DraftKings purchases combat sports platform

tKings has announced it has acquired fellow daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator Kountermove.

Kountermove offers daily fantasy contests for mixed martial arts (MMA), boxing, kickboxing and pro jiu jitsu competitions.

DraftKings already offers MMA contests as of 2014 and has a partnership in place with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The operator said the deal “builds on DraftKings’ existing platform”.

Brian Knapp, co-founder and CEO of Kountermove, said: “We founded Kountermove out of a passion for martial arts – as two Brazilian jiu jitsu sparring partners with black belts and more than 30 years of martial arts training combined – hoping to contribute to the sport in some meaningful way. Our team now joining the leader in daily fantasy MMA is the perfect culmination of our earliest vision.”

Kountermove.com is no longer accessible and redirects users to DraftKings.com, where they are informed about the acquisition.

News of the Kountermove purchase comes after DraftKings completed its UK launch last week, which came after delays to the process after being granted a UK gambling licence by the Gambling Commission in August.

DFS operator FanDuel has also applied for a UK gambling licence and its application is pending.

Contests for combat sports are offered within DraftKings’ US, UK and Canada products.