UFC Announces a Deal with Reebok

Jasen777 · Post #141 » by **Jasen777** » Thu May 7, 2015 3:46 am

Kennedy hasn't been a company man in the past either - Tim Kennedy calls state of UFC fighter pay 'pathetic,' says he'd make more being a trash collector.

REDDzone · Post #142 » by **REDDzone** » Thu May 7, 2015 3:49 am

Jasen777 wrote:Kennedy hasn't been a company man in the past either - Tim Kennedy calls state of UFC fighter pay 'pathetic,' says he'd make more being a trash collector.

I'm not sure Tim Kennedy suffers what he considers to be fools very well, so I doubt he and Dana get along at all.

Cammo101 · Post #143 » by **Cammo101** » Thu May 7, 2015 2:15 pm

I was a big fan of this deal when it was announced, and I still am a fan of the idea behind it, but this is starting to look like a pretty large misstep. There just does not seem to be enough money here from Reebok to make it work. The UFC really needs to bring in another big sponsor to bump these really low numbers. The UFC needs to be really careful how they proceed here. Continuing to piss off their fighters as Bellator shows more and more willing to spend money is not a good combination.

Also, does anyone really believe Brendan Schaub was getting 6 figures in sponsorship money per fight? I call BS on that.

Post #144 » by **CPT** » Thu May 7, 2015 2:37 pm

When the deal kicks in, is the octagon itself still going to be plastered with UFC sponsors? I would assume so.

Taking it back to the overall idea, does anyone really give a **** what the fighters are wearing? Even if the deal was fair financially, I don't even know if I'd see the uniforms as a positive.

REDDzone · Post #145 » by **REDDzone** » Thu May 7, 2015 3:04 pm

CPT wrote:Taking it back to the overall idea, does anyone really give a **** what the fighters are wearing?

Dana and cammo.

REDDzone · Post #146 » by **REDDzone** » Thu May 7, 2015 3:05 pm

Cammo101 wrote:Also, does anyone really believe Brendan Schaub was getting 6 figures in sponsorship money per fight? I call BS on that.

Even like a year ago on a fight companion podcast, he referred to himself as young and rich or some such. He certainly isn't rich on those 10/10 ufc paychecks. His podcast is huge now, but it wasn't so much at the time.

Jasen777 · Post #147 » by **Jasen777** » Thu May 7, 2015 9:37 pm

CPT wrote:Taking it back to the overall idea, does anyone really give a **** what the fighters are wearing? Even if the deal was fair financially, I don't even know if I'd see the uniforms as a positive.

I like the diversity in looks. But I have to withhold full judgement until we see the uniforms in action.

REDDzone · Post #148 » by **REDDzone** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:19 am

[tweet]https://twitter.com/RamseyNijem/status/596129826244689921[/tweet]

(Ramsey is in the 5k tier)

So theoretically a tuf guy (not winner) a few years back, could supposedly make more sponsorship money as the first or second fight of the night on facebook, than a guy on a fox main card now in his 10th fight in the promotion.

cowboyronnie · Post #149 » by **cowboyronnie** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:27 am

To be fair, apparently sponsor pay has been on the decline for a couple years now - there was a bubble of sorts in MMA-related brands.

Jasen777 · Post #150 » by **Jasen777** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:41 am

cowboyronnie wrote:To be fair, apparently sponsor pay has been on the decline for a couple years now - there was a bubble of sorts in MMA-related brands.

The UFC first forcing sponsors to get approved, and then laying sponsor taxes couldn't have helped that. The sponsor tax had gotten to the point were it was forcing a significant number of sponsors out...

cowboyronnie · Post #151 » by **cowboyronnie** » Fri May 8, 2015 2:11 am

Sound points ^

SDM · Post #152 » by **SDM** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:27 pm

It's amazing how they tried to crush MMA apparel and then put a price tag on the industry of a measly $70M. This company climbs on stacks made of hundred dollar bills to pick up pennies.

REDDzone · Post #153 » by **REDDzone** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:33 pm

I guess what I don't get is how this is good for ANYONE.

The ufc's claim is that they aren't making money off of this (which...LOL), but now the fighters are obviously making less as well. Some of the reebok gear I've seen so far looks terrible, plus terribly expensive. Plus, and I'm far from someone who cares about this type of thing, but is reebok even "cool"? At all?

So basically, ufc gets tied long term to a meh brand, no longer makes money off fighter sponsors (as opposed to old system when they got sponsor tax), and fighters take a pay cut?

What am I missing?

SDM · Post #154 » by **SDM** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:35 pm

It's the big time. They're a meh brand (they make incredible athletic underwear, but yeah, pretty average), but they're well-known and associated will all major sports. No more Condom Depot.

That's 95% of what this was about, changing the association from the cockfighting/weird aggressive dudebro scene.

REDDzone · Post #155 » by **REDDzone** » Fri May 8, 2015 12:38 pm

I think I rocked a pair of reebok in 4th grade. But back then I really wanted nikes and it was bad and I felt bad.

Jasen777 · Post #156 » by **Jasen777** » Fri May 8, 2015 3:33 pm

REDDzone wrote:I think I rocked a pair of reebok in 4th grade. But back then I really wanted nikes and it was bad and I felt bad.

I got a couple pairs of jogging shoes from the factory outlet, they're ok.

SDM wrote:It's the big time. They're a meh brand (they make incredible athletic underwear, but yeah, pretty average), but they're well-known and associated will all major sports. No more Condom Depot.

That's 95% of what this was about, changing the association from the cockfighting/weird aggressive dudebro scene.

Condom Depot was already banned. They probably did want guys to look professional when they play Face the Pain. But I can't help but thinking they wanted to centralize power away from fighter managers.

Cammo101 · Post #157 » by **Cammo101** » Fri May 8, 2015 5:14 pm

REDDzone wrote:I think I rocked a pair of reebok in 4th grade. But back then I really wanted nikes and it was bad and I felt bad.

Reebok has been all down him since The Pumps.

Post #158 » by **CPT** » Fri May 8, 2015 9:53 pm

Reebok is now actually owned by Adidas, and I think they try to focus on performance wear (they are huge with the cross fit cult) instead of being cool/fashionable.

Jasen777 · Post #159 » by **Jasen777** » Sat May 9, 2015 2:05 am

[tweet]https://twitter.com/mattmitrione/status/596363163383242752[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/mattmitrione/status/596370680096129025[/tweet]

Jasen777 · Post #160 » by **Jasen777** » Sun May 10, 2015 5:52 am

Apparently there is a "no sponsors on your body" rule. Banning tattoos and such.