THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING Championship has revealed the financial details of its new deal with Reebok, and many of its athletes aren’t impressed by the figures.
Last December, the leading organisation in mixed martial arts announced that it had struck a $70million six-year deal with the sportswear brand, the profits of which would go directly to the fighters.
It means that fighters must wear Reebok gear in the octagon, during fight week and at UFC-related events, with no other sponsor logos permitted.
The money fighters lose from their regular sponsors will be replaced by the incoming cash from Reebok, but judging from the reaction of many UFC stars on social media, it’s going to end up costing them a few quid.
The Reebok money will be distributed based on each fighter’s tenure with the UFC:
1-5 bouts — $2,500 per fight
6-10 bouts — $5,000 per fight
11-15 bouts — $10,000 per fight
16-20 bouts — $15,000 per fight
21 bouts or more — $20,000 per fight
Title challengers — $30,000 per title fight
Champions — $40,000 per fight
So fighters competing for a UFC world title, like Conor McGregor, stand to receive $30,000, although having already negotiated his own Reebok deal, McGregor’s total income from the company will be much larger than that of most of his colleagues who haven’t been individually brought under the Reebok banner just yet — such as champion Jose Aldo.
The Reebok deal will officially come into effect for UFC 189 in July, when McGregor takes on Aldo for the UFC featherweight belt in Las Vegas.
Here’s some of the online reaction from UFC fighters…
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But some fighters, including Irish pair Norman Parke and Paul Redmond, don’t seem too bothered by the deal…
