Las Vegas and Los Angeles, CA – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a new, multi-year licensing partnership with Big Shots, to launch official commemorative athlete pillows. Created to bring the thrill and excitement of UFC action to homes nationwide, the uniquely designed pillows are artistically rendered based on the likeness of some of the world’s most famous UFC athletes!
The first series, which is now available and ships nationwide, features some of the most famous athletes in combat sports history, such as former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor, UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes, UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas, UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal, and more! Each BIG SHOT will be available for $59.99 at www.getbigshots.com.
“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with BIG SHOTS,” said UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski. “The creativity and representation of our athletes embodied with each BIG SHOT is incredible and we believe our fans will have a lot of fun collecting and trading them.”
Each BIG SHOT will be offered for a limited time, with designs being refreshed regularly to allow fans the opportunity to collect and trade their athlete pillows
“The creation of BIG SHOTS has truly been a childhood dream fulfilled, since I grew up playing with the original (Tonka) Wrestling Buddies,” said Adam Alson, BIG SHOTS Founder and “Day 1” UFC fan. “To further enhance the experience, collaborating with a cutting-edge organization, such as the UFC, on this shared vision made it that much more exhilarating.”
“As the designer of the original Tonka Wrestling Buddies, I’ve seen lots of copycats trying to capture the magic of the originals. They’ve mostly fallen flat, somehow missing the personality of their counterparts,” said Stefanie Eskander, who consulted on the BIG SHOTS design. “I’m so excited about the new UFC BIG SHOTS, we’re confident these fighters will grab the heart of any child or adult!”
“Creating the overall look and feel of the BIG SHOTS merged my love for nostalgia with my passion for cartooning/caricature,” said Nolan Harris, Lead Designer of BIG SHOTS. “The product absolutely personifies the looks and essence of the individual they portray. It’s my hope that the care and attention we’ve put into this product will capture the imagination of fight fans all over the world and will help inspire the UFC champions of the future.”
BIG SHOTS are created with a soft velvet polyester cover and premium polyester fill. Each pillow is approximately 22” x 19” weighing 12 ounces. BIG SHOTS are machine washable, hypo-allergenic, and proud to be made in the USA.
“BIG SHOTS is the next step in the evolution of our pillow offerings,” said Dan Siebold, Manager of Strategic Partnerships at BIG SHOTS. “We’re looking forward to the fan reaction and preparing for the next round of fighter options.”
For more information, visit www.getbigshots.com or email info@getbigshots.com. Follow BIG SHOTS at Facebook.com/OfficialBigShots, Twitter and Instagram: @GetBigShots
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 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 nearly 900 million TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.
About Big Shots
BIG SHOTS is an American pillow company focused on bringing the action of the UFC to homes across America. Founded on the principles of creativity, exceptional design and craftsmanship by the same team who brought you Big League Pillows. Big League Pillows are personalized sports jersey pillows, offering NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and MLS licensed options.
Press Contact:
UFC
Brian Smith at bsmith@ufc.com