Carlos Condit Shortly after UFC executives held a conference call to explain why they thought the Reebok deal was still a good outcome for fighters, despite payout figures that drew immediate and widespread criticism from current and former fighters across social media, I texted a well-known manager to ask what he thought his odds were of maintaining current sponsorship deals for his clients outside the cage once the exclusive Reebok sponsorship kicks in – something UFC President Dana White insisted fighters would be able to do just like in “any other sport.” “LOL,” buzzed the response. “Is that a serious question?” For a day that everyone in the MMA industry knew was coming, Wednesday’s big financial reveal still left a lot of fighters and managers feeling surprised, if not downright shocked. It sent ripples through the UFC pond that we still haven’t seen the end of, with numbers for fighter sponsorship pay that were lower than many expected. A payout of $2,500 for fighters with fewer than six fights under the Zuffa banner? Several managers told me they represented guys in that category who were currently making four or five times that in sponsorship money for each fight. One, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, said he had a bottom-tier fighter poised to make at least $20,000 in sponsorships for his next fight
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Now that we know the numbers, is the Reebok deal good for UFC fighters? – MMA Junkie