Tag: MMA sponsorships

UFC Still Hasn’t Informed Its Champions How Much They’ll Make (Or Lose) From Reebok Sponsorship


(RIP, @XBOX mouthpiece. / Screencap via MMATKO)

When the UFC and Reebok announced their six-year uniform agreement at the beginning of this month, we could only speculate at how good or bad this would be for the UFC’s fighters, based on the few details that were available. The reported “tier system,” of paying fighters according to their official media rankings (LOL, SMDH) was still a mystery, in terms of how exactly the pie would be divvied up.

But of course, CagePotato is just a mid-level MMA blog trying to find its way in this world with zero access to Zuffa executives. The crazy part is, the UFC’s own stars are still in dark about what the sponsorship agreement will mean for their finances, two weeks after the announcement was first made.

Case in point: MMAJunkie published an interview with Demetrious Johnson yesterday, in which the long-reigning flyweight champion wondered aloud what the UFC’s new sponsorship landscape will mean for his existing sponsorship with Xbox, which is now basically deceased; Johnson will not be able to wear Xbox logos in the Octagon when the UFC/Reebox partnership officially kicks in next year. Johnson’s comments were somewhat shocking, because it seems like he knows as little about the Reebok deal’s specifics as we do. Here are some choice quotes…

A guy like Nick Diaz, for example, comes out with all his Metal Mulisha, all his sponsorships,” Johnson said. “Let’s say from those sponsorships he makes like $80,000 to go in the octagon. That’s a nice payday just for wearing sponsorships.

“Lets say the UFC says, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to wear Reebok tomorrow.’ And he says, ‘OK, that sounds good. Here are all my pay stubs and my contracts for my last fight. They’re paying me $80,000, so what’s Reebok going to pay me?’ They say, ‘You’re ranked second in the world, so we’re going to pay you $2,000 to wear Reebok.’ For me, I think that’s not necessarily fair because there’s basically $78,000 that’s unaccounted for. If UFC’s going to compensate me with the same amount, that’s fantastic. If not, that’s a big boo-boo”…


(RIP, @XBOX mouthpiece. / Screencap via MMATKO)

When the UFC and Reebok announced their six-year uniform agreement at the beginning of this month, we could only speculate at how good or bad this would be for the UFC’s fighters, based on the few details that were available. The reported “tier system,” of paying fighters according to their official media rankings (LOL, SMDH) was still a mystery, in terms of how exactly the pie would be divvied up.

But of course, CagePotato is just a mid-level MMA blog trying to find its way in this world with zero access to Zuffa executives. The crazy part is, the UFC’s own stars are still in dark about what the sponsorship agreement will mean for their finances, two weeks after the announcement was first made.

Case in point: MMAJunkie published an interview with Demetrious Johnson yesterday, in which the long-reigning flyweight champion wondered aloud what the UFC’s new sponsorship landscape will mean for his existing sponsorship with Xbox, which is now basically deceased; Johnson will not be able to wear Xbox logos in the Octagon when the UFC/Reebox partnership officially kicks in next year. Johnson’s comments were somewhat shocking, because it seems like he knows as little about the Reebok deal’s specifics as we do. Here are some choice quotes…

A guy like Nick Diaz, for example, comes out with all his Metal Mulisha, all his sponsorships,” Johnson said. “Let’s say from those sponsorships he makes like $80,000 to go in the octagon. That’s a nice payday just for wearing sponsorships.

“Lets say the UFC says, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to wear Reebok tomorrow.’ And he says, ‘OK, that sounds good. Here are all my pay stubs and my contracts for my last fight. They’re paying me $80,000, so what’s Reebok going to pay me?’ They say, ‘You’re ranked second in the world, so we’re going to pay you $2,000 to wear Reebok.’ For me, I think that’s not necessarily fair because there’s basically $78,000 that’s unaccounted for. If UFC’s going to compensate me with the same amount, that’s fantastic. If not, that’s a big boo-boo”…

“I think everyone would hope (they’re paid the same or more as before), whether they’re the champion or not,” Johnson said. “I would hope the person on the prelims card who is ranked 20th in the UFC, if they’re making $10,000 from Dynamic Fastener, I believe they have the right to be paid that. That’s just me being an honest person.

