When the UFC announced the fighter pay scale for the company’s impending Reebok apparel sponsorship, the end result was the closest thing we’ve ever seen to an open revolt among the UFC roster.
Fighters from newbies to vets openly complained on social media that they’d lose money on the deal as compared to the current model, under which fighters are free to hustle all the sponsorship money they can get.
But don’t count heavyweight contender Travis Browne among those dissatisfied with the deal.
“I have no problem with the Reebok deal,” Browne said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. That’s money I’m getting paid on top of my sponsorships.
The Browne sees it, reducing sponsorship income to fight night income is illogical, since he has relationships with sponsors that extend throughout the year.
“If you look at it on fight night, just as if you look at it like ‘oh, this fighter only works two nights a year, he fights twice a year,'” said Browne, who meets Andrei Arlovski at UFC 187 on Satuday. “The only time he ever works is on fight night. You know what? You’re dumb. Because there’s so much that goes into this fighting. So if you look at it as a year-long income like any income would, this income is on top of money I’m already making from sponsorships, and I have no problem with that. As a per-night thing, maybe that night not making that much, but yearly, I’m making more because of that Reebok deal.”
Browne says that when the changeover to Reebok occurs in July, we’ll find out which MMA managers are truly worth the money they’re making off they’re clients.
“This is where a lot of managers are going to be held accountable at this point, and see if they can really provide for their fighters,” Browne said. “If you can’t provide for your fighters outside the cage, what good are you? If you depend on the UFC for sponsorships, the only money you get is in-cage sponsorships? Then I don’t feel, as a manager, that you’re doing your job. I feel you need to go out there and have some type of business, some type of presence as a management company and do their part as well.”