While Gegard Mousasi has recently been at the center of a story highlighting sponsorship woes, the UFC middleweight contender was announced as a brand ambassador for Bridgestone, the world’s largest manufacturer of automobile tires.

“This is a meaningful sponsorship for me and a milestone in my career,” Mousasi told MMAjunkie. “Bridgestone is the most-recognized tire company globally. It is an honor to have been chosen by them to be their first sponsored professional MMA athlete. I am proud to be their recognized brand ambassador.”

Mousasi (37-5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is currently ranked at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings. On Saturday, he scored a one-sided decision win over Costas Philippou (13-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in FOX Sports 1’s UFC Fight Night 66 co-headliner at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines.

Ahead of the contest, Mousasi was announced as a brand ambassador for the Japanese-based tire manufacturer, the first time the multi-national corporation has ventured into the world of MMA.

“Gegard Mousasi has always been known as one of the best and most exciting fighters in the world,” Mousasi’s manager, Nima Safapour, told MMAjunkie. “He is a sportsman of great character and principle. Based on these qualities, Bridgestone recognizes the tremendous value that Gegard offers for any global brand.

“Bridgestone is a blue-chip company that has sponsored such mainstream arenas as NASCAR and Formula 1. With this partnership, Gegard has become a pioneer; he is the first elite MMA athletes that has become a brand ambassador for the largest and most established tire company globally.”

Mousasi, of course, has been in the news as of late after filing suit against former sponsor Fear the Fighter, so landing such a high-profile partner is likely a relief in some ways.

Safapour also insists it shows the value of his client’s brand in a competitive landscape.

“The challenges that Gegard has faced with sponsors have not been unique to him,” Mousasi said. “It is an industry-wide epidemic for most all fighters. What the Bridgestone partnership represents is that professional MMA athletes do possess the star power to represent elite companies. It also confirms that Gegard has the international star power to attract such brands.

“This deal is monumental as he, along with a very select group of elite fighters, are helping pave the way for our sport to be recognized as mainstream entertainers. Only a handful of UFC stars have been sponsored by companies of Bridgestone’s caliber.”

Financial terms of the deal were not revealed.

Mousasi’s deal also comes at a critical time in the MMA space, as he wore the brand at Saturday’s fight. In July, the UFC’s new athlete outfitting policy takes place, leaving Reebok as the lone logo that will be displayed on fight gear.

“There is no secret that now it is going to become harder for MMA fighters to earn income with the mandatory Reebok uniform requirement starting in July,” Safapour said. “The earning capacity of most fighters will go down consequently. So the burden is on management to become more creative and aggressive with out-of-cage opportunities.

“Athletes are also going to have to take more ownership over their commercial careers with how they market themselves. They are going to have to be more active in self-promotion and networking with companies.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 66, check out the UFC Events section of the site.