Ronda Rousey Signs an Endorsement Deal With Mizuno

Click here to read the full article.

UFC champion turned WWE star Ronda Rousey is now a Mizuno ambassador.

The athletic brand announced today — National Girls & Women in Sports Day — that it signed Rousey, a former Reebok athlete, who joins a roster with other notable women athletes including professional beach volleyball player April Ross and accomplished retired softball pitcher Jennie Finch.

More from Footwear News

“Ronda is one of the biggest female athletes of all time, constantly pushing the envelope and motivating young athletes to strive beyond what they thought was possible. Ronda bestows a work ethic, passion and charisma for sport that is so perfectly in tune with the mission and values of Mizuno at our core,” Mizuno USA chief marketing officer Tomohiro Ota said in a statement.

Mizuno USA brand marketing lead Harper Cornell added, “Ronda is the epitome of female empowerment and is a leading, authentic voice driving change and opportunity for female athletes. In the US market, we are at a precipice to put ourselves out front and be a part of the female athletes’ journey. The perspective Ronda can bring to us as a competitive, high-performance female athlete is instrumental. It is the right moment and right partner to help us share the deeply rooted expertise of Mizuno dating back [to] more than a century ago.”

The brand said in a statement that Rousey is a long-time Mizuno fan and wore its product during her years of competitive judo training.

“Mizuno is a brand that I have loved since I was 11 years old. Over the years, I’ve tried other brands and continually am drawn back by the quality, attention to detail and focus on performance delivered in Mizuno gear. It is beyond any of the other sports brands out there,” Rousey said in a statement.

The signing of Rousey comes at a time when Mizuno is attempting to make a comeback in the training category. In June 2019, the brand delivered its TC Series training shoes featuring the TC-01 and TC-02, and the company will ramp up its efforts in the category in April 2020 with a new line of training footwear and apparel.

Want more?

After Years of Struggle, Here’s How Mizuno Is Hitting Its Stride in Running Shoes

Mizuno’s Tribute Shoe for the 50th AJC Peachtree Road Race Gets a Fourth of July Palette

Wrestling Star Ronda Rousey Hints at Taking Break From WWE to Start Family

Best of Footwear News

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.