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.
