UFC - Reebok turmoil

The UFC signed six-year deal with Reebok to be uniform provider for the sport. This would eliminate fighters have their own individual sponsors and partners. Fighters used to be paid by their own self promotion and self sponsoring efforts. Now, under Reebok, fighters do not have the ability to wear their own sponsorships on their trunks as they used to. Their pay as well is based off of a tier structure of experience and championship status. It is meant to benefit the best of the sport but makes it increasingly difficult for fighters just getting started that cannot make the money they were once able to because of their own personal sponsorships. The new pay scale isn't the only issue with Reebok's deal. Upon announcement of the deal, new replica kits were made available for purchase with many mistakes to them. Misspelled names and wrong nicknames were abundant. Fighters also had their birth names on the kits and not the names in which they fight under. UFC returned to Ireland for an event in October and Reebok released a shirt of a Map of Ireland that cut off Northern Ireland and caused an uproar over fans. Ireland has been one of the more demanding fan bases in part to the rise of Ireland star and champion Conner McGregor.

The deal has seemingly had more downs than ups. The fighters are limited to wearing only white or black kits for their fights. There is no individuality or unique nature to being a fighter anymore. Most fighters would have had to have seen losses financially due to the new pay structure implemented. I understand the reasoning behind having a uniform provider much like any other major sport has. But the UFC is different and was different. I'd still have made the deal with Reebok, but without the specifics it has now. Reebok could have provided the uniforms/kits, apparel and merchandise but keeping it unique to the fighter. Individual sponsorships that the fighters had could have been kept as long as it wasn't with a direct competitor to Reebok. Fighters wouldn't be seen with Reebok kits sporting Under Armour, Nike or Adidas branding. The trunks should have came with more variety options. The kits for fans should never have had the mistakes they did. Each fighter should have had a say in their name and design. The UFC was so coveted due to its one-of-a-kind nature. That nature was changed with Reebok but could have easily been avoided. More customization and variety between the roster and Reebok would make a big difference in the perception of the deal. Damage as been done, and Reebok needs to utilize the fighters in making a turn around.

The pay scale isn't the worst part of the deal even though it might be the most glaring. Fighters could have taken in as much money as sponsors could have wanted them to have. Instead, they are delegated to a pay scale for the first time. For the sacrifice and hard work that UFC fighters go through leading up to a fight. To walk out with a $2,500 payout after an event in embarrassing and an unneeded kick to the gut that they don't need. 17 of 22 fighters during an event in South Korea walked away with the minimum ($2,500). Fighter could easily come up with more sponsorship money other than that of which Reebok is paying. Reebok awards fighters when they fight. Sponsors would pay fighters to train and for social media promotion. Now fighters have to undertake other responsibilities away from training to earn a living since they can't fight every month. So taking away from their training, takes away from how well the fight, which takes away their income and hurts the potential of what the UFC should be.