Xyience Xenergy, the official energy drink of the UFC, has signed a one-year endorsement contract with historic mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete Chuck Liddell, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame member. Liddell, 43, is retired but remains the face of the UFC brand. He is the sport’s most iconic figure and is pointed to for its transcendence into the mainstream.
Liddell will appear in the brand’s advertising, on its website and in its point-of-purchase materials. Later this year, XYIENCE will launch a series of unique consumer promotions that incorporate Liddell.
“On so many levels, Chuck embodies the spirit of our brand: Power to Win,” says XYIENCE President John Lennon. “His career is a testament of the drive and deep-seeded passion that’s required to produce excellence in athletic performance. That’s the kind of inspiration we want to share with our consumers.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the UFC and Michael Levy, XYIENCE COO and CFO explains, “We built the XYIENCE brand in MMA, alongside the UFC. So this year it’s especially meaningful for us to work with an athlete like Chuck Liddell who continues to be a powerful force in the sport. While our distribution has skyrocketed the past few years and we’re a national brand, XYIENCE remains firmly rooted in MMA.”
Liddell (21-8-0) is a native of Santa Barbara, Calif. and is considered the UFC’s greatest light heavyweight fighter. Training in karate since the age of 12, Liddell was a division 1 wrestler at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting.
During his nearly 12-year career in the UFC, he held the title of champion from April 2005 to May 2007. That time period included a seven fight-winning streak against former champions like Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. On July 10, 2009, Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at the UFC 100 Fan Expo in Las Vegas. In 2007, he became the first UFC athlete to be featured on the cover of ESPN Magazine. In 2005, he was featured as a coach on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, the long-running reality TV show.