“If the person can show what they are making and this Reebok deal isn’t making the same, they should be making it right. That’s my take on it. I support the UFC, I’m happy for this deal, and I hope it helps out a lot of fighters, including myself”…

“I think it’s a good thing to where people don’t have to run out and struggle to find sponsorships and all that stuff,” Johnson said. “But at the end of the day, I just don’t want people to be stripped of what they can bring in. That’s my biggest thing about it. If a person is getting paid $80,000 for something and they’re told they can’t wear it anymore and they’re losing that money, then something needs to happen about that…We won’t know how good the deal is until we see the actual fine print.”

Disclaimer: Demetrious Johnson doesn’t know how much money Nick Diaz actually receives from Metal Mulisha, or how much a prelim fighter makes from Dynamic Fastener, and even we’re not pessimistic enough to think that #2-ranked UFC fighters will only earn $2,000 per fight from Reebok. Essentially, this is just nervous chatter from someone who has no idea what’s going on.

The problem is, that “someone” is a UFC champion and frequent headliner. Having Demetrious Johnson voice these concerns in the media is a public relations black eye for the UFC, and it could have been avoided if the promotion actually explained to its fighters what impact this would have on their income, preferably before the Reebok deal was even announced.

The UFC’s lack of communication and transparency on this issue tells us all we need to know. If the promotion’s top stars stood to earn a lot more money from Reebok than they were earning from their existing sponsorships, the UFC would be pushing that narrative as hard as possible. Instead, they’re silent — and champions like Demetrious Johnson have every reason to be nervous.

UFC Announces Fighter Uniform Deal With Reebok


(“In the arms of an angel / fly awaaaaaay, from here…” / Photo by Paul Thatcher, Fight! Magazine)

The UFC’s long-rumored plan to institute an official uniform for its fighters has become a reality. As leaked last night by apparel company Dethrone — a longtime sponsor of MMA fighters — the UFC has partnered with Reebok for its uniform deal. UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta will be discussing the details in this video announcement, beginning at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT…

We’ll jot down the important points after the jump, as they happen.


(“In the arms of an angel / fly awaaaaaay, from here…” / Photo by Paul Thatcher, Fight! Magazine)

The UFC’s long-rumored plan to institute an official uniform for its fighters has become a reality. As leaked last night by apparel company Dethrone — a longtime sponsor of MMA fighters — the UFC has partnered with Reebok for its uniform deal. UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta will be discussing the details in this video announcement, beginning at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT…

We’ll jot down the important points after the jump, as they happen.

While we wait, here’s what MMASucka wrote about this announcement yesterday: “From what we are hearing, in-fight sponsorships will be done with in 2015 and fighters will have to push their merchandise in order to earn a percentage of the earnings. It’s obvious that the bigger name fighters will do well for themselves, however the up and comers will take a big hit.”

It seems speculative to say that “the up and comers will take a big hit,” since even mid-level UFC fighters have been struggling to make real money off sponsorships lately. UFC rookies and Fight Pass prelim-carders weren’t making enough sponsor money in the first place to take a “big hit,” no matter what the financial arrangement with Reebok turns out to be.

What this deal really does is take power away from the fighter-managers who earned their money by finding sponsors for their clients. Managers have suddenly become less relevant, less necessary to a fighter’s life — and maybe that was the point all along.

Reebok president Matt O’Toole kicks off the presentation, covering Reebok’s concept of “tough fitness,” and the brand’s three-sided Delta symbol, which represents the physical, mental, social sides of the fitness/active lifestyle. Blah blah blah, crossfit, blah blah, the “fitness journey.” He introduces a video with people doing MMA training in Reebok gear. “There’s a fighter in all of us — Reebok.”

O’Toole introduces Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, whose name he butchers. (“Lorenzo Fertatta.”) Lorenzo talks about how combat sports never had an official brand like the NFL, MLB, etc., and how the UFC’s goal was to change that. The UFC aimed to be synonymous with the greatest martial artists in the world. Maybe it’s just my stream, but I swear, everybody who tries to speak on this presentation is eventually interrupted by a video.

No, it’s not just me. Anyway, we’re 26 minutes in, and we haven’t heard a single newsworthy detail about this partnership.

Dana White: “This is the largest non-broadcast deal we’ve ever done, and every penny of this goes to the fighters…and everything that sells with their name on it, they get a 20% cut in the back-end.” Matt Saccaro is highly skeptical!

