Brazilian UFC Star Opts for Bitcoin Paycheck To Protect Earnings

A Brazilian Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) star will receive his next fight earnings in cryptocurrency to hedge against inflation and protect the value of his hard earned-money.

Matheus Nicolau is the latest athlete that has opted to receive his fight earnings in Bitcoin (BTC). Through a deal that was assisted by Bitwage payroll service, Nicolau, the eighth-ranked UFC flyweight fighter, received his first salary in Bitcoin this past Monday.

It is believed that the Brazilian fighter opted for a cryptocurrency paycheck to hedge against the rising inflation, stating in a recent interview that earning Bitcoin will help secure the value of his hard-earned money.

The fighter also added:

I make my money the hard way. I bleed for it. MMA is an intense sport that you put everything you have into. While I constantly fight on one hand, I have a feeling I am constantly losing money on the other. Then it hit me: Bitcoin is the solution.

Alongside Nicolau, his manager, Vinicius Las Casas will also be using Bitwage to receive a portion of his salary in Bitcoin. Both Nicolau and his manager are “very bullish on Bitcoin,” and are “looking to spread the Bitcoin gospel with this latest deal,” according to Las Casas.

According to the announcement made by the Bitwage team on Twitter, Nicolau is the first Latin American athlete to ever be paid in Bitcoin. He is also the second UFC fighter that will receive a Bitcoin paycheck. In January, UFC heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou also announced that half of his 270 prize would be in Bitcoin.