During UFC fight night events, no doubt you’ve seen Monster energy drinks passed to the hands of UFC fighters moments before their hand gets raised for the win.
The real deal is that Monster Energy is one of several UFC sponsors and official partners as both “Official Energy Drink Of UFC” and “Official Water of UFC.”
If you’re in a rush, here’s the quick list of UFC fighters sponsored by Monster:
Since the extension of the global partnership between UFC and Monster Energy in 2021, Monster directly sponsors individual fighters, including Rose Namajunas, Valentina Shevchenko, Stipe Miocic, Joanna Jedrzejcyk, Jon Jones, Justin Gaethje, and Jorge Masvidal.
Monster Energy has sponsored the UFC for a long time and has directly sponsored a lot of individual fighters, too. Keep reading to see the full list and history of all sponsorships.
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Rose Namajunas
In the most recent UFC and Monster Energy partnership, Rose is one of the direct sponsorship fighters. And it’s no surprise with her recent wins to become the holder of the Strawweight Championship Belt and subsequent defense against Weili Zhang.
Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina dominates the Flyweight division of the UFC. Her successes have earned her sponsorships from Monster Energy and big movie deals with her involvement in the Bruised (2021) film featuring Halle Berry.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, he even classes her as “flawless” and one of the top ten martial artists in the world.
Stipe Miocic
Stipe has been a tour-de-force of the Heavyweight division in the UFC for years, fighting (and winning) against some of the biggest names in the sport like Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou.
Joanna Jedrzejcyk
Joanna is considered a legend of women’s MMA due to her history with the UFC and, in particular, one of the greatest fights in UFC history in a brutal war against Weili Zhang.
It would be no surprise that she has a continued relationship with Monster Energy as she is an incredible role model for women in MMA and combat sports.
Jon Jones
Even though Jon Jones hasn’t been seen in the octagon for a long while, he still has had a direct sponsorship with Monster Energy since 2021.
His name and notoriety likely keep his brand strong enough for big companies like Monster to keep investing in him.
Jon Jones was even sponsored by Nike in his prime, a relationship that sadly no longer exists.
Justin Gaethje
Justin has proven to be one of the most electric fighters in the UFC and the Lightweight division. He has stood his ground against some of the toughest fighters in his league, such as Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson.
He’s a well-respected fighter and icon for the sport, and I’m pretty sure we can expect to see more great things from him, including brand partnerships.
Jorge Masvidal
“Gamebred” hasn’t been so active in the UFC of late, but his brand image propels him to be called up for fights that some people often question as unworthy.
Some fighters have to work their way up every single ranking digit to get to challenge for the top, but Jorge has been able to fight for the Welterweight belt against Kamaru Usman twice in a row despite having a very shaky record.
Michael Chandler
One of the most recent additions to the UFC and the Monster Energy partnership, “Iron” Michael Chandler, has a way of speaking clearly and kindly to the world that makes a lot of people like him alongside his strong wrestling skills.
He also has an adopted son, which further promotes his wholesome image as someone who fights for what he cares about the most.
Past UFC Fighters Sponsored By Monster Energy
Monster Energy and the UFC have been partnering up for such a long time that we shouldn’t forget about some of the highlight direct sponsorships between Monster and UFC fighters in the past!
Max Holloway
Max has proven to be one of the best striking talents of the UFC, facing many of the other names in this article and often coming out on top. Even when he doesn’t win the fight, he almost definitely wins the heart of fans.
His image has improved with wholesome contributions as he displays a perfect role model for his wife and son. His wife and son are ringside for almost every fight he features, cheering him on.
Conor McGregor
Almost every major brand or company anywhere close to the MMA world has laid the money out to put their logo on Conor during his career.
Monster Energy was no different, and they sponsored Conor for many years and on likely a salary that would make the average man’s – or even MMA fighter’s – eyes water!
Tyron Woodley
Before Tryon was getting knocked out by Jake Paul, he was one of the greatest champions in UFC history. Defending his title multiple times against other huge names, often coming out on top.
Since then, Tyron has thrown his desire for an extra pay packet to the likes of Showtime and fighting YouTubers.
Daniel Cormier
You’ll likely know DC best as one of the key commentators of almost every UFC main event alongside Joe Rogan. But Daniel Cormier has been considered one of the GOATS of the sport and has challenged the best, including Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones, and others.
His direct sponsorship with Monster Energy would be of no surprise to anyone, giving him status now and during his prime fighting days.
Cain Velasquez
Cain was one of those long-time Heavyweights in the UFC, having spent over ten years fighting for the company. His reputation grew significantly after beating the likes of Brock Lesnar, Antonio Silva, and Junior Dos Santos.
That kind of attention usually gets met with a big brand sponsorship.
Dominick Cruz
Dominick has been a Monster Energy-sponsored fighter, despite lately having a troubling relationship with Monster’s Exec, Hans Molenkamp. It seems he wanted to settle any disputes between himself and the Monster brand with a charity fight between Dom and Hans.
Naturally, it doesn’t seem like there’s any sponsorship continuing between them.
Chris Weidman
Chris had a great start to his MMA career, continuing into the UFC with a 13-fight win streak. It was natural for the big brands to join on board.
Paige Van Zant
Paige had a powerful entrance to the UFC and gained a huge fan base during her time there. Sadly, she’s no longer with the UFC but has continued to fight in other promotions and bring along her giant fan base with her.
Yair Rodriguez
“El Pantera” had a strong start to his UFC career as he had beat big names like Dan Hooker and BJ Penn in his mid-twenties. It’s no surprise that Monster would sponsor him.
He was one of those up-and-coming fighters that there’s been a lot of excitement around from time to time, and this has only renewed since his recent clash with Max Holloway.
Donald Cerrone
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has been a long-standing popular fighter with UFC fans. His rugged exterior and Cowboy-related hobbies make him a hit with practically the whole state of Texas.
His career has been long, and he has faced many of the greats in his era. It makes him a worthy sponsorship in the eyes of Monster Energy, especially since his extra hobbies are also connected with Monster Energy, like dirt bikes and rally driving.
How Much Does Monster Energy Pay UFC Fighters?
Monster Energy pays their directly sponsored fighters anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000 per month. This sponsorship requires fighters’ to be publicly seen wearing Monster clothing and, most importantly, holding their Monster Energy drink at the end of a fight.
When Did Monster Sponsor UFC?
Monster Energy began sponsoring the UFC in 2015 and has since renewed the partnership in 2018 and 2021. At each renewal, directly sponsored fighters have changed, but the relationship has grown stronger, with Dana White stating how happy he is about it.
Why do UFC fighters hate Monster?
Some UFC fighters hate Monster and other sponsors because they often have to jump through various hoops to represent the brand during fight nights. They are required to hold up a Monster can or wear a t-shirt to get their sponsorship bonus.
For many MMA fighters, surely they want to focus on getting their job done and earning their pay. Requiring more tasks to get paid a fair wage only adds more difficulty and frustration to their job.
You’ll also see that fighters have Monster water bottles to drink before the fight and in-between rounds. Monster doesn’t actually make water in their normal commercial products, but their brand being seen on drinks is a major part of their advertising effort.
That’s the full list of UFC fighters sponsored by Monster Energy, both past and present! Sponsorships in this game are all too common due to the needs of fighters’ expensive training camps and the fact that these brands can offer serious dough just for a shoutout and an Instagram here and there.
