Tag: Reebok deal

The Top 10 WTF?! Moments From Today’s #UFCFightKit Unveiling Ceremony

If you’re a big follower of MMA personalities on the social medias, you might’ve gotten wind of something called #UFCFightKit earlier today, which rang in the official unveiling of the Reebok’s UFC fighter uniforms (or “kits”). The ceremony — which kicked off in NYC just 20 minutes past its 10 am-scheduled time — was of what we’ve come to expect from the UFC’s “style over substance”-themed press events: A hysterically inept series of flubs that managed to both hyperstimulate and underwhelm at every conceivable turn.

Truthfully, the only enjoyment anyone has been able to scrape out of the whole ordeal has come via the brutal mocking the event has received on said social medias, so join after the jump to check out all the highlights (if you can call them that) from this morning’s ceremony. In keeping with the UFC’s way of doing things, this list will neither be 10 items long nor adhere to any numerical system.

The post The Top 10 WTF?! Moments From Today’s #UFCFightKit Unveiling Ceremony appeared first on Cagepotato.

If you’re a big follower of MMA personalities on the social medias, you might’ve gotten wind of something called #UFCFightKit earlier today, which rang in the official unveiling of the Reebok’s UFC fighter uniforms (or “kits”). The ceremony — which kicked off in NYC just 20 minutes past its 10 am-scheduled time — was of what we’ve come to expect from the UFC’s “style over substance”-themed press events: A hysterically inept series of flubs that managed to both hyperstimulate and underwhelm at every conceivable turn.

Truthfully, the only enjoyment anyone has been able to scrape out of the whole ordeal has come via the brutal mocking the event has received on said social medias, so join after the jump to check out all the highlights (if you can call them that) from this morning’s ceremony. In keeping with the UFC’s way of doing things, this list will neither be 10 items long nor adhere to any numerical system.

10: The Music

While we are eternally grateful that the UFC had the nu-ance to pass on the nu-metal (I’m sorry) stylings of STEMM for today’s event, what we were given in its place was something arguably worse: Overbearing, wub-wub-laden dubstep. Or maybe it was trap. I honestly have no idea.

Look, the UFC’s fanbase is already widely-perceived as musclehead, skull t-shirt clad dudebros who can barely make it through a PPV without destroying a Buffalo Wild Wings, so can we please not add these kind of douchebags to the equation? What’s so wrong with Soundgarden, is I guess what I’m saying.

Ironically enough, it wasn’t until today’s launch that I realized “Watch you rise, watch you fall, now I’m about to break” perfectly describes the journey of a UFC fan over the past 5 years.

9: The Lighting (Or Lack Thereof) 

I will never claim to be the authority on fashion, fashion shows, or any season of America’s Next Top Model (barring season 2, obvi), but when you’re holding a lavish ceremony to show off your “game-changing” and other buzzwordy uniforms, shouldn’t you actually be able to see said uniforms? Or the fighters wearing them? That photo up there? The brightest it ever was during the ceremony.

For the most part, fighters entered in complete darkness, with only the occasional laser or strobe light to lead the way. It was…confusing from a focal standpoint. The entire unveiling looked like it was shot in the same basement wherein Wanderlei Silva documents his slow spiral into schizophrenia.

(That’s Rory MacDonald in the second photo, BTW, perhaps the only fighter at the ceremony who was accustomed to lifelessly standing around in the dark.)

7.5: The Voice

As if hearing the phrase “UFC Fight Kit” repeated ad nauseum by a robotic, overly-reverbed and oddly threatening voice (while the same 30-second dubstep tracked played on loop) wasn’t off-putting enough , it would’ve helped if the UFC/Reebok had hired a voiceover guy who knew how to pronounce the actual fighters names. “Cai-yeen Velasqwez”, “Alexander Goose-stuffson”, and “Fabricio Ver-dumm” were just a few choice selections that this demon-infested Speak-n-Spell spat out.

Eleventeen: This Camera Angle

Because nothing says “passionate” and “prepared” quite like repeatedly cutting to a shot of your presenters AS THEY READ OFF A TELEPROMPTER.

Come on, you guys! You’re not even trying!!

@!$: This Lady. This Poor, Poor lady.

It’s probably hard enough to go up in front of a room full of of journalists (as well as the hundreds of thousands of tens of people watching online) and act as if adding mesh to a t-shirt is the next evolutionary step of our species, but to send a heavily-accented German woman who probably wouldn’t know what MMA was if I told her I covered it for a living? That’s just cruel, son.

I’m sure Ms. Werkle is a lovely woman, and she was never short on enthusiasm throughout her presentation, but she also seemed to have no clue who the fighters she was speaking to even were.

“What happened to your arm?” she asked Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who calmly explained that she got it defending her title all of 8 days ago.

“What are you up to in the next 2 weeks? Are you training?” she asked Cain Velasquez, who just lost his title all of 17 days ago.

She almost got kicked in the head by Conor McGregor. The whole thing was hilarious.

6 x 3 (2w + 8): The Uniforms Themselves

I’ll give Reebok this, they seemed to put a lot of thought into the bra technology of the women’s uniforms, as explained by a painfully awkward exchange between Werkle and Ronda Rousey late in the ceremony, but the men’s kits?

“I dunno, bro, maybe just add some more slanted stripes and call it a day.” — Reebok design team

I’m not saying the UFC’s uniforms had to contain Aoki-esque levels of eye factor — and how could you expect that from a company uniform, really? — but this looks like an NBA warm-up shirt over a pair of bleached jorts. Highly customizable? I think not. “Allow for individualism“? Not so much.

#Pineapple: The Prices

95 DOLLARS? FOR A HERNANI PERPETUO REPLICA “JERSEY”? WHAT THE FUCK’S A HERNANI PERPETUO?!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I know what you’re thinking, “But a football jersey costs around that much, you biased, UFC h8r non-journalisty subjective a-hole!!” To which I say: True, but I don’t recall any Tom Brady jerseys with giant “N–F–L” letters plastered across the front flying off the shelves. That’s because they don’t exist. That’s because uniforms are supposed to be representative of the player/team, not the corporation that owns them. Because fans are interested more in the players than the brand they are (unwillingly) bound to.

The UFC brought in 20 or more off its biggest talents, then proceeded to have them stand in the darkness like creepy living mannequins while strobe lights lit up their UFC-branded torsos and nothing else. If that doesn’t tell you who the UFC really values first and foremost, I don’t know what does.

Too: The Ending

No music. No lights. Barely an applause. Werkle stumbles through a recap of the pillars of fighter uniforms and then, darkness. Not unlike the darkness left in my soul after realizing that I actually wasted an hour of my life watching this, and now double that writing this article…

God, why have you forsaken me? Why have you given me a voice, then forced me to waste it covering this tripe? Is it because I hit that hobo with my car when I was 18 and drove off without checking on him? Or because I killed my twin brother in the womb? Because if you think about it, that second one was more your fault than mine — you knew damn well that there wasn’t enough room in there for the both of us, yet you allowed it to happen. Created in your image, I was, and now forever destined to spend my life toiling away in a Sisyphean hellscape only occasionally punctuated by bouts of LCD-induced levity. I renounce your name, lord and savior. I renounce your name.

1: GIBLERT. MELENDEZ. 

As many on social media have been quick to point out, the website in which fans can purchase these bland, insanely-overpriced uniforms is already fraught with errors. From Marcio Lyoto Machida to Jacare “Ronaldo” Souza, the general lack of spellchecking out of the gate by Reebok is really something to behold, but none have given us more of a chuckle than that of former Strikeforce lightweight champion and UFC title challenger Giblert Melendez.

It’s a small mistake, really, but Twitter’s reaction to it has been nothing short of gold. Giblert’s already received his own handle, and is really looking forward to his fight against La Iaquinta on Jluy 15th. Other notable zingers included:

Congrats on another home run of a press conference, UFC, and don’t let the fact that next to no fighters are voicing their support for these uniforms online dissuade you from plowing ahead with this poorly-conceived endeavor. Like it ever has, amiright?! Up top!!

The post The Top 10 WTF?! Moments From Today’s #UFCFightKit Unveiling Ceremony appeared first on Cagepotato.

CagePotato Open Discussion: With the Reebok Deal a Bust, Where Do We Go From Here?