Swizz Beats was just welcomed to the stage by Dana. He was the visionary behind this thing, or something? “Thank you, Swizz.”

Okay, enough of these jackasses talking. Here are some actual details via Brett Okamoto:

The UFC announced a six-year partnership with Reebok on Tuesday, naming the sports apparel company the UFC’s exclusive uniform supplier and commercial outfitter.

Financial terms of the deal, which goes into effect July 6, were not disclosed…

The deal will eliminate independent sponsorships in the UFC’s Octagon, which athletes have long relied upon to supplement fight purses.

Fighters will no longer be permitted to wear independent sponsorships during a fight or the promotion leading up to it, but can maintain sponsorships outside of events.

UFC president Dana White told ESPN.com that all initial profits from the rights agreement will go directly to the approximately 500 rostered athletes.

“There are some costs associated with running this but other than those costs, every dime of this deal goes to the fighters,” White said. “This isn’t a six-year money grab. This is a long-term relationship we’ve created with Reebok. We’re investing in the fighters, they’re investing in the sport. It makes all the sense in the world to get the fighters invested in this thing.”

The pay structure will allocate funds per-fight, based on a tiered ranking system. Champions will receive the largest payment, followed by fighters ranked Nos. 1-to-5, 6-to-10, 11-to-15 and unranked. UFC’s official rankings are voted on by media outlets and are overseen by the company...

Whoa. Please-re-read that last paragraph. In other words, the approved media (who are often morons) will be able to impact how much sponsor-money that fighters get. And remember, the UFC can always unrank you out of spite. Anyway…

In addition to per-fight payouts, UFC fighters will receive 20 percent of any merchandise sold with their name or likeness. According to Fertitta, that will include currently retired fighters who inspire customized lines.

“They will receive royalties on apparel sold,” Fertitta said. “Certainly that would include for the rest of their life, so it becomes a revenue stream for them. There are plans to bring back ‘legends of the sport’ — guys that are already retired. We will create kits for them.”

The deal will also mark the end of fighter banners in the UFC — which are traditionally carried to the Octagon by an athlete’s cornermen and hung behind them during introductions. Corners will also be required to wear Reebok.

The UFC may still negotiate event sponsors, which would receive key advertisement placement on fighter uniforms during a specific event. White stated the number of event sponsors in such capacity would never exceed one.

“The reason we’re doing this is to continue to do things and implement things to elevate the level of the sport and really take it in a place where other major league sports are,” Fertitta said.

“This is no different than any other major sport. You can’t just run onto the field or basketball court with whatever sponsors you want. It just doesn’t work that way and we’re now at that level.”

Uniforms will be mostly standardized but should allow for individualism, according to Fertitta. Reebok is expected to unveil numerous designs for fighters to choose from in the spring.

Selling Booze and Signing Boobs, Georges St-Pierre Is Enjoying His Retirement Responsibly

(Props: YouTube.com/poundforpoundmma)

By Brian J. D’Souza

Despite taking a break from the UFC Octagon, former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been busier than ever throughout 2014. In recent weeks, he’s spoken out about lax drug testing protocols within the sport, cornered his friend Francis Carmont in Brazil, been the subject of a new documentary, and this Tuesday in Toronto, GSP was on hand at The Fifth pub to promote his partnership with rum maker Bacardi.

“Started drinking Bacardi even before I was associated with them,” quipped the French-Canadian superstar to a crowded room of VIP guests and media members.

The event was representative of the new era in St-Pierre’s life: Instead of being at the beck and call of a promoter, GSP is proud of the fact that he can leave his cell phone unattended for a week. Defending his UFC title was a Sisyphean task; St-Pierre claims his mental health deteriorated under the numerous demands being a professional fighter placed him under.

“I’m very happy where I am right now,” said St-Pierre, speaking to Sportsnet’s Joe Ferraro.


(GSP, living every retiree’s dream. Photo via TerezOwens. Click for full-size version.)


(Props: YouTube.com/poundforpoundmma)

By Brian J. D’Souza

Despite taking a break from the UFC Octagon, former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been busier than ever throughout 2014. In recent weeks, he’s spoken out about lax drug testing protocols within the sport, cornered his friend Francis Carmont in Brazil, been the subject of a new documentary, and this Tuesday in Toronto, GSP was on hand at The Fifth pub to promote his partnership with rum maker Bacardi.

