By Liliana Gil, Managing Partner and Cultural Intelligence Officer AG-XL Alliance
La Raza will represent inside the octagon at the UFC 121! America and the world will soon witness what happens when you bring together the fastest growing sport (MMA) with the faster growing population in the U.S (Latinos)… you get, Mexican-American MMA challenger Cain Velasquez! Velasquez will battle current champion Brock Lesnar as he tries to become what UFC is touting as the sports’ first known heavyweight champion of Mexican ethnicity.
Velasquez represents the passion, discipline, biculturalism and “brown pride” (as he calls it) of our vibrant Latino community in the U.S. He is positioned to become our first major worldwide Latino icon in the sport and potentially our heavyweight champion. This fight has a lot of symbolism for the sport and our market. U.S. UFC 121 could mark the beginning of accelerated growth for MMA by bringing a hero that connects directly with the essence and hearts of a fan based that is known for its loyalty and pride. For example, we are now starting to see UFC merchandising with the Mexican “tricolor” and other products that proudly display the roots of this young fighter.
A man of humble beginnings, Velasquez represent the American dream and the values of a man whose family and faith come first.
So, how will brands embrace this opportunity in MMA and Latino infusion? MMA is well positioned to become a new path to reach Latinos in a relevant way. Brands like Bud Light, which already are title sponsors of UCF on the “general market”, could leverage the sport as a cross-over platform. Also, other relevant categories like automobile, fast-food, apparel and telecommunication companies should notice and jump on this van wagon. Media partners and the UFC itself are making it the brand integration easier through existing Spanish language platforms and content. For example, Fox Sports en Español has “Guerreros de la UFC” (UCF Warriors) and Univision’s “El Octágono del UFC” (The UFC’s Octagon) are great platforms on TV and Radio for brands to connect in language, among others. The UFC also has a site 100% in Spanish CLICK HERE.
Hopefully brands and corporations start noticing. In a world of obvious and saturated sports sponsorships in boxing and soccer, MMA could be the answer to win Latinos for those that jump in early!
Stay current with Hispanic Marketing insights and subscribe to HispanicAd.com . And stay connected to the latest happenings in news and pop culture with a Latino business perspective watching YouTube’s 1st and Only Hispanic Business Channel: Moments to CultuRise with Lili Gil. Contact: Twitter @liligil or visit myculturalintelligence.com .
