XYIENCE Extends its Brand Ambassador Contract with Wanderlei Silva

Sept. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- LAS VEGAS —XYIENCE announces that it has renewed the contract of international mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Wanderlei Silva. Silva has been the face of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), since September 2008. The UFC middleweight fighter with a record of 33-10-1 has appeared in XYIENCE print ads and commercials, has made personal appearances on behalf of the brand and is working with XYIENCE on co-branded apparel. XYIENCE management feels that Silva, a native of Brazil, has played an important role in catapulting the brand to success.  (http://www.xyience.com)

“XYIENCE is thrilled to continue its relationship with Wanderlei Silva, one of the greatest fighters in the sport of MMA,” says Michael Levy, XYIENCE COO and CFO, of the multi year agreement. “Wanderlei has done an outstanding job as a brand ambassador, often coming to us with new and exciting ideas on how to reach our target audience and heighten awareness of our brand and MMA in areas where we’ve recently secured distribution.”

Recently, XYIENCE teamed up the UFC to offer MMA fans a chance to win a live UFC viewing party hosted by Wanderlei Silva in the winner’s hometown. The response was tremendous, according to Jessica Hughes, XYIENCE marketing director. “Wanderlei has an enormous fan following. In every instance, he is gracious and shows his sincere appreciation for their support,” she says. “He is an icon in MMA and an ideal brand ambassador for XYIENCE.”

For Silva, who is recovering from knee surgery, the renewal of his contract is a sign of great things to come. “For many athletes, an injury can mean the end of a relationship with a sponsor. XYIENCE stood behind me in my time of victory and they continued to do so when I became injured. This means a great deal to me,” says Silva, who is back in the gym training, focusing primarily on upper body strengthening.  “My relationship with XYIENCE is filled with mutual respect and is very much about the long term,” he says, adding, “XYIENCE is a great brand, and they’ve also worked to help inspire my team of amateur fighters.” Silva runs a 10,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art training facility, Wand Fight Team, in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. The facility is a place where aspiring MMA pros have the chance to learn from his experience. “We have a lot of new ideas for promotions that MMA fans will love and that will help XYIENCE grow internationally. It’s going to be a very exciting time and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with XYIENCE.”

Says Levy, “We are looking forward to the continued growth of our partnership with Wanderlei, who is much more to us than a sponsored athlete—he’s a part of the XYIENCE family.”

Through televised broadcasts of UFC events, the XYIENCE brand reaches some 100 million-television households in North America.  As a part of XYIENCE's UFC sponsorship relationship, its logo receives prime positioning on the mat and bumpers of the octagon. This often results in a fight's critical moments taking place on or next to the XYIENCE and Xenergy logos, and translates into millions of viewer impressions for XYIENCE.  Internationally, XYIENCE reaches more than 420 million television households via UFC broadcasts and Pay-Per-View broadcasts.

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XYIENCE is the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Xenergy, is one of the fastest-growing in its category. XYIENCE also produces supplements that provide ultimate nutrition for peak performance.