Bud Light Beer Lands Knockout Partnership With UFC Fighter Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier

We’ll say it. Bud Light is continuing to shore up its more “manly” partnerships in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney trans fiasco. And it’s not an accident, it’s a response.

Here’s the deal…

It’s beer a turbulent year for Bud Light, still reeling from its brief, but ultimately costly, partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer whose image was put on a Bud Light beer can to celebrate the activist’s “365 Days of Girlhood.”

The initial Dylan Mulvaney announcement took place on almost a year ago and in spite of Anheuser-Busch’s many efforts to put the matter to bed the brand has been experiencing serious sales declines ever since then.

It must not be lost on them that their alliance with a transgender activist has alienated many of their core consumers (primarily men) who aren’t necessarily even political, but just not comfortable with Dylan Mulvaney’s journey being associated with the beer they identify with.

On the public relations front Anheuser-Busch has been doing everything it can to move on from polarizing marketing move.

Last October, Bud Light announced that it had entered into a bigtime multi-year partnership with UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, with more than 700 million fans and 243 million social media followers (the majority of those men).

Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. And Bud Light has expanded that relationship, with a new partnership with lightweight contender Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, following his monumental victory at UFC 299 earlier this month in Miami.

“I’m thrilled to cap off my UFC 299 victory by announcing my partnership with Bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the UFC,” said UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier. “I couldn’t be more excited to join Bud Light’s elite lineup of athlete partners and can’t wait to bring UFC fans some really exciting things both inside and outside the Octagon® this year.”

“Bud Light’s partnership with the UFC allows us to celebrate and bring fans closer to the sport they love, and we couldn’t be more excited to now welcome one of the best in the Octagon, Dustin Poirier, to the Bud Light Family,” Bud Light VP of Marketing Todd Allen added…

“We look forward to working with Poirier throughout the year to continue making great sports moments even easier to enjoy for our fans.”

###