Brendan Schaub: I lost six sponsors for UFC 181 because of the Reebok deal

The UFC-Reebok deal is effective July 6, 2015, but some fighters have already lost money because of the UFC uniform.

From July 2015 on, UFC fighters won’t be allowed to bring their own sponsors to the Octagon with them, on shorts or banners, and a few brands decided to step away from the business now.

UFC 181, which took place Dec. 6 in Las Vegas, was the first UFC card since the announcement of the promotion’s deal with Reebok, and heavyweight veteran Brendan Schaub, who met Travis Browne in the pay-per-view’s main card, says he hasn’t made the money he was used to with sponsorship.

“I don’t know enough details about (the UFC-Reebok deal), I really don’t. But even for this fight, because they knew July was coming and that’s when the Reebok deal starts, six of my sponsors like ‘no, can’t do it, man, there’s no future for us’,” Schaub said on Joe Rogan’s podcast.

“It’s the lowest I’ve ever made on sponsorship money, the Travis Browne fight. Ever, ever in my 13-fight career. It’s crazy, right?”

Schaub still wonders how the uniform deal will affect other fighters in July.

“I think the top guys might (benefit),” he said. “I think it helps the very top guys. From what I know, I don’t know all the facts. So the top 5 guys, the champ, it’s going to help, and the guys in the middle, I don’t think it’s going to help. But it helps the new guys too, who don’t get sponsors.”

“It could turn out to be a better deal, the way they’re structuring it,” he continued. “I don’t know. I just know how it affects me right now. That’s all I can comment on.”

According to Schaub, he wasn’t the only one to lose sponsorship money with the announcement of the Reebok deal.

“I was talking to Greg Jackson about it. He said I’ve lost all my monthly sponsors because of the Reebok deal, because I can’t wear it in the cage,” Schaub said. “That’s a coach.”

The UFC-Reebok deal is effective July 6, 2015, but some fighters have already lost money because of the UFC uniform.

From July 2015 on, UFC fighters won’t be allowed to bring their own sponsors to the Octagon with them, on shorts or banners, and a few brands decided to step away from the business now.

UFC 181, which took place Dec. 6 in Las Vegas, was the first UFC card since the announcement of the promotion’s deal with Reebok, and heavyweight veteran Brendan Schaub, who met Travis Browne in the pay-per-view’s main card, says he hasn’t made the money he was used to with sponsorship.

“I don’t know enough details about (the UFC-Reebok deal), I really don’t. But even for this fight, because they knew July was coming and that’s when the Reebok deal starts, six of my sponsors like ‘no, can’t do it, man, there’s no future for us’,” Schaub said on Joe Rogan’s podcast.

“It’s the lowest I’ve ever made on sponsorship money, the Travis Browne fight. Ever, ever in my 13-fight career. It’s crazy, right?”

Schaub still wonders how the uniform deal will affect other fighters in July.

“I think the top guys might (benefit),” he said. “I think it helps the very top guys. From what I know, I don’t know all the facts. So the top 5 guys, the champ, it’s going to help, and the guys in the middle, I don’t think it’s going to help. But it helps the new guys too, who don’t get sponsors.”

“It could turn out to be a better deal, the way they’re structuring it,” he continued. “I don’t know. I just know how it affects me right now. That’s all I can comment on.”

According to Schaub, he wasn’t the only one to lose sponsorship money with the announcement of the Reebok deal.

“I was talking to Greg Jackson about it. He said I’ve lost all my monthly sponsors because of the Reebok deal, because I can’t wear it in the cage,” Schaub said. “That’s a coach.”