IMMAF claimed that the agreement built on its provision towards athlete health and safety by recognising the importance of hydration in reducing the risk of injury.

It also assured that batches of products covered under the agreement, including Hydrate 78, Hydrate 78 Night and Optimise, would be approved by assurance provider Informed Sport, which tests sports nutrition products for supplements banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Cellular Fitness chief executive and founder John Kelleher was present as the deal was made formal, joined by IMMAF President Kerrith Brown, chief executive Densign White and Board director Wissam Abi Nader.

Brown said that athlete welfare would be at the heart of the partnership.

"IMMAF takes athlete health and Anti-doping education extremely seriously and therefore is proud to partner with Cell Nutrition, as a company that shares our values," he said.

"We look forward to a fruitful partnership focussed on optimising athlete wellbeing and performance, as part of IMMAF’s broader development infrastructure."

It is hoped that the partnership with Cellular FitnessTM will increase awareness, coaching and guidance on the importance of hydration to make mixed martial arts safer for all athletes.

Cellular FitnessTM's nutrition protocol places emphasis on the significance of complete hydration for athletes, as dehydration reduces the cerebral fluid around the brain and leads to muscle fatigue.