The bottom line when it comes to the Reebok deal is that it's taking power away from fighters, and fans. How? When uniforms were first brought up most people assumed a company like Reebok would make them, put their logo in a prominent spot, but that the fighters would still be able to add additional sponsors. That's not the case, which limits a fighter's earning potential, something that will no doubt be brought up in the recently announced class action lawsuit over fighter pay the UFC is facing. Then there's the fan angle. Fans could support fighters by supporting the companies sponsoring them. Additionally, there has recently been movements that saw fans sponsor fighters directly via crowdfunding. Fans could probably still do it, but there's be nothing physical to show for it, so it basically becomes charity. Overall, this is a really iffy deal for fighters, and it will be interesting to see how they react once the actual numbers are known.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
