Ultimate fighting, Anheuser-Busch agree to ad terms

ST. LOUIS -- Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and Ultimate Fighting Championship unveiled an advertising alliance Thursday that marks a coming-of-age endorsement for a sport that Sen. John McCain once derided as “human cockfighting.”

UFC has come a long way since it was founded in 1993 with an anything-goes mentality that pitted tough fighters in sometimes bloody matches. The league is now a multimillion dollar enterprise that broadcasts arena-filled events on pay-per-view and has deals with cable networks, including Spike TV.

UFC president Dana White said the Anheuser-Busch endorsement is a key step in the sport’s migration into mainstream entertainment because of the brewer’s reputation as a flagship sponsor for sports such as boxing and NASCAR.