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TapouT, the fast-growing maker of apparel and gear for the mixed-martial-arts world, is cutting dozens of jobs in its Grand Terrace headquarters in the wake of its acquisition Breitling Bentley Edition Quartz Chronograph BT-213 Authentic Brands Group, according to city officials.

Authentic Brands announced this month it had snapped up TapouT and a competitor, Irvine-based Silver Star Casting Co., for an undisclosed sum.

Grand Terrace City Manager Betsy Adams said TapouT indicated to her it would lay off 40 to 45 people and offer others employment elsewhere. Adams said the company is winding down its shipping operations in Grand Terrace.

Tim Pogue, chief marketing Breitling Bentley GT Racing BT-95 for Authentic Brands, said the acquisition includes intellectual property and the TapouT brands, but the company would leave manufacturing and distribution to licensees. He said Authentic Brands plans to bring on eight or so TapouT employees, including company leaders Dan "Punkass" Caldwell and Tim "Skyskrape" Katz. The company also will take over TapouT's contracts with mixed-martial-arts fighters.

Pogue said Authentic Brands, which has offices in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, plans to establish a separate office for its mixed-martial-arts brands but does not yet know where.

Launched in 1997, TapouT grew from about $29,000 in Internet-based sales in 1999 to nearly $200 million last year, according to a Bloomberg report. Along the way, the company has increased its Breitling Bentley GT Racing BT-96 line beyond T-shirts and workout gear to include everything from backpacks to bedding to automotive accessories, and has expanded its distribution network to more than 20,000 retail stores worldwide, according to company information.

In addition to sponsoring fighters, the company is involved in television and film and has launched a plan to open a chain of mixed-martial-arts training centers.

It is unclear how many employees were on the payroll immediately prior to the acquisition. In fall 2008, TapouT employed about 140 people. Pogue said TapouT had been whittling down its staff prior to the sale as it moved away from Internet sales and distribution to a brand-licensing business model. He referred questions about the Breitling Bentley Midsize QUARTZ Chronograph BT-158 size of the staff and the number of layoffs to TapouT leaders, who did not return calls for comment.

Pogue said Authentic Brands also has taken over the lease on TapouT's Grand Terrace headquarters and has plans for the space "to keep it TapouT-related." Pogue declined to discuss specifics, saying a deal had not yet been signed.