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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
SPONSORS ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP®
Harley-Davidson
is Presenting Sponsor of UFC® and WEC™ Events
MILWAUKEE
(January 19, 2008)
- Harley-Davidson Motor Company has teamed up with the Ultimate Fighting
Championship®
(UFC®)
and World Extreme Cagefighting®
(WEC™)
organizations as a presenting sponsor and exclusive motorcycle sponsor.
“This
is the first major worldwide sports sponsorship for Harley-Davidson
outside the motorcycle/automotive category,” said Harley-Davidson Senior
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “We see our
brand embodied in these fighters: young, aggressive, hard working
individuals who cut against the grain.”
“Like
Harley-Davidson, UFC is a true American passion that transcends cultures
and languages, and shares incredible and growing popularity in the United
States, Europe and around the world. Harley-Davidson is a powerhouse
brand, we are proud to call it our exclusive UFC and WEC motorcycle
sponsor and to have the historic Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield in the
Octagon,” said UFC President Dana White.
Harley-Davidson’s
sponsorship began with the UFC 79: NEMESIS
event December 29, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in
Las Vegas, as witnessed by a sell-out audience of more than 11,000 and
millions more on television around the world.
Harley-Davidson
sponsorship of the UFC and WEC events includes its historic Bar &
Shield logo placement in the center spot on the Octagon™
canvas, as a press conference and weigh-in backdrop and in other event
locations. In addition, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and advertisements
will appear at other UFC and WEC events and locations. The Company is also
encouraging its independent dealers to hold UFC “fight night” events
and customer parties in conjunction with a limited number of appropriate
UFC events.
The
first such dealer events begin with UFC 80: RAPID
FIRE, held today in Newcastle, England, which will be broadcast
live at noon Pacific Time (3 p.m. ET) as “The Prodigy” BJ Penn faces
Joe “Daddy” Stevenson for the UFC World Lightweight Championship.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship® is the world’s leading professional
mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA
sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered
in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live pay-per-view events
annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable
and satellite providers including iN DEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH
Network, TVN Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU, and Viewers
Choice, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions. In addition to
its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over
100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more
information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com
or uk.ufc.com
or www.ufcespanol.com.
The
WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts
organizations in the United States. Founded in 2001, the WEC features many
of the most prominent athletes in the sport of mixed martial arts today.
Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas,
Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed
through the Versus network. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC
programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada. For more information
and current WEC fight news, visit www.wec.tv.
Harley-Davidson
Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces
heavyweight motorcycles and a complete line of motorcycle parts,
accessories and general merchandise. For more information, visit
Harley-Davidson's Web site at www.harley-davidson.com.
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