(If you’re the UFC, I guess the answer is “Not for your fighters.” HI-OH!)

By David Golden

A week has passed since the pay structure of the UFC’s exclusive Reebok sponsorship was made public, and the immediate reaction to the deal from both fighters and fans seems to be…let’s say less than positive. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub were among the vocal minority who seemed completely shocked by the figures, and it’s easy to see why. The structure of the deal effectively turns off an important revenue stream for many fighters and gives them a stipend that is predetermined and minimally effective in many cases. Making matters worse, outside brands have not only been banned as sponsors from UFC events but will no longer be able to participate as vendors at UFC fan expos.

This might have been the saving grace for some fighters hoping to bring in additional income, but that outlet has also been blocked. There has been talk of some secondary sponsorship coming some time down the road but all signs point to that being controlled by the UFC as well. If there isn’t an opportunity for fighters to source their own sponsorship or at least make the money they believe they are worth, then this deal could turn out to be disastrous for the UFC.

The post CagePotato Open Discussion: With the Reebok Deal a Bust, Where Do We Go From Here? appeared first on Cagepotato.


(If you’re the UFC, I guess the answer is “Not for your fighters.” HI-OH!)

By David Golden

A week has passed since the pay structure of the UFC’s exclusive Reebok sponsorship was made public, and the immediate reaction to the deal from both fighters and fans seems to be…let’s say less than positive. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub were among the vocal minority who seemed completely shocked by the figures, and it’s easy to see why. The structure of the deal effectively turns off an important revenue stream for many fighters and gives them a stipend that is predetermined and minimally effective in many cases. Making matters worse, outside brands have not only been banned as sponsors from UFC events but will no longer be able to participate as vendors at UFC fan expos.

This might have been the saving grace for some fighters hoping to bring in additional income, but that outlet has also been blocked. There has been talk of some secondary sponsorship coming some time down the road but all signs point to that being controlled by the UFC as well. If there isn’t an opportunity for fighters to source their own sponsorship or at least make the money they believe they are worth, then this deal could turn out to be disastrous for the UFC.

Let’s look at the numbers:

* 1 to 5 UFC bouts – $2,500 per fight

* 6 to 10 UFC bouts – $5,000 per fight

* 11 to 15 UFC bouts – $10,000 per fight

* 16 to 20 UFC bouts – $15,000 per fight

* 21 UFC bouts and above – $20,000 per fight

* UFC Title Challengers – $30,000

* UFC Champions – $40,000

This structure rewards fighters who have managed to maintain a career in the UFC for an extended period of time but does not take into consideration the revenue fighters had been making from sponsorships prior to the Reebok deal. Add to that the popularity and star power of some fighters compared to others, and it effectively devalues many of the athletes competing in the UFC. A prime example of this would be fast rising superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor has only five fights with the UFC but has proven to be one of the organization’s biggest stars. He could benefit greatly from being able to have his management find better deals for him away from Reebok but that is no longer an option under the terms of the new sponsorship contract.

Additionally, the likelihood of a fighter making it 20+ fights with the UFC is slim; not even Anderson Silva, who has fought for the UFC since June of 2006 has cracked the twenty-fight mark. This system is flawed and UFC officials know it. Unfortunately, the deal is done and with no fighters union to represent the athletes, this puts the onus square on the shoulders of those who made the deal.

Maybe this deal was made in haste? Did Reebok come to the UFC with this amazing idea and sweep Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta off their alligator-covered feet? Maybe. But that doesn’t excuse the complete and utter lack of freedom fighters have been given as a result of this deal. Without allowing the fighters to offer input on the current financial value of sponsorships, it makes it seem like there is something they (and we) aren’t being told. During a conference call with select media members last week, UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC President Dana White, and UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein made the point explicitly; the total value of this deal would be going directly to the fighters less the direct cost of running the program. But that statement was almost immediately proved false once the figures were released. As BloodyElbow previously pointed out:

The new figures only total up to about $7.5 million a year of the reported $70 million/6 year Reebok deal initially announced back in December, figuring for 20 title fights a year. That’s a lot less than it seems like the annual numbers should shake out to.

The UFC is a privately owned company and as a result, ownership has no reason to be anything but completely tight-lipped with regard to their finances, and the likelihood is things aren’t going to get any less opaque in the future.

