Monster Energy has responded to the claims made against Hans Molenkamp by Dominick Cruz.
Following his victory over Casey Kenney at UFC 259, Cruz used his post-fight interview to call for a charity fight against Molenkamp. According to Cruz, Molenkamp – a business development rep with the energy drink company – has used his position for personal gains. The former bantamweight champion alleges that Molenkamp has tied sponsorship payouts to his personal social media posts and interviews. He says there are others in the UFC who have similar complaints, including president Dana White.
“Look at my face, look at my body, I get beat to death for a living,” Cruz said. “So when you try to force me and you text me if I don’t comment on your page, if I don’t give you an interview, that you’re going to take what pays my bills? What are we doing? Monster sponsors me, not you.”
“We take any such allegations seriously and are looking into it at this time,” a Monster spokesperson wrote to MMA Fighting. No further details were offered.
Molenkamp is a longtime MMA practitioner and supporter who has served as a link between Monster and the UFC for over a decade. White confirmed that he and several other fighters on his roster have had issues with Molenkamp, but ultimately it was up to Monster whether they take action or not. He also said that as a whole, the Monster partnership has been good for the company and fighters alike.
“Is Hans a goofy dude? Yeah, he’s a very goofy dude,” White said. “But they’re a sponsor. These guys are a sponsor, they’re great sponsors, [and] they pay these guys a lot of money… It’s a privilege to get money from a sponsor. So if you don’t like the way they do business, don’t do business with them.”
According to reports, a phone number that has been used by Molenkamp in the past had been disconnected as of Monday. Molenkamp has not responded to the allegations on social media. His most recent posts are dedicated to a GoFundMe page collecting money to cover his late MMA coach’s funeral costs. Most of the comments on the posts have been about the Cruz callout.
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