Jacob “Stitch” Duran has been a fixture of the UFC for years. Fans have seen him at nearly every event, tending to fighters’ wounds and applying compresses to bumps and bruises. They also might have seen his recent Twitter posts and interview with Bloody Elbow saying that the UFC’s recently implemented uniform policy with Reebok was delivering a hard hit to his bank account.
Well, the world’s largest MMA promotion did not take too kindly to those. According to Duran on Twitter, the UFC has released him due to his “speaking out about” the deal:
@daej81 You will be the first to know that the UFC just let me go because I spoke out about the Reebok deal. Got to look for a new job!
— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 21, 2015
The UFC confirmed to MMAJunkie.com’s John Morgan that Duran was no longer going to work UFC shows, but gave no further comment.
Needless to say, this is a painfully bad move for the UFC from a PR perspective.
The Reebok uniform policy has already generated massive fighter backlash due to many being forced to take pay cuts due to its rigid, tenure-based payout system. It wasn’t just competitors that took hits, however, as Duran was also required to forego outside income as well, having to give up a slew of sponsorships (take a gander at his Twitter avatar). That was a hard hit for the cutman. The UFC’s grueling schedule, and what he says is an “unwritten rule” against working for multiple promotions, required his tenure with the UFC to be a full-time gig.
Firing Stitch Duran is the Face the Pain remix of personnel decisions. “Let’s see, how do we make this already bad look 1,000 times worse?”
— Chad Dundas (@chaddundas) July 22, 2015
Releasing Duran, who has long been regarded as one of the best in the business by fighters, after an honest, non-offensive discussion of how the uniform policy effects him seems utterly petty to the outside observer. Not only that, but the UFC booting someone who helps increase fighter safety for almost any reason sends an unflattering message regarding its priorities.
There is no word yet on the UFC’s plans for cutmen, or what may come next for Stitch. What say you on this, fight fans?
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