According to the Brazilian blog "Game of Business", the SportsPro, one of the most important publications in the world of the business of sport, released its 2011 ranking with the top athletes of sports marketing.
The list shows the best athletes to sign a long-term global sponsorship. The ranking follows a criterion that measures the market potential of athletes in the past 12 months, as media exposure, image, performance inside and outside the field, among others.
The leader is the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, followed by the NBA star Lebron James and the Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Anderson Silva is the only MMA fighter in the ranking (40º), leaving behind the big sellers of PPV of UFC, Georges St Pierre and Brock Lesnar.
The next challenge of the middleweight champion is in UFC 134, which will be held on August 27, in Rio de Janeiro. He will face Yushin Okami.