The question is, does this exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok have to end as poorly as it started? When Dana White talks about the mainstream acceptance of the UFC, he has often made the point that he wants to see it grow to the heights of the NFL or the NBA. If that is true, there is one thing White and his cohorts might consider doing which would be tremendously profitable for the athletes of the UFC.

The NFL has an exclusive uniform deal with Nike and the NBA has a deal with Adidas. However, the athletes in both of these leagues are allowed to have individual shoe contracts. These shoe contracts have become such big business that some players in the NBA are signing shoe deals that dwarf their game checks. Maybe a shoe deal with the UFC isn’t the best option, seeing as how Reebok is a shoe company, but why not allow UFC fighters to find their own glove sponsors? This doesn’t mean the sponsor has to make the glove — there are obviously regulations that must be met with regard to gloves and that would take precedence — but the sponsor’s logo could just replace the current boldly stamped UFC that adorns the gloves used in the Octagon now. This wouldn’t interfere with Reebok as they do not make fight gloves, and would allow the fighters the freedom to bring in an additional revenue stream, which many of them rely on.

Let’s look at some more numbers:

* Chris Paul – $4 million

* Blake Griffin – $6 million

* Dwight Howard – $6 million

* Carmelo Anthony – $9 million

* Derrick Rose – $21 million

* Kobe Bryant – $34 million

* Lebron James – $42 million

According to Forbes 2014 top ten list

These figures show what some of the top NBA players can pull down with shoe deal in a single year. While no UFC fighter will be pulling in bags of cash this large, that doesn’t mean that they can’t use the representation a company is offering. In the NBA, there can be anywhere from 360 to 450 active players in the league at a given time. A report from USA Today Sports showed that in August of 2014, there were 440 players who had brand support from footwear companies. That accounts for nearly every active player in the league at that time. This shows that there is a realistic chance for the UFC roster to find similar success. This sponsorship wouldn’t solve all the problems but it would certainly go a long way in showing the athletes that they still have other options in the sponsorship game.

As time passes, this deal will most certainly evolve and hopefully grow into a successful partnership for the UFC, Reebok and the UFC’s athletes. As it stands now, fighters are growing more vocal in their stance on the deal, be it supportive or unsupportive. Reebok is well aware of the reaction by fans and fighters over the announcement of the payout scale. It is hard to imagine that Reebok will sit by idly and allow a deal of this magnitude to fall apart before it truly gets moving. This deal is effectively acting as a pivot point for the world of MMA as we currently know it. Fighters from across the globe are waiting to see what the UFC does to adjust this situation while creating a more profitable world for the athletes.

If changes aren’t made swiftly, there is a chance that free agent fighters might not sign with the UFC and instead opt to sign with another company that is still allowing fighters to seek their own sponsorships. Take Olympic hopeful and recent Bellator signee Ed Ruth, for example, who has already spoken out against the tiered system the UFC is now offering. So now we sit at a crossroad of sorts waiting to see just what happens next. Is this the final straw that pushes fighters to unionize? Do Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White have something up their sleeves? For now the mixed martial arts community waits on bated breath, hoping the next step is the one that fixes this oddly complex broken mess.

But what do you think, Nation? How could we go about fixing the current Reebok setup? Can we fix it at all? Discuss in the comments section. 

The post CagePotato Open Discussion: With the Reebok Deal a Bust, Where Do We Go From Here? appeared first on Cagepotato.

CagePotato Open Discussion: With the Reebok Deal a Bust, Where Do We Go From Here?


(If you’re the UFC, I guess the answer is “Not for your fighters.” HI-OH!)

By David Golden

A week has passed since the pay structure of the UFC’s exclusive Reebok sponsorship was made public, and the immediate reaction to the deal from both fighters and fans seems to be…let’s say less than positive. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub were among the vocal minority who seemed completely shocked by the figures, and it’s easy to see why. The structure of the deal effectively turns off an important revenue stream for many fighters and gives them a stipend that is predetermined and minimally effective in many cases. Making matters worse, outside brands have not only been banned as sponsors from UFC events but will no longer be able to participate as vendors at UFC fan expos.

