UFC fighter Luana Pinheiro publicized that she has partnered with Bitwage to receive her salary in Bitcoin. Pinheiro said she continues to receive fiat payments from her sponsors but converts them to BTC immediately through Bitwage.
Comparing Bitcoin to her fighting style, jiu-jitsu, Pinheiro highlighted that she prefers to get paid in BTC and that she does not care about the volatility of the cryptocurrency. According to her, volatility is the key factor that drives asset appreciation.
The Brazilian also revealed that, for her, Bitcoin works as a hedge against inflation since over the years the purchasing power of fiat currencies has been deteriorating with inflation while BTC, despite its corrective movements, continues in an uptrend. In addition professional soccer players Alex Barrett, Achara Ifunanyachi and Alex Crognale also receive their income in Bitcoin.
UFC has forged several partnerships with crypto companies. In April, UFC joined forces with crypto exchange Crypto.com, enabling fighters to receive their fan bonuses in BTC. The fan bonus is paid out by Crypto.com to the top three fighters of upcoming pay-per-view events.
Separately, in June, UFC entered into a multi-year marketing partnership with blockchain logistics firm VeChain Foundation, worth $100 million.
