'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
UFC's deal with Reebok came to an end after UFC 260 on March 27, 2021. The premier MMA promotion switched to Venum for their official uniforms and apparel.
With a redesigned payment structure for UFC athletes, fighters are making significantly more than they were in the Reebok era.
Reigning champions now make $42,000 per championship bout from Venum. In comparison, Reebok's deal consisted of only a $2,000 payout.
The finances also consist of modified payouts for title challengers and fighters with 16-20 fights. Title challengers now net $32,000 instead of the standard $30,000 for a title fight opportunity. Experienced fighters with 16-20 bouts on their record qualify for higher earnings ($1000 more than Reebok), moving from $15,000 to $16,000.
While the numbers may not be significantly higher, the deal has more to offer than capital to the organization.
UFC senior vice president and CEO Lawrence Epstein spoke with ESPN about the deal. He commented on the exclusivity of the agreement. He also claimed that the entire amount of the Venum contract would go back to the fighters. He said:
"This is not a profit center for us. Whether it's cash out the door or where it's product, we're delivering it to the athletes. All the value is essentially going to them. We're not really making anything on this. We do feel the look and feel of the product itself is great for the UFC brand, but when it comes to cash it's all going to the athletes, whether in actual cash or product."
Gegard Mousasi was one of the first fighters to openly slam Reebok and the brand's deal with the UFC
Current Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi left the UFC in 2017. Mousasi was a dominant force inside the organization. He beat elite contenders such as Chris Weidman, Uriah Hall, Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson. The Dutch fighter partly held Reebok accountable for his departure from the promotion.
In an interview on MMA Hour, Mousasi stated that Reebok was mainly benefiting from the deal and that the dispense was 'terrible' for UFC fighters. He said:
“Let’s be honest, Reebok was there to sell the company. It was never to help the fighters out...Just to sell it, but it was terrible for the fighters. No one complains about Reebok because if you complain, you are going to get, you know, it will get messy, they may fire you. People cannot talk about it and say ‘Reebok sucks.' They cannot even make good tanks or shorts... I was not happy with the Reebok deal. I think 99-percent of the fighters were not happy with the Reebok deal, Reebok is not happy with the deal, UFC is not happy with the Reebok. But it is what it is.”
Watch his full interview with Ariel Helwani on MMA Hour, below:
