A canned cocktail brand is now an official sponsor of the UFC.
The mixed-martial arts organization announced its partnership with Monaco Cocktails on Thursday, according to a May 4 press release. The sponsor deal begins in May with the UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo fight, with an additional brand presence at the Annual UFC International Fight Week this July.
Also included in the partnership is an annual brand ambassador fund, which will provide Monaco Cocktails with live appearances and media spots with UFC fighters.
“Customer demand for ready-to-drink beverages continues to grow, and UFC, with a median fan age of 36, the youngest among major sports in the U.S., UFC is in the best position to help our alcohol and spirits partners reach those consumers,” Grant Norris-Jones, UFC senior vice president of global partnerships, says in the release.
Monaco Cocktails has been serving spirits-based RTDs since 2012 and is known for low-priced vodka sodas with a variety of fruit flavors and “two shots in every can.” In August 2022, it introduced a similarly boozy extension of hard lemonades with a 9 percent ABV.
As the new Official Hard Lemonade of UFC and the Official Canned Cocktail of UFC, the alcohol brand will have a “deep level of integration” within UFC events, broadcasts, and social content. Branding will also appear in TV series “The Ultimate Fighter” and inside the Octagon during events.
“As an official partner of UFC, we’re honored to be a part of an organization that has revolutionized the fan experience,” says Don Deubler, CEO of Atomic Brands (Monaco Cocktails parent company) in the release. “UFC and Monaco Cocktails are aligned in shaking things up for our audience. We’re excited about our joint commitment to better the consumer experience through our partnership.”
Monaco Cocktails certainly isn’t the first alcohol brand to cash in on a UFC sponsorship — the MMA league currently holds a wide portfolio of drinks clients, from Modelo to banana-flavored bourbon Howler Head.
This story is a part of VP Pro, our free content platform and newsletter for the drinks industry, covering wine, beer, and liquor — and beyond. Sign up for VP Pro now!
