As cannabis and CBD continue their march into mainstream sport, few arenas are as authentic—or as influential—as mixed martial arts. For brands, MMA partnerships are no longer just logo slaps on the cage; they are full-funnel platforms to talk performance, recovery, and lifestyle to a global, highly engaged audience.
Love Hemp: The Global Flagship
U.K.-based Love Hemp turned a breakout moment into a global brand statement by becoming the Official Global CBD Partner of UFC through a multi-year deal. The partnership delivers deep integrations across UFC Fight Pass, social content, and broadcast inventory, positioning Love Hemp as the default CBD name in the world’s premier MMA promotion.
For fans and fighters, that visibility is backed by a broad product line of oils, capsules, and topicals aimed at everyday wellness, all merchandised through a sleek DTC hub at lovehemp.com.
cbdMD: Bellator’s Cage-Front Powerhouse
In Bellator MMA, cbdMD has become synonymous with CBD education and athlete-focused messaging. A multi-year, category-exclusive deal gave the brand in-cage mat branding, broadcast exposure, and content storytelling around recovery and performance for elite fighters and legends such as Chael Sonnen.
From a brand strategy standpoint, cbdMD has leaned into trust signals: transparent lab testing, familiar wellness formats, and a robust e-commerce experience at cbdmd.com that speaks to both hardcore athletes and casual fans.
Aurora Cannabis: Science-First Storytelling
While some brands chase logo impressions, Aurora Cannabis went straight to the lab. Its collaboration with UFC and the UFC Performance Institute focuses on researching hemp-derived CBD for athlete recovery and chronic pain, effectively turning MMA into a live R&D ecosystem.
For marketers, that science-first positioning differentiates Aurora from generic CBD players and reinforces its broader medical and wellness narrative through auroramj.com and affiliated channels.
Pure Spectrum: Authentic Athlete Alignment
Pure Spectrum has built its brand on credibility with high-performance athletes, including UFC fighters, CrossFit Games competitors, USA Triathlon and USA Weightlifting. This portfolio lets the company tell multi-sport recovery stories while still tapping into the intensity and authenticity of MMA.
Its platform at purespectrumcbd.com emphasizes clean ingredients and rigorous testing—key talking points for fighters whose livelihoods depend on staying both healthy and compliant.
Gelato: Culture and Personality
On the THC side, Gelato has leaned into personality-driven storytelling by sponsoring UFC fighter Gilbert Urbina and aligning cannabis use with mental focus, creativity, and recovery. While activation is more selective than league-level CBD deals, this kind of fighter-centric partnership allows Gelato to speak directly to fans who follow specific athletes’ training and lifestyle content. Brand discovery flows through social channels and the core site at gelatocanna.com or similar regional portals.
Primary Jane: Niche but Growing
Primary Jane operates at a smaller scale but shows how boutique brands can use MMA to punch above their weight. By sponsoring professional MMA fighters and extreme sports athletes, the company leverages authentic testimonials around joint stress, sleep, and recovery, supported by its product range at primaryjane.com.
For cannabis and CBD brands, MMA now sits at the intersection of performance, counterculture, and mass-market visibility. With polls showing that a strong majority of sports fans—including 68% of UFC fans—are comfortable with CBD sponsorships, the runway for brand storytelling inside the cage has never been longer.