“Started drinking Bacardi even before I was associated with them,” quipped the French-Canadian superstar to a crowded room of VIP guests and media members.

The event was representative of the new era in St-Pierre’s life: Instead of being at the beck and call of a promoter, GSP is proud of the fact that he can leave his cell phone unattended for a week. Defending his UFC title was a Sisyphean task; St-Pierre claims his mental health deteriorated under the numerous demands being a professional fighter placed him under.

“I’m very happy where I am right now,” said St-Pierre, speaking to Sportsnet’s Joe Ferraro.


(GSP, living every retiree’s dream. Photo via TerezOwens. Click for full-size version.)

From the post-fight presser for UFC 167 all the way through to the Bacardi event, St-Pierre has been on a roll when it comes to shattering the sacred cows of the MMA game. When he criticized the lack of effective drug testing in the sport, many media members privately supported St-Pierre. It’s strange that journalists don’t use their platforms to illustrate the areas of MMA that need to be fixed, though.

While it’s subtle, St-Pierre has also been careful to let the media know that he usually deals with UFC majority owner Lorenzo Fertitta (“Lorenzo is the boss”) rather than president and front man Dana White. White’s profanity-laced rhetoric often makes him a prominent lighting rod for criticism. Yet he owns just 9 percent of Zuffa, and as St-Pierre alludes to, major decisions are either made or sanctioned by Fertitta.

A lifelong fan of Mike Tyson, St-Pierre was wearing a ‘Roots of Fight’ Mike Tyson sweatshirt. In his autobiography, Tyson reflected about the tumultuous journey of ups and downs that left him contemplating retirement just after his fight with Pinklon Thomas in 1987.

“I should have retired then, but I didn’t have control of my own life,” claimed Tyson.

Everyone is looking for the reason that Georges St-Pierre stopped fighting. Was it due to a lawsuit from his former manager, the abrasive criticism from Dana White, obsessive compulsive disorder or migraines pointing to brain damage? A better question is why a rational person would start competing in MMA in the first place.

By comparison, when an athlete like Michael Jordan succeeds in a major sports league like the NBA, the narrative in the news and among fans is that Jordan’s own talent was the deciding factor. Certainly, Jordan’s teammates, coaches, the team owner and assorted NBA officials play a role, but they don’t get equal billing. In MMA, the fighters are often regarded as chattels who owe their existence to the promoter’s generosity — a situation that the lack of competing promotions and absence of federal legislation to protect MMA fighters continues to reinforce.

When St-Pierre was done with his media interviews at the Bacardi event, he gave a speech and opted to mingle throughout the crowd. Instead of being able to easily circulate, he was swarmed by a frenzied crowd. Some were probably not even MMA fans — just ordinary people drawn into the swirling vortex of celebrity obsession who needed fodder for their own social media newsfeeds.

St-Pierre might have been uncomfortable with the crush of the crowd, but he is highly attuned to the reality that his relevance is at a major peak. After all, as much as Dana White talks up Ronda Rousey as “the biggest star we’ve ever had,” Rousey has little chance of replicating the pay-per-view numbers that GSP pulled throughout his years as the UFC’s welterweight champion.

The Bacardi campaign has a line fitting for the fight game, “Know your limits.” In the prime of his career, Mike Tyson was a relentless alcoholic who did everything to excess until it blew up in his face. It’s part of Tyson’s legacy as a fighter that he stayed around boxing too long and experienced losses to subpar opponents near the end of his career.

Does Georges St-Pierre know his limits? Or will he live out the tragic arc that so many fighters before him have endured?

Only time will tell.

**********

Brian J. D’Souza is the author of the recently published book Pound for Pound: The Modern Gladiators of Mixed Martial Arts. You can check out an excerpt right here.

Rant of the Day: Nate Quarry Says the UFC ‘Cares Nothing About the Fighters’


(Quarry slugs it out with Jorge Rivera during his final Octagon appearance in March 2010. / Photo via MMAWeekly)

For five years, Nate Quarry was a reliable and entertaining presence in the UFC’s middleweight division. He fought through some incredible brawls, gave us a few laughs, and most of his fights ended in satisfyingly violent fashion, for better or worse.

Quarry retired from MMA two years ago on his own terms. There was no contract dispute, no falling out with the UFC top brass. The TUF 1 veteran stepped away quietly and respectfully, due to concerns about his own health and future. He had no axe to grind.

