Joshua Van Joins a Growing List of UFC Champions Partnering with Sportsbooks: How Do the Deals Compare?

Over the last half a decade or so, more and more major athletes are signing sponsorship and partnership deals with a new type of brand: sportsbooks. While the platforms are hardly a novelty in the world of pro sports they so closely rely on, individual signings have been a rarity up until recently, and the biggest MMA promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is leading the way.

The UFC’s relationship with sports betting has evolved well beyond traditional sponsorships. Increasingly, individual fighters, especially superstars and champions both past and present, are becoming valuable marketing assets for sportsbooks. One of the sportsbooks that has emerged as a preferred choice for big UFC names is Rainbet, an example of a more aggressive brand in the space whose roster of fighters grows each month. Already, they have three huge names in their ranks.

The trend has taken another step forward with UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van joining Rainbet. For Van, this is about more than simply adding another sponsor to the résumé. At just 24 years old and already a UFC champion, the partnership arrives at a particularly important stage of his career where he is entering stardom.

His arrival follows the sportsbook’s recent partnerships with Justin Gaethje and Sean Strickland, giving Rainbet a growing stable of recognizable UFC names across different generations and weight classes that aims to connect the fans to the brand and expand the fandoms of both the sportsbook and the three fighters.

From Established Stars to the Next Generation

Rainbet’s recent strategy is notable because its fighter partnerships serve different purposes. Justin Gaethje brought enormous name recognition and an established reputation as one of the UFC’s most exciting and durable stars. Rainbet announced Gaethje as a brand ambassador in July, with the partnership first gaining attention when he appeared at a UFC event wearing Rainbet branding.

Sean Strickland represents a different kind of marketing asset. The former UFC middleweight champion is one of the sport’s most outspoken and unique personalities, and his Rainbet partnership launched with a cinematic campaign built around the unconventional and often controversial personality that has made him such a recognizable figure.

And with the latest addition, Van offers something different yet again. He is not a veteran looking back on a long career. He is not a former champion. He is a young fighter and a current champion whose commercial profile is still developing, meaning Rainbet has the opportunity to grow and expand alongside his persona. That makes the Van signing potentially more valuable in the long term than its immediate visibility might suggest. Between the three, Rainbet fans can compare UFC fight odds and make the best options on the market.

A Major Opportunity for Joshua Van

For Van, the timing is significant. He has gone from a promising prospect to UFC flyweight champion in a remarkably short period, defeating Alexandre Pantoja to win the title before successfully defending it against Tatsuro Taira. His championship success has also given him a distinctive personal story, connecting his Houston identity with his Burmese heritage. A sportsbook partnership adds another dimension to that profile.

Fighters traditionally have relatively short windows in which they can maximize their earning power and be set for life. Fight purses are only one part of that equation, and unlike other sports, contracts are not so big or lucrative. Sponsorships, appearances, content partnerships and other commercial opportunities can become increasingly important as a fighter establishes himself as a recognizable personality.

Van is therefore entering Rainbet at an advantageous moment. He already has the most important credential in combat sports, a UFC championship. But unlike a veteran champion nearing retirement, he potentially has years of growth ahead of him. Rainbet is effectively betting on that trajectory.

Why Rainbet Wants Van

From Rainbet’s perspective, the partnership expands a UFC roster that already includes two highly recognizable personalities in Gaethje and Strickland. The combination gives the brand access to different segments of the MMA audience.

Gaethje has an established fan base built over years of spectacular fights. Strickland brings an enormous personality and a particularly outspoken online presence. Van represents youth, momentum and the appeal of a champion whose mainstream profile may still have considerable room to grow.

Sportsbook marketing is increasingly about more than simply putting a logo next to an athlete. Fighters can generate social content, promotional campaigns and conversations that keep a betting brand connected to fans between events. Gen Z fans love and should come en masse.

Van’s appeal is especially interesting because his audience is not limited to traditional American MMA fans. His story has resonated with Houston supporters and Burmese and Burmese-American communities, a wide audience around which to build the brand.

What It Means for the Fans

For fans, the most obvious change is likely to be seeing more crossover between UFC personalities and betting content. That can create more engaging promotional material and give supporters additional ways to interact with fighters they already follow. Of course, special Rainbet promotions and improved odds on Van’s fights are to be expected.

Still, transparency and responsible gambling messaging are needed. Fans can be emotionally invested in athletes, and that relationship is fundamentally different from seeing an anonymous advertisement for a betting company. A fighter's endorsement can make a sportsbook feel more familiar and trustworthy to supporters, which is precisely why these partnerships are commercially attractive.

A Sign of Where UFC Marketing Is Going

Van joining Rainbet alongside Gaethje and Strickland illustrates a broader shift in how combat sports stars are being monetized. The modern UFC champion is no longer simply an athlete competing on fight night, but a media personality, content creator, brand ambassador, and marketing platform in their own right.

For Rainbet, Van provides an opportunity to establish a relationship with a champion at the beginning of what could become a long career at the top of the UFC. For Van, it represents another step in transforming championship success into broader commercial recognition. And for fans, it is another indication that the worlds of UFC and sports betting are becoming increasingly intertwined.

The real significance of the Van partnership may therefore not be what Rainbet gets from him today, but what both sides can build together if the young champion continues winning. Gaethje and Strickland give Rainbet established star power. Van gives it the chance to be associated with the rise of the next generation.