UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has become the latest mixed martial artist to partner with cryptocurrency betting operator Stake.com.

The fighter’s sponsorship will be partially paid in cryptocurrency, a space which he has had a historical interest in since launching his own range of Non-Fungible tokens (NFTs) prior to his title clash against Stipe Miocic, generating over half a million dollars.

Ngannou – nicknamed ‘The Predator’ – said that he was ‘very excited about the partnership with Stake.com’, commenting: “Since my NFT drop in March, I have been completely obsessed with the crypto space and I’m extremely excited to be partnering up with the largest (and best) crypto betting platform in the world.”

The heavyweight has become the second UFC champion to partner with the Stake, following middleweight title holder Israel Adesanya in January 2021, who also signed a long-term collaboration with the group. Additional ambassadors include Alexa Grasso and Marlon Vera, who joined in May.

Stake believes that the new partnership will strengthen its ‘already robust position in the global UFC betting market’, in addition to holding the live streaming rights to all of the promotion’s fights via its platform.

Along with striking deals with individual UFC fighters, Stake also serves as an official betting partner of the international MMA promotion organisation.

Describing its team as ‘massive UFC enthusiasts’, the operator partnered with the UFC in March of this year, securing its position as an official sponsor of the tournament in both Asia and Latin America, with the exception of Brazil.

Stake is one of the most prominent cryptocurrency betting firms, having processed over 45 billion bets since its launch in 2017, offering both sports betting and casino products.