But on a recent UG thread about the UFC’s upcoming fighter uniforms, Quarry couldn’t hold his tongue any longer, and wrote out a long post about his own experiences with sponsorships during his time in the UFC, and the cold, impersonal way he was treated by the promotion. Whether or not you think the UFC has any obligation to support its fighters beyond their contracted fight-purses, Quarry’s note is worth reading in its entirety. Check it out below, and let us know what you think.

*********

“When I signed with the UFC this is what I was told:

We can’t pay you much but you can have any sponsors you want.

Then: We need to approve your sponsors.

Then: You can’t have any conflicting sponsors.

Then: You can’t thank your sponsors after fights.

Then: We are not approving any sponsors that we don’t like their product.

Then: Your sponsors have to pay us a fee of $50,000 for the pleasure to sponsor you.

Then: Your sponsors have to pay us a fee of $100,000 for the pleasure to sponsor you.

If a sponsor has a budget of 10k to sponsor a fighter, they are then out. If there are 5 shorts companies in the UFC you can only go to them for a sponsorship. If they have spent their budget or don’t want to support an up and coming fighter they give you shorts instead of money. If you’re fighting for $6,000 to show and fighting 3 times a year, even $500 makes a big difference. When there is no competition they don’t have to pay you. I lost And1 as a sponsor when the UFC enacted the tax.


(Quarry slugs it out with Jorge Rivera during his final Octagon appearance in March 2010. / Photo via MMAWeekly)

For five years, Nate Quarry was a reliable and entertaining presence in the UFC’s middleweight division. He fought through some incredible brawls, gave us a few laughs, and most of his fights ended in satisfyingly violent fashion, for better or worse.

Quarry retired from MMA two years ago on his own terms. There was no contract dispute, no falling out with the UFC top brass. The TUF 1 veteran stepped away quietly and respectfully, due to concerns about his own health and future. He had no axe to grind.

But on a recent UG thread about the UFC’s upcoming fighter uniforms, Quarry couldn’t hold his tongue any longer, and wrote out a long post about his own experiences with sponsorships during his time in the UFC, and the cold, impersonal way he was treated by the promotion. Whether or not you think the UFC has any obligation to support its fighters beyond their contracted fight-purses, Quarry’s note is worth reading in its entirety. Check it out below, and let us know what you think.

*********

“When I signed with the UFC this is what I was told:

We can’t pay you much but you can have any sponsors you want.

Then: We need to approve your sponsors.

Then: You can’t have any conflicting sponsors.

Then: You can’t thank your sponsors after fights.

Then: We are not approving any sponsors that we don’t like their product.

Then: Your sponsors have to pay us a fee of $50,000 for the pleasure to sponsor you.

Then: Your sponsors have to pay us a fee of $100,000 for the pleasure to sponsor you.

If a sponsor has a budget of 10k to sponsor a fighter, they are then out. If there are 5 shorts companies in the UFC you can only go to them for a sponsorship. If they have spent their budget or don’t want to support an up and coming fighter they give you shorts instead of money. If you’re fighting for $6,000 to show and fighting 3 times a year, even $500 makes a big difference. When there is no competition they don’t have to pay you. I lost And1 as a sponsor when the UFC enacted the tax.

At the UFC summit a fighter asked if he could wear his own shirt. Dana laughed and said, “Uh… we can talk about it.” I turned around and asked the UFC lawyer if I could wear my OWN shirt and he said, “Sure, give me $50,000 and we can talk about it.”

People have no clue from the outside what it’s like to fight for the UFC. After spending 10-15 years chasing your dream only to see that the company it’s been your dream to fight for cares nothing about the fighters and only cares about the bottom line.

When I was fighting for the UFC we got X-Mas presents like an iPod. A very bottom of the line iPod but it was still cool. Now the guys get a gift certificate to the UFC store and can use it ONE day. Any money they don’t spend on that day is forfeited.

A fighter gets to use the gym at the hotel he’s fighting at for free. The cornermen and everyone with him have to pay. So I’m helping Leben make weight the day of weigh ins and have to pay to go sit in the sauna with him. The UFC couldn’t say, “The fighter gets 3 people to go into the gym with him the week of the fight.”

That’s just nickel and dime stuff.

With every little bit they try to squeeze out of the fighters, the more the other organizations will look more attractive.

