• July 16, 2009

Extended its niche content strategy, AOL has acquired MMAFighting.com, a mixed martial arts site that will be relaunched in the next couple of months as part of the Web portal's FanHouse sports hub. The site will be combined with the content and writing staff of the existing MMA offering via FanHouse.

Marty Moe, senior vice president for AOL Money & Finance, News & Sports, said the deal was driven by the growing popularity of the sport and the hope that its global fan base will help AOL expand its international audience.

"It really is fast becoming what I would call a mainsteam sport in terms of both the fan base and the interest we're seeing from advertisers in wanting to associate with both the sport and the audience that gravitates toward it," he said.

The acquisition also reflects the wider efforts of AOL's MediaGlow publishing unit to continue expanding and deepening its roster of specialized sites. The company plans to add another 30 sites for a total of 100 by year's end. Moe declined to comment on whether deals to snap up other outside blogs or sites were in the works. Terms of the MMAFighting.com purchase were not disclosed. --Mark Walsh