10 Days That Changed UFC Forever
9. 11 July 2015 - The Reebok Deal Takes Effect
The UFC's exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok changed the look of the company and the sponsorship landscape, but not necessarily for the better.
Back in the mid-2010s, fighter pay was already a hot button issue in MMA. Any number of fighters were making as much or more from sponsors than they were from the UFC itself. The company charged a sponsorship fee to companies sponsoring fighters in the Octagon, although some smaller brands apparently got a pass.
Soon enough, the UFC decided it wanted to clean up the look of the sport. Buying into talk that it could one day become a huge deal, it decided that its fighters should be dressed for the occasion. That saw it sign an exclusive uniform deal with Reebok. Valued at approximately $70 million USD over six years, the deal, which went into effect 11 July 2015 (the start of International Fight Week), saw all other sponsors removed from a fighter's person. No banners, no t-shirts, no hats. Fighters were required to wear Reebok gear, unmodified, exclusively while in the cage — and during a good chunk of fight week.
The end result? Low payouts to fighters (initially $2500 to fighters early in their careers, though that was recently raised) saw a number of names jump ship. Meanwhile, the Reebok launch went laughably badly, with numerous spelling mistakes on fighter apparel. Needless to say they were roasted for it.