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to fight for the UFC and everything I have besides my daughter has come from fighting. But let’s not fool ourselves. It’s not a charity. It’s a business. And they are doing everything they can to make money. The fighters are just a product to use and discard. Every up and coming fighter is the best ever. Every ex-fighter who then expresses an opinion is a coward, loser, etc, etc.

I fought for the world title for $10,000. Not a penny more. No bonus. No cut of the PPV. The gate alone was 3.5 million dollars. The third highest gate in UFC history at the time. And they must have loved the fight cuz they show the final punch at the start of EVERY UFC PPV. :-)

And that’s fine. Because it’s a business. But sooner or later the allure of fighting in the UFC will not be as attractive as fighting for an organization that takes care of you, appreciates you, will let you have sponsors to help make up the income gap, doesn’t trash you when you think for yourself, and on and on. Just like every business you work for. It’s funny to me to hear people cheer for Dana when he says things that if he was your boss and he said them about you, you would be looking for another job. [Ed. note: Oh my God, this x 1,000.] But when you’re signed to a contract, you can’t go anywhere. No matter how much you want to.

When I retired I received a form letter, EMAILED to me that said, “Should you choose to fight again you are still under contract with the UFC.” I didn’t even get a hard copy with a real signature that I could frame.

As I said, I love what the UFC has done for me and my family. And specifically what Dana has done for me.

But I also know it’s a business. And that’s the best piece of advice I can give to wanna be fighters. Fight for the love of the game. But you better treat it like a business. Because the promoter handing you a contract sure will.”

One of Rick Hawn’s Sponsors Just Pulled the Mother of All Scumbag Moves [UPDATED]


(Aw yeah. Get ready for some Internet street-justice.)

Rick Hawn‘s lightweight title challenge against Michael Chandler last week at Bellator 85 didn’t go so well. Chandler was able to put the decorated judoka on his back with relative ease, before finishing him with a rear-naked choke in round two. But as disappointing as the loss was for Hawn, it paled in comparison to what came next. As Hawn revealed on twitter last night, “one of my main sponsors from my fight canceled his check cuz he wasnt happy with the outcome or my performance…A lawsuit is pending so I cannot comment on who it is just yet but stay tuned.”

I think we can all agree that a company that stiffs one of its sponsored MMA fighters because he lost should be immediately banned from the sport. But what makes this story sink to another level of scumbaggery is that the sponsor is actually defending the non-payment as a wise business decision. Here’s what the still-unnamed floor-turd had to say in an e-mail purportedly sent to our old friend Mike Russell:

“At this point, a stop payment has been placed on check which cannot be cashed or deposited now. I will not comment on Rick and his fight. That is not my place. But what I will tell you is this: I took a huge chance with him. TV exposure was great…but it only holds weight if he wins or puts on a good show. Neither happened. At the end of the day…not one sole (sp) will run to [my] store and buy product because they [saw my logo and saw] Rick loose (sp) the fight. I’ve made it my career and business to know what nets a return on investment for the brand…and this is the number 1 reason why I DO NOT hand out money or product to fighters.”


(Aw yeah. Get ready for some Internet street-justice.)

Rick Hawn‘s lightweight title challenge against Michael Chandler last week at Bellator 85 didn’t go so well. Chandler was able to put the decorated judoka on his back with relative ease, before finishing him with a rear-naked choke in round two. But as disappointing as the loss was for Hawn, it paled in comparison to what came next. As Hawn revealed on twitter last night, “one of my main sponsors from my fight canceled his check cuz he wasnt happy with the outcome or my performance…A lawsuit is pending so I cannot comment on who it is just yet but stay tuned.”

I think we can all agree that a company that stiffs one of its sponsored MMA fighters because he lost should be immediately banned from the sport. But what makes this story sink to another level of scumbaggery is that the sponsor is actually defending the non-payment as a wise business decision. Here’s what the still-unnamed floor-turd had to say in an e-mail purportedly sent to our old friend Mike Russell:

“At this point, a stop payment has been placed on check which cannot be cashed or deposited now. I will not comment on Rick and his fight. That is not my place. But what I will tell you is this: I took a huge chance with him. TV exposure was great…but it only holds weight if he wins or puts on a good show. Neither happened. At the end of the day…not one sole (sp) will run to [my] store and buy product because they [saw my logo and saw] Rick loose (sp) the fight. I’ve made it my career and business to know what nets a return on investment for the brand…and this is the number 1 reason why I DO NOT hand out money or product to fighters.”

