The UFC does not have the mainstream acceptance by people that it needs. Many people still view the UFC as human cock fighting and fail see the sport in it all. That being said, the large sponsors are still gun shy because of the possible negative impact it could have on sales.
Large companies, like Nike for example, don't want to be subject to boycotts because they are supporting the UFC. The purpose of advertising is to promote a product or brand and ultimately increase sales. The UFC is still a risky venture for most companies in terms of perceived risk.
This has been starting to change with some larger companies starting to jump on the UFC band wagon. Going from "Rick's Tire Barn" to "Suzuki" is a great step forward. However, being realistic, it is going to be quite some time before we see companies like Microsoft, AOL and Nike join the club.
The best thing we can do as fans is support the companies that support the UFC by buying their products. Help people to see the athleticism and sportsmanship involved in MMA. It takes a great deal of time and effort to change people's preconceived notions about the sport. Zuffa knows this well and they doing everything they can to help change this.
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"Everyone's got a plan until they get hit in the mouth." - Forrest Griffin
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