Bud Light Official Sponsor of UFC

In another example of the once worthless UFC's rise to fame, President Dana White signed a three year agreement with Anheiser Busch to make Bud Light the sole beer sponsor of the UFC. As reported by www.mmajunkie.com: In addition to becoming the exclusive beer sponsor for the UFC, the brand will be showcased with the UFC's sister organization, World Extreme Cagefighting, as well as future seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series on Spike TV. The WEC deal begins June 1. "The UFC has developed a huge following in recent years and is wildly popular with the 21-34 year old fans we want to reach," stated Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "The number of people attending live events, buying the pay-per-views and talking about UFC around the water cooler continues to grow. It's just a great place for us to be" Financial terms of the deal were not released. Bud Light signage will appear prominently in UFC events, including on the cage's mat and on vertical posts/bumpers. Signage will also be displayed during UFC weigh-ins and press conferences. "Seriously, this is a historic moment for the UFC," UFC president Dana White said. Bud Light will be the presenting sponsor of UFC pay-per-views twice per year. It'll also become the official beer sponsor of UFC Fight Night events on Spike TV. This move by a blue chip company will undoubtedly bolster company coffers at Zuffa Inc. and add a sizable amount of capital to the ever-growing UFC marketing campaign. While financial terms were not released it has been reported that the deal amounts to seven figures.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080228.wsptufcAD28/BNStory/robNews/
http://mmajunkie.com/news/3841/bud-light-partners-with-ufc-for-three-year-sponsorship.mma

History Of The UFC

The UFC venue of mixed martial arts competition was not created in the same capacity that it exists in today. MMA exploded onto the scene in 1993 as a venue for acclaimed Brazilian jujitsu fighter Rorian Gracie to expand the US market of what was already a fast growing adaptation of traditional Japanese jujitsu technique. Gracie jujitsu, more commonly referred to as Brazilian jujitsu, is a form of Japanese jujitsu which Gracie's father Carlos adapted to emphasize leverage and submissions and de-emphasize power and striking in order to make it better suited to his slight frame and physical weakness. To this end, Gracie's father was famously successful and became a national hero to the country of Brazil, much the way Bruce Lee gained status in his own country for his adaptation and improvement of traditional techniques. Gracie felt it was important to carry on his father's tradition and dreamed to export the little-known technique to the US. Accordingly, he set up shop in Los Angeles and began instructing in his garage. Notoriety followed shortly as he defeated his students' former senseis time and again with his formidable ability to choke, bar, and grapple which rendered traditional, stand up techniques nearly useless. The UFC itself came about as an idea between Gracie and former owner Art Davie to create an official tournament reminiscent of Gracie's LA garage in which fighters of various styles would compete in a no-holds-barred contest to determine the greatest fighter in the world. There were no rules other than biting, fish-hooking (pulling a fighter around by the side of the mouth) and throat strikes. The matches were un-timed and had no weight class which led at one point to White Tiger Kempo fighter being pitted against a 6'8" sumo wrestler weighing 668 lbs.
The brutal nature of the sport drew the ire of politicians and other public figures and eventually led to the demise of the sport, being called "human cock fighting" by Senator (and Presidential candidate) John McCain and the sport was quickly outlawed in almost every state. The UFC's reputation as a bunch of street fighters and back alley brawlers is something the now highly streamlined and polished organization still can't shake to this day.

http://www.extremeprosports.com/full_contact_fighting/history_of_ufc.html

From Blood Sport To Big Time

The organization known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC for short, has weathered an arduous and uncertain relationship with the American media, the general public, politicians, it's own fighters, and even its entrepreneurial financiers throughout its short life. Despite the many set backs and obstacles, the UFC has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets in modern sports franchise history garnering the respect and admiration of not only fight fans, but corporate executives and athletes, professional and amateur alike. Like most success stories, what seems to the public at large to be a fairytale, overnight success story was fraught with challenges, hardships, and near bankruptcy. Looking at any sport from a business perspective, especially on the front of marketing, exposes one to the grit and grime which lies hidden to the average viewer. Hidden from view by the strobe lights, pyrotechnics, and flashy marquees we'll examine the set backs and the successes of one of the fastest growing phenomena the entertainment industry has ever seen curbed only by human limitation and a coalition of politicians, executives, and promoters still hell-bent on destroying the adolescent sport for its apparent brutality and the competition it presents to other, more well established organizations.