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UFC® NAMES ORIGIN™USA OFFICIAL MARKETING PARTNER
Oct. 12th, 2023
ORIGIN™USA to be UFC's Exclusive Partner for Jeans, Boots, Workwear and Hunting Apparel.
ORIGIN™USA Named "Official Jeans of UFC".
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UFC®, the world's premier mixed martial arts organization, and ORIGIN™, an all-American brand who manufactures their products, dirt-to-shirt in their Maine and North Carolina factories, today announced a marketing partnership that provides Maine-based, ORIGIN™, with significant exposure across some of UFC's highest-profile platforms, including live events.
Under the terms of the agreement, ORIGIN™ will be UFC's exclusive partner for the jeans, boots, and hunting apparel category and ORIGIN™ will be named the "Official Jeans of UFC."
In addition, ORIGIN™ will be the Presenting Partner for specific UFC FIGHT NIGHTS for the remainder of 2023 and will receive prominent branding at select UFC Pay-Per-Views and Fight Nights, including placement inside the world-famous Octagon®. Additional entitlements will include broadcast integrations within designated Pay-Per-Views and exposure at key fight week activities, including press conferences and weigh-ins.
ORIGIN™ will also be incorporated into event-specific social media content that is distributed through UFC's popular digital and social channels, which reach more than 243 million users worldwide. In addition, the agreement provides for an annual Brand Ambassador fund that will bring the partnership to life through appearances, content, and creative campaigns with UFC athletes.
"There is so much overlap between UFC Fans and ORIGIN™ consumers," said Grant Norris-Jones, UFC Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships. "Compared to fans of other sports, UFC fans over index on purchasing jeans, boots, hunting apparel and other products ORIGIN™ is known for. This is a tremendous consumer growth opportunity for ORIGIN™ and we're proud to support them and help them achieve their goals."
"It's the UFC - the premier MMA organization in the world," said Pete Roberts, Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Founder and CEO of ORIGIN™. "And this is a tremendous collaboration because there's a shared passion - for the fighting spirit, for pushing boundaries and being relentless, disciplined, unapologetic, and determined. That's what it takes to win in the UFC, and it's what it takes to win in our battle to bring American manufacturing home. We're grappling with a larger problem, and this fight is an economic war on Freedom."
"The UFC is an American brand based on fighting—and that's exactly what ORIGIN™ is," added Jocko Willink, Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Co-Founder of ORIGIN™. "The roots of both companies are intertwined in combat sports, so we share the same principles and values. I think that fans of the UFC will understand ORIGIN™ as soon as they hear where we came from, what we stand for, and where we are going. Both brands are aligned. We share the same soul and spirit of a fighter."
About UFC®
UFC® is the world's premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 243 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC's athlete roster features the world's best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization's digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world's leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
About ORIGIN™USA
In 2012, amid the quiet expanse of the Maine woods, a new beginning was taking shape. Pete Roberts, a man seething with a clear vision, was on an impossible mission. He found himself standing against a world that seemed to have relinquished its hold on American manufacturing. Driven by his passion for the ancient martial art of Jiu-Jitsu, Roberts was determined to make a mark - to create a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi truly made in America.
The genesis of this dream was no fairy tale. Roberts' initial attempts to find a local manufacturer were met with disappointment. Factories that once roared with American industry in his New England community were silent, their machines and knowledge sold to the lowest bidder - China, under the far-reaching claws of NAFTA and the WTO. It was a harsh reality, a stark manifestation of how far homegrown manufacturing had fallen.
Yet, Roberts refused to bow to this reality. Assembling a team of friends and family, he embarked on an impossible mission. With nothing but raw grit and determination, they built a small timber-frame factory in the solitude of the Maine woods. Their tools were humble - an old Singer sewing machine from the World War II era, their spirits steeled with the conviction of their mission.
The next challenge was to find American-made fabric - a seemingly insurmountable task. After tireless searching, Roberts discovered a beacon of hope in Lewiston, Maine - the last remaining loom. They extracted the looming machine from its decaying home, a mill long forgotten by time. With parts scavenged from forgotten corners, they coaxed life back into the loom.
Over the next decade, the name ORIGIN™ gained recognition, propelled forward by Roberts, and his partners, Jocko Willink, Andre Almeida and Kip Fulks. Their continued journey embodies the true spirit of the American Dream - a story of grit, perseverance, and the unwavering conviction to their American heritage. They defied the tide of runaway capitalism and outsourcing, creating a niche for themselves in a global landscape dominated by overseas manufacturing.
When the pandemic highlighted the need for American-made products and supply chains, ORIGIN™ doubled their workforce to meet pent-up demand, invested in two new factories and a workforce in North Carolina, and rescued and revived the last remaining denim manufacturing plant and wash house in America with full production and staffing. ORIGIN™'s mission is to "Breath Life Back into the Dream". The ORIGIN™ logo represents the "Wave of Freedom", reshoring jobs, restoring communities and most importantly, reclaiming knowledge that's been sold away. When you see the ORIGIN™ tagline, "BUILT TO BELIEVE™", you know it's made with American Materials, American Hands and American Soul. ORIGIN™ is headquartered in Farmington, Maine. For more information, visit ORIGINUSA.com and follow ORIGIN™inside the factory at YouTube.com/@ORIGINUSA, and on Instagram @originusa.