Man, this is not going to end well for this douche. To this point, Rick and Mike haven’t revealed who the sponsor is, or even hinted at his identity — a wise move, from a legal standpoint. But if you cruise through the UG thread, you’ll see that by about page 6, the UG’s keyboard-detectives have made a pretty compelling case about who it might be.

With the shitstorm-clouds gathering, the sponsor is now looking to do some damage control. “We got a text telling us that he would pay up last night if we apologized and Rick took down his Twitter post,” Mike wrote. At this point, Hawn has no intention of apologizing. We’ll update you when the sponsor is officially outed.

UPDATE: Yes, the sponsor was HTFU. CEO/founder Mark Gingrich has sent Hawn a new check for the $1,500 he owed him. If you want to read Gingrich’s side of the story — which includes accusations that Hawn didn’t fulfill all of his sponsorship obligations — click here.

Dong Hyun Kim Speaks Out on the Disadvantages Asian Fighters Face in the UFC


(“…and don’t even get me started about these goddamned Diaz brothers.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle)

By George Shunick

With a few notable exceptions like Dong Hyun Kim and Yushin Okami, Asian MMA fighters have struggled to live up to expectations while fighting in the UFC. While there are plenty of explanations for this, it appears the UFC doesn’t do these fighters any favors. In a recent interview, Dong Hyun Kim enumerated some of the issues faced by Asian fighters that are compounded by the UFC’s policies. Kim’s comments were translated by Sherdog user Hufusopem, and touch on a number of concerns, including sponsorship issues and traveling fees.

According to Kim, “no matter how ‘fair’ the UFC is, the Asian fighters especially Korean fighters are automatically at a disadvantage. Even right before my fight with Demian [Maia] my airplane ticket cost after getting discounts, was 1,100 dollars (Not to add in me paying for my teammates and coaches to accompany me). And on top of that, it is ludicrously expensive to get ready to train and get a training camp in the US before your fights.”

$1,100, before adding in teammates and coaches?? That’s a lot to ask of a fighter. Particularly if that fighter, unlike Kim, isn’t an established star. He continues, “It’s ultimately very hard to be a UFC fighter. If you go to America, there are a lot of fighters who are barely eeking by financially. I see some fighters who have fights a few days away doing personal training. A lot of that has to do with the UFC being too stingy about sponsorships. Also because of UFC’s policies it is really hard to get sponsors for a lot of fighters… If you pay off the training camp and your coaches you honestly don’t have much left. Ultimately, you only have one maybe two opportunities to make it big. In MMA anyone can lose and when you do lose you go instantly to the back of the line.”


(“…and don’t even get me started about these goddamned Diaz brothers.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle)

By George Shunick

With a few notable exceptions like Dong Hyun Kim and Yushin Okami, Asian MMA fighters have struggled to live up to expectations while fighting in the UFC. While there are plenty of explanations for this, it appears the UFC doesn’t do these fighters any favors. In a recent interview, Dong Hyun Kim enumerated some of the issues faced by Asian fighters that are compounded by the UFC’s policies. Kim’s comments were translated by Sherdog user Hufusopem, and touch on a number of concerns, including sponsorship issues and traveling fees.

According to Kim, “no matter how ‘fair’ the UFC is, the Asian fighters especially Korean fighters are automatically at a disadvantage. Even right before my fight with Demian [Maia] my airplane ticket cost after getting discounts, was 1,100 dollars (Not to add in me paying for my teammates and coaches to accompany me). And on top of that, it is ludicrously expensive to get ready to train and get a training camp in the US before your fights.”

$1,100, before adding in teammates and coaches?? That’s a lot to ask of a fighter. Particularly if that fighter, unlike Kim, isn’t an established star. He continues, “It’s ultimately very hard to be a UFC fighter. If you go to America, there are a lot of fighters who are barely eeking by financially. I see some fighters who have fights a few days away doing personal training. A lot of that has to do with the UFC being too stingy about sponsorships. Also because of UFC’s policies it is really hard to get sponsors for a lot of fighters… If you pay off the training camp and your coaches you honestly don’t have much left. Ultimately, you only have one maybe two opportunities to make it big. In MMA anyone can lose and when you do lose you go instantly to the back of the line.”

