New Karate Combat League Features Bitcoin Logo at Center Ring

Karate Combat league will feature the Bitcoin logo at the center of their fighting ring as they bring professional Karate competition to the world for the first time.

Karate Combat Gets Funding From Non-Profit Bitcoin Organization

The Karate Combat League being launched by web portal Karate.com claims to be the first international, full combat showcase for Karateka (professional Karate fighters) to compete at the highest level in events created by experts from within the sport. It will also be the first professional sports league that features the Bitcoin logo. In this case, emblazoned in white at the center of their fight pit.

The Bitcoin centric group bitproj.org, a nonprofit that raises funds to increase world knowledge of cryptocurrency has sponsored the league. The pairing is a natural fit as MMA and martial arts-related sports have been maturing and gaining acceptance alongside cryptocurrency and often appeal to the same demographic.

Karate Combats launched on April 26 was covered at Sports Illustrated online with overhead shots of the competition that framed the Bitcoin trademark B crisp and clear at the center of the ring.

Karate Combat CEO Michael DePietro was quoted when talking about the creation of the league saying:

“Approximately 50 million Americans have participated in Karate at some point in their lives with an even greater worldwide following, yet no professional league exists.”

It seems bitproj.org finds no conflict with joining their mission of creating Bitcoin awareness and understanding of the groundbreaking blockchain technology with the ancient martial art by supporting the fighting league. Karate Combat League includes 100 fighters from 30 different nations who will appear as a league at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

Bitcoin and MMA Have History

As cryptocurrency and MMA were both started in somewhat obscure corners of world culture and have had to buck against the old guard in their respective fields to gain acceptance it’s no surprise that there has been a degree of crossover between them before.

Take veteran professional welterweight UFC fighter and early cryptocurrency adapter Jon Fitch. Fitch found himself underwater for $180,000 on his condo in San Jose California after the housing meltdown in 2008. He got interested in Bitcoin as a decentralized currency when he saw the same banks responsible for that crisis being bailed out by the federal government as ‘being too big to fail.’

Fitch reportedly became the first professional athlete to be paid in Bitcoin in 2015 and has since negotiated contracts to include Bitcoin paydays whenever possible. Fitch has been sponsored by NautilusCoin in the past and sees cryptocurrency as a perfect match for MMA which includes contestants from around the world who often run into financial problems moving their money around. He said:

“The appeal for me with bitcoin and MMA is it’s an international sport. A lot of guys have problems with getting paid and the payment processing that goes on.”

Image from Shutterstock.

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