Friday, June 13, 2008

JAKKS PACIFIC NEWS: JAKKS PINS DOWN ULTIMATE FIGHTING ACTION FIGURE LICENSE!

World Leader in Fighting Action Figure Toys JAKKS Pacific�
Secures Ultimate Master Toy License
For Ultimate Fighting Championship�



JAKKS Strengthens Action Figure Portfolio of
Major �Fight� Brands with UFC� License

Malibu, CA � June 10, 2008 � The world leader in fighting action figure toys, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK), announced today that it has signed an exclusive, four year worldwide Master Toy license agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship� (UFC�) organization, with a planned product launch expected to commence in 2009.

The new UFC product line from JAKKSTM will be collector-focused, and the license covers UFC legend Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, Brock Lesnar, Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira, Michael "The Count" Bisping and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva, among others. The license also includes the famed UFC Octagon�, and role-play items based on the UFC brand and its classic and current roster of star fighters.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship organization is the world's leading professional mixed martial arts group, regulated by the most prestigious sports regulatory bodies in the United States. UFC live pay-per-view events take place at preeminent destinations including MGM Grand�, MEN Arena, Mandalay Bay� and O2 Arena, and they consistently draw sell-out crowds with record-breaking gates. Presenting more than twelve pay-per-view events per year, the UFC stands as the largest pay-per-view content provider in the country.

The UFC also dominates television with its reality series, The Ultimate Fighter�, now heading into its eighth season. The Ultimate Fighter has reigned supreme for years in the coveted 18-34 male ratings demographic, and it regularly enjoys higher ratings than traditional franchise sports such as the NBA�, NHL� and NASCAR�, as well as NCAA� football and basketball. In partnership with Spike TV� cable network, the UFC also presents ten live UFC� Fight Night� events and 26 taped programs of the popular program UFC� Unleashed�.

�The UFC is a perfect match for JAKKS, given our extensive expertise in developing and marketing collector driven sports action figures,� said Stephen Berman, President and COO, JAKKS Pacific. �UFC�s enormous and growing popularity amongst adults, coupled with the extensive roster of physically powerful star fighters, gives JAKKS a substantial base to work with, and should be a powerhouse combination for the line. Our objective is to give collectors an authentic UFC experience.�

�Nobody celebrates a collector brand better than JAKKS�,� said Jeremy Padawer, Vice President Marketing, JAKKS� Boys Entertainment Brands. �We will develop a very broad, totally authentic, playable line of action figures, Octagon sets and accessory items encompassing current and classic UFC fighters. Our objective is to give the collector the UFC experience: All the various fighters, including champions and contenders, as well as referees, announcers and even the UFC President! JAKKS will deliver the definitive line of UFC action figures -- We are PSYCHED.�

�We are thrilled to have JAKKS on board as our first official UFC action figure partner,� said Dana White, UFC President. �The demand for UFC is tremendous, and through this relationship with JAKKS, we can present authentic UFC products and have them available to our loyal UFC fans all around the world.�

About the Ultimate Fighting 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 iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV�, DISH Network�, TVN� Entertainment, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Bell ExpressVU�, Viewers Choice, SaskTel Max� and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo!� Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. 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 ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship�, Ultimate Fighting�, UFC�, The Ultimate Fighter�, Submission�, As Real As It Gets�, Zuffa�, The Octagon� and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.


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