This might have been the saving grace for some fighters hoping to bring in additional income, but that outlet has also been blocked. There has been talk of some secondary sponsorship coming some time down the road but all signs point to that being controlled by the UFC as well. If there isn’t an opportunity for fighters to source their own sponsorship or at least make the money they believe they are worth, then this deal could turn out to be disastrous for the UFC.

The post CagePotato Open Discussion: With the Reebok Deal a Bust, Where Do We Go From Here? appeared first on Cagepotato.


(If you’re the UFC, I guess the answer is “Not for your fighters.” HI-OH!)

By David Golden

A week has passed since the pay structure of the UFC’s exclusive Reebok sponsorship was made public, and the immediate reaction to the deal from both fighters and fans seems to be…let’s say less than positive. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub were among the vocal minority who seemed completely shocked by the figures, and it’s easy to see why. The structure of the deal effectively turns off an important revenue stream for many fighters and gives them a stipend that is predetermined and minimally effective in many cases. Making matters worse, outside brands have not only been banned as sponsors from UFC events but will no longer be able to participate as vendors at UFC fan expos.

This might have been the saving grace for some fighters hoping to bring in additional income, but that outlet has also been blocked. There has been talk of some secondary sponsorship coming some time down the road but all signs point to that being controlled by the UFC as well. If there isn’t an opportunity for fighters to source their own sponsorship or at least make the money they believe they are worth, then this deal could turn out to be disastrous for the UFC.

Let’s look at the numbers:

* 1 to 5 UFC bouts – $2,500 per fight

* 6 to 10 UFC bouts – $5,000 per fight

* 11 to 15 UFC bouts – $10,000 per fight

* 16 to 20 UFC bouts – $15,000 per fight

* 21 UFC bouts and above – $20,000 per fight

* UFC Title Challengers – $30,000

* UFC Champions – $40,000

This structure rewards fighters who have managed to maintain a career in the UFC for an extended period of time but does not take into consideration the revenue fighters had been making from sponsorships prior to the Reebok deal. Add to that the popularity and star power of some fighters compared to others, and it effectively devalues many of the athletes competing in the UFC. A prime example of this would be fast rising superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor has only five fights with the UFC but has proven to be one of the organization’s biggest stars. He could benefit greatly from being able to have his management find better deals for him away from Reebok but that is no longer an option under the terms of the new sponsorship contract.

Additionally, the likelihood of a fighter making it 20+ fights with the UFC is slim; not even Anderson Silva, who has fought for the UFC since June of 2006 has cracked the twenty-fight mark. This system is flawed and UFC officials know it. Unfortunately, the deal is done and with no fighters union to represent the athletes, this puts the onus square on the shoulders of those who made the deal.

Maybe this deal was made in haste? Did Reebok come to the UFC with this amazing idea and sweep Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta off their alligator-covered feet? Maybe. But that doesn’t excuse the complete and utter lack of freedom fighters have been given as a result of this deal. Without allowing the fighters to offer input on the current financial value of sponsorships, it makes it seem like there is something they (and we) aren’t being told. During a conference call with select media members last week, UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC President Dana White, and UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein made the point explicitly; the total value of this deal would be going directly to the fighters less the direct cost of running the program. But that statement was almost immediately proved false once the figures were released. As BloodyElbow previously pointed out:

The new figures only total up to about $7.5 million a year of the reported $70 million/6 year Reebok deal initially announced back in December, figuring for 20 title fights a year. That’s a lot less than it seems like the annual numbers should shake out to.

The UFC is a privately owned company and as a result, ownership has no reason to be anything but completely tight-lipped with regard to their finances, and the likelihood is things aren’t going to get any less opaque in the future.

The question is, does this exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok have to end as poorly as it started? When Dana White talks about the mainstream acceptance of the UFC, he has often made the point that he wants to see it grow to the heights of the NFL or the NBA. If that is true, there is one thing White and his cohorts might consider doing which would be tremendously profitable for the athletes of the UFC.

