PA Images UFC President Dana White has revealed Kobe Bryant will be honoured at the upcoming UFC 247.
As well as being an incredible basketball player, Bryant was a big fan of UFC and an investor in the sport.
According to White, the NBA star had an ownership stake in both UFC and BodyArmour, the official energy drink of the UFC. As such, the organisation has decided to honour Bryant at UFC 247 in Houston, Texas on Saturday, February 8.
PA ImagesBryant sadly passed away aged 41 following a helicopter crash on January 26.
White spoke to TMZ about the basketball player’s relationship with UFC, explaining the upcoming event is the first chance the organisation has had to pay tribute.
He explained:
This is the first fight since it happened and yes, we’re gonna do something for Kobe.
You look at Kobe the basketball player, right? Then the guy that won an Oscar and all of the other things that this guy has accomplished in his life.
Well, also, he was one of the big investors in BodyArmor, a company that’s a sponsor of the UFC. He was also an investor in the UFC.
PA ImagesWhite went on to explain that just days before his death Bryant had received a huge distribution cheque from the organisation as a result of his investment.
Recalling Byrant’s reaction to the money, White said:
Kobe got a distribution from the UFC the Wednesday before the incident and he was so pumped up and excited and he said what everybody always says, ‘I wish I had invested more!’
The UFC President spoke highly of Bryant, saying he’d remember him as a ‘great dude’ and an important part of the UFC fabric.
He commented:
He was a part of this company… Kobe Bryant was a good guy in every way that you could possibly be a good guy.
It’s not clear exactly how the UFC will honour Bryant, but it’s likely to be a moving moment.
Saturday’s UFC event will see Jon Jones take on Dominick Reyes for the main event.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.