The UFC fighter takes a stake in the British beer brand, whose SmartBrew lager is pitched at active drinkers ahead of a planned US launch.
The UFC fighter is swapping the octagon for a seat at the shareholders’ table, joining the company behind Super Natural Lager ROLEY’s as it prepares for international expansion.
Paddy Pimblett has never been particularly shy about his fondness for a beer after a fight. Now the British UFC star has taken that enthusiasm into the boardroom, becoming a shareholder and global strategic partner in ROLEY’S, the British brewing company behind Super Natural Lager.
For the fighter known as ‘The Baddy’, the arrangement goes beyond putting his face on a product. He will work alongside the company as it develops its business, with a planned US launch in early 2027 providing an obvious opportunity to introduce the brand to a wider audience.
The partnership also brings together two worlds that have traditionally had a rather complicated relationship: serious fitness and the enjoyment of a cold pint.
From the Octagon to the Brewing Business
Pimblett’s involvement reflects ROLEY’S ambition to establish itself among consumers who enjoy sport, train regularly and still want the occasional beer.
His role as a shareholder gives him a financial interest in the business, while his position as global strategic partner will see him working with the company as it expands.
For Pimblett, who has built a substantial following through his UFC career and distinctive personality, there is a straightforward personal connection.
“I’m a huge beer lover, it’s one of my go-to’s post-fight, so coming on as a shareholder and global strategic partner just made sense to me, especially when I started to learn more about the technology they’ve invented that powers their products.”
The attraction for ROLEY’S is equally apparent. Pimblett has an established audience in combat sports, where nutrition, training and physical performance are subjects of everyday conversation.
Stewart Rowley, the company’s founder and CEO, believes the fighter’s willingness to become involved in the business is particularly significant.
“Paddy brings an incredible combination of personality, audience, and credibility to ROLEY’S, but what really stood out to us was his desire to be genuinely involved in the brand.”
The company has not disclosed the size of Pimblett’s shareholding or the financial terms of the agreement.
What’s Different About Super Natural Lager?
Behind the celebrity partnership is a brewing process that ROLEY’S believes distinguishes its beer from conventional premium lagers.
Its debut product, Super Natural Lager, has an alcohol content of 4.4% ABV and uses the company’s proprietary SmartBrew™ fermentation process.
ROLEY’S claims the technology produces a lager containing up to 400 times more naturally occurring B vitamins while reducing calories by up to 35.8% compared with other leading international lagers.
The company says these changes are achieved without sacrificing the beer’s flavour or alcohol content.
Those are eye-catching figures, although the nutritional claims require some context. The precise nutritional differences will depend on the comparison products, and a higher vitamin content does not necessarily make an alcoholic drink beneficial to health.
Nor does a lower calorie count eliminate the health considerations associated with drinking alcohol.
For consumers comparing beer options, however, the nutritional profile may be of interest, particularly if they are monitoring their overall calorie intake.
Can Beer and an Active Lifestyle Coexist?
One of the more interesting aspects of the partnership is the audience ROLEY’S is attempting to reach.
Rather than treating beer as something entirely separate from sport, the company is positioning Super Natural Lager around the social occasions that follow training, competition and personal achievement.
Pimblett’s involvement gives that positioning a recognisable sporting personality.
There is, of course, an important distinction between enjoying a beer after exercise and suggesting that beer contributes to athletic recovery. Alcohol can interfere with aspects of recovery, particularly when consumed in larger quantities, and the presence of B vitamins does not negate those effects.
ROLEY’S proposition is therefore more appropriately understood as an alternative within the alcoholic beer market than as a sports nutrition product.
For adults who choose to drink, calorie content and product composition may form part of their purchasing decisions. The quantity of alcohol consumed remains a separate consideration.
A British Brand With American Ambitions
Beyond Pimblett’s involvement, ROLEY’S is preparing for a significant period of expansion.
The company has received recognition at the 2025 and 2026 World Beer Awards and is planning to introduce its products to the United States in early 2027.
The American launch will give its SmartBrew technology and fitness-oriented branding a new market in which to establish themselves.
Pimblett’s role as global strategic partner is particularly relevant to that ambition. His existing profile in international combat sports provides ROLEY’S with a recognisable personality as it seeks to reach consumers beyond Britain.
Further details of the partnership’s creative campaign are expected to be revealed, although the company has not yet announced specific activities or confirmed the extent of Pimblett’s involvement in the US launch.
For now, the fighter has added a rather different business interest to his sporting career.
The next challenge for ROLEY’S will be turning an unusual combination of brewing technology, combat sports and celebrity ownership into a beer that consumers choose for reasons beyond the famous name attached to it.