Kim raises an important point regarding fighter pay — a lot of their profits come from sponsorships, which often exceed the amount they earn from actually fighting. Fighters are in a bad position regarding sponsorships already, due to the poor economy. But when you add in the fact that the UFC charges some companies $100,000 annually for sponsorships — and reportedly charged Full Tilt Poker over $1 million for sponsoring multiple fighters — it makes companies exceedingly hesitant to invest in fighters, especially lower-profile fighters who compete on undercards. And, of course, the UFC can prohibit certain companies from sponsoring fighters with or without a reason.

All of which is to say that the UFC’s sponsorship policies are actively harmful to fighters’ financial well-being. For Asian fighters, this issue is compounded by the fact that they incur certain expenses that other fighters don’t. However, to be fair, some of these costs are the byproduct of atypical procedures that Asian fighters must undertake. Kim’s manager Brian Rhee — user name binjin — proceeded to clarify some of Kim’s remarks:

“The UFC DOES pay for airfare and hotel for the fighter + 1. However, for fighters from Korea, we have to come in at least 10 days early (2 weeks is better) in order to get used to the time difference. The UFC tickets flights (and books the hotel) for 4 or 5 days before the fight. So, the fighters from Korea (and other foreign countries) have to pay the difference in fares and the extra days for room and board.

If you assume that a fighter is going to bring, at least, their coach and a sparring partner (for KTT, they bring me as well), that means the fighter is paying for 2 extra plane tickets (usually between $1200-2000 RT from Seoul). Add in 5 or 6 days of room and board for 4-5 guys and it starts to add up! Then take out US federal and state taxes, then the guys get taxed again in Korea. Subtract paying the fees to the coach and sparring partner… and what’s the fighter left with? Unless they get a bonus (or two), or are making a really good base pay, not much.

If you think about the fact that [Korean Zombie] (before the Poirier fight) was making $6,000 as base pay, then you’ll realize that for a lot of our fights in the US, we end up losing money. But, the fighters do it hoping to build up to bigger paydays and more sponsor money.

I think the $1,100 that Stun Gun mentioned was probably the difference in fares. The UFC pays for the basic fare, but if you decide to change your travel dates, the fighter is responsible for paying the difference.

A lot of people say it’s the same for all foreign fighters, not just Asians, but the main difference is that for South American fighters there is little/no time difference. For European fighters, the time adjustment is easier because there isn’t as much of a time difference to begin with AND it’s harder to adjust to travelling east, as opposed to west. I don’t know why that is, but it’s definitely different. We have a hard time when going from Asia to the US, but coming from the US to Asia is not as hard (same for Europe to the US).

I would honestly say that I doubt KZ would have been able to win any of his fights if he came to the US on the pre-determined date (i.e. If we didn’t come in at least 10 days early). I’ve seen the fighters on the 4-5 day in the US and there’s no way that they could compete at top form at that point. But, who knows, maybe our guys just suffer from jetlag worse than everyone else. (?)”

So basically, Asian fighters can choose to either suffer a fiscal disadvantage or a competitive disadvantage. As fighters, obviously they choose the fiscal disadvantage. As a company, the UFC should be obligated to ensure that fighters don’t have to make that choice. Sure, if Asian fighters choose to spend more days in a hotel room, perhaps they should pay for the difference. But charging them for taking a plane on a different date? Seriously? That’s bush league from an organization that should be beyond that at this point.

Fighters face enough obstacles as it is to be successful professionally and financially. They don’t need their well-being compounded by oppressive sponsorship policies and additional fees, especially when they are in the infancy of their careers. The UFC is morphing into a major sports corporation, and while many of their policies reflect this, there are still some that need adjustments. There is no excuse for the draconian sponsorship regulations and fees. And the UFC is obligated to acknowledge the inherent disadvantages faced by Asian fighters and do something to address them.

Kim has taken a serious risk in speaking out against these issues, and could suffer serious repercussions from the UFC. (Speaking of which, maybe it’s about time the UFC instituted a code of conduct so fighters actually know what they can be penalized for. Right, Miguel Torres?) Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that this risk will yield any rewards. If fighters want to see real change on any of these fronts, particularly fighters who don’t possess name recognition, then they are going to have to unionize. But as long as things remain as they are, when sponsors face enormous obstacles to supporting fighters and the UFC can cut anyone for any reason, it’s not just Asian fighters who will be at an economic disadvantage — it’s all fighters.