Junior dos Santos close to signing Nike sponsorship deal

[Kemal]

UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos could become the latest MMA fighter to be sponsored in some capacity by Nike.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, dos Santos is close to signing a deal with Nike, however, the deal isn't finalized and its terms are unknown.

The news was first reported on Tuesday's episode of "UFC Tonight" on FUEL TV. In fact, dos Santos was seen wearing a T-shirt with a large Nike logo on it during the interview.

The Brazilian champion would become the third UFC title holder to sign a deal with Nike recently. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and middleweight champion Anderson Silva are the others.

Dos Santos will defend his title against former champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 155 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas.

[Kemal]

Nike Brasil inks UFC champion Junior Dos Santos to endorsement deal

UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos is the latest Nike-sponsored athlete.

UFC Brasil recently inked the Brazilian fighter to an endorsement deal, SporTV.com confirmed with the global-sports giant.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dos Santos joins UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the Nike family. Jones recently became MMA's first fighter to land a global deal with the company. It's been viewed as a major step forward for MMA and its athletes.

In Brazil, Nike primarily sponsors soccer/football teams and players. It also was a recent sponsor for the country's Olympic teams.

Dos Santos, 28, is a six-year pro who joined the UFC after just seven fights. The Team Nogueira fighter, who's nicknamed "Cigano" (meaning "Gypsy" and a tribute to a Brazilian soap opera and Dos Santos' formerly long hair), currently is riding a 10-fight win streak with eight knockouts/injury stoppages.

Dos Santos (15-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) next fights on pay-per-view on Dec. 29 when he headlines UFC 155 opposite Cain Velasquez (10-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC). Dos Santos won their first meeting a year ago at UFC on FOX 1 to win the heavyweight title.