What was once a niche sport pitting contestants with various fighting styles in an octagonal ring is battling for full mainstream treatment, including action figures, branded clothing and credit cards.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has signed multiyear deals with several companies that will help push mixed martial arts brand to fans of all ages, officials said Tuesday.
UFC President Dana White said deals with JC Penney, U.S. Bank, and Malibu, Calif.-based Jakks Pacific Inc., were signs the league was turning a corner in its appeal to a broader audience.
"As you gain more and more mainstream acceptance, those are the kinds of things that fall in line," White told The Associated Press. "It's good for helping grow the sport."
Merchandising is an obvious next step for an organization that built its success on TV.
Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter" is the highest rated original series on the cable network, and a heavily hyped fight between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Dan "Hollywood" Henderson last season drew an audience comparable to TNT's viewers during this season's NBA playoff games.
White said the new deals will be good for athletes and management, as well as for die-hard collectors and casual fans.
Kids will be able to play with figurines such as Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Brock Lesnar, pitting them in imaginary fights inside a miniature octagon.
Adult fans will be able to pay for purchases using a UFC credit card, earning points toward UFC gear, travel and gift certificates.
UFC officials also are working on a deal for trading cards, although collectors might have to wait to see if they increase in value like old Honus Wagner or Babe Ruth baseball cards.
JCPenney already has started selling UFC T-shirts and plans to create special sections in its stores to market UFC gear to young men, White said.
A revamped video game also is in the works for 2009.
White said he hasn't heard any complaints about marketing the sport to young fans, but said UFC's rules and safety record stand up to most criticisms.
"This sport is so safe, in the history of the UFC, there's never been a serious injury or anything like that," White said. "Badminton can't even say that."
On Saturday, 24-year-old Brazilian Thiago "Pitbull" Alves stunned former welterweight champion Matt Hughes with a flying knee and finished him with a right to the head for a TKO win at UFC 85 in London. UFC 86 is scheduled for July 5 in Las Vegas.
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