Monster Energy today announced it has signed a new multi-year contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to remain the “Official Energy Drink” of the mixed martial arts promotion company. Terms of the agreement and length of contract were not disclosed.
As part of this extension, Monster will continue to have its logo on the center canvas during fights and entrance logo placement inside UFC’s “Octagon.” The two brands will also work together on retail promotions during UFC events, sweepstakes, and VIP experiences, according to Paul Ascencio, UFC SVP of Global Partnerships. The Monster logo will also be featured on UFC Fight Night Collection apparel for the athletes the company sponsors.
“Monster Energy is a brand that is synonymous with action-oriented sports and a fan base that has a younger demographic,” Ascencio told BevNET. “As the sport of mixed martial arts and UFC in particular, continued to expand around the world, it became clear that these two brands would be a natural fit. UFC and Monster have worked closely over the past three years to cross-promote with other properties and UFC athletes. It’s a great partnership in every sense.”
Monster first partnered with UFC in 2015, filling the void left after zero-calorie energy drink Xyience was pulled as a sponsor when it was acquired by Big Red Ltd., which sought to move the drink away from “hardcore” branding. Xyience had been the organization’s official energy drink for 10 years at the time.
“Through this partnership with this iconic MMA property, Monster Energy will continue to build a stronger brand position and reach globally, and we look forward to sharing our story worldwide,” said Mitch Covington, Monster Energy Vice President of Sports Marketing, in a press release.
In August, Monster announced it had renewed its sponsorship of UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor ahead of last year’s highly promoted “crossover” fight against boxer Floyd Mayweather. Following the event, Showtime Sports announced the fight earned 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in North America alone, while past UFC fights featuring McGregor have earned upwards of 1.65 million buys.
Monster also sponsors champion fighters Max Holloway, Tyron Woodley, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, Dominick Cruz, and Chris Weidman, as well as Paige VanZant, Yair Rodriguez, and Donald Cerrone.
In addition to UFC, Monster also sponsors Bellator MMA, with which it partnered with NASCAR last fall to promote fights at Talladega Superspeedway.