The Reebok deal implemented by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) back in 2015 is costing a lot of fighters a lot of money. That includes longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Vitor Belfort, who sacrificed “millions” to the sports apparel giant.
But that doesn’t mean “The Phenom” is going to skip town when his contract expires.
Instead, Belfort told MMA Fighting the best way to make change is by sticking around and speaking up on all things related to fighter pay. Sure, he might be a thorn in UFC President Dana White’s side, but it’s better than living (expensively) in exile.
His take on fee agency:
“I’m against that! I don’t need to run away. I believe in the organization. When Socrates, a long time ago, they condemned that guy to death. The offered him exile, they said we’re gonna have a place for you, he said ‘No, I’m staying here. If they want me to die, I’m gonna have to die.’ I’m staying with UFC, I wanna stay with them. I don’t want to go anywhere, but they’re not doing right, so I have to be a voice and I don’t need to run away.”
Belfort also wants Reebok pay — as well as drug testing — to be divided equally among fighters.
He must first make sure his limbs aren’t divided equally among submission holds when stepping into the cage against Ronaldo Souza. They’re expected to throw down in the UFC 198 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event inside Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, on May 14, 2016.
For much more on that upcoming fight click here.