused on mental focus and high performance energy and that’s really everything he does.” - via MMAWeekly.com

Georges St. Pierre is developing his own brand with a good amount of effectiveness, and his deal will cover all of North America. NOS energy drinks and Coca-Cola are obviously consumed at a high level all over the United States and Canada, where GSP is close to a household name having been born in Quebec. Overall, big news for MMA's overall development at a time when turmoil, injuries, and rescheduling has left the UFC in a bit of an upside-down state.