THQ and UFC Sign Publishing Deal

THQ signs deal with UFC to develop games based on the brand.

THQ and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have inked a licensing agreement that gives THQ rights to the UFC brand for game development on all platforms through 2011. This is UFC's latest attempt at licensing their gaming rights since Crave Entertainment released UFC: Sudden Impact for the original XBox. Publisher THQ has had recent trouble in the wrestling game genre after a partnership with the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) sued for "improper sales" of the Smackdown! series in Asia.

THQ's Kelly Flock, executive vice president of worldwide publishing, commented on the UFC agreement: "Ultimate Fighting Championship and THQ represent the perfect marriage of rich content and proven development capabilities. The UFC brand has seen tremendous growth in recent years with wild popularity among the core gaming demographic. This relationship serves as an extraordinary addition to THQ's world-class license portfolio as we continue to expand our competitive sports offering."