The NFL has an exclusive uniform deal with Nike and the NBA has a deal with Adidas. However, the athletes in both of these leagues are allowed to have individual shoe contracts. These shoe contracts have become such big business that some players in the NBA are signing shoe deals that dwarf their game checks. Maybe a shoe deal with the UFC isn’t the best option, seeing as how Reebok is a shoe company, but why not allow UFC fighters to find their own glove sponsors? This doesn’t mean the sponsor has to make the glove — there are obviously regulations that must be met with regard to gloves and that would take precedence — but the sponsor’s logo could just replace the current boldly stamped UFC that adorns the gloves used in the Octagon now. This wouldn’t interfere with Reebok as they do not make fight gloves, and would allow the fighters the freedom to bring in an additional revenue stream, which many of them rely on.

Let’s look at some more numbers:

* Chris Paul – $4 million

* Blake Griffin – $6 million

* Dwight Howard – $6 million

* Carmelo Anthony – $9 million

* Derrick Rose – $21 million

* Kobe Bryant – $34 million

* Lebron James – $42 million

According to Forbes 2014 top ten list

These figures show what some of the top NBA players can pull down with shoe deal in a single year. While no UFC fighter will be pulling in bags of cash this large, that doesn’t mean that they can’t use the representation a company is offering. In the NBA, there can be anywhere from 360 to 450 active players in the league at a given time. A report from USA Today Sports showed that in August of 2014, there were 440 players who had brand support from footwear companies. That accounts for nearly every active player in the league at that time. This shows that there is a realistic chance for the UFC roster to find similar success. This sponsorship wouldn’t solve all the problems but it would certainly go a long way in showing the athletes that they still have other options in the sponsorship game.

As time passes, this deal will most certainly evolve and hopefully grow into a successful partnership for the UFC, Reebok and the UFC’s athletes. As it stands now, fighters are growing more vocal in their stance on the deal, be it supportive or unsupportive. Reebok is well aware of the reaction by fans and fighters over the announcement of the payout scale. It is hard to imagine that Reebok will sit by idly and allow a deal of this magnitude to fall apart before it truly gets moving. This deal is effectively acting as a pivot point for the world of MMA as we currently know it. Fighters from across the globe are waiting to see what the UFC does to adjust this situation while creating a more profitable world for the athletes.

If changes aren’t made swiftly, there is a chance that free agent fighters might not sign with the UFC and instead opt to sign with another company that is still allowing fighters to seek their own sponsorships. Take Olympic hopeful and recent Bellator signee Ed Ruth, for example, who has already spoken out against the tiered system the UFC is now offering. So now we sit at a crossroad of sorts waiting to see just what happens next. Is this the final straw that pushes fighters to unionize? Do Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White have something up their sleeves? For now the mixed martial arts community waits on bated breath, hoping the next step is the one that fixes this oddly complex broken mess.

But what do you think, Nation? How could we go about fixing the current Reebok setup? Can we fix it at all? Discuss in the comments section. 

The post CagePotato Open Discussion: With the Reebok Deal a Bust, Where Do We Go From Here? appeared first on Cagepotato.

Friday Link Dump: Pettis Sidelined Again, Fighters React to Reebok Deal, Funniest Help Wanted Signs + More

(Video footage of Albuquerque PD searching Jon Jones’ car. The pipe is to be expected, but the “sh*tload of condoms”? Priceless.)

–Anthony Pettis Injures Elbow, Tentatively Scheduled to be Sidelined for Four-to-Six Months Following Surgery (MMAFighting)

–Edson Barboza Steps in for Anthony Pettis to Fight Myles Jury at UFC on FOX 16 (MMAMania)

–Fighters Respond to the Official UFC Reebok Payscale on Twitter (BloodyElbow)

–As Gripes over UFC Outfitting Deal Pile Up, Will Backlash Be More Than Words? (Bleacher Report)

–10 Reasons to Watch a Rare MMA Co-Promotion and Some UFC fights This Weekend (MMAJunkie)

–Matt Brown: “I Don’t Really Wish Anything Good for Jon Jones at This Point.” (FoxSports)

–Honest Trailers – Fifty Shades of Grey (100th Episode!) (Screen Junkies)

–Know Your 2016 Presidential Candidate: Ben Carson (Every Joe)

–Hot Girls and Tattoos – All The Girls Mom Warned You About (Radass)

–The 20 Funniest Help Wanted Signs (World Wide Interweb)

–8 Weird Simulation Games that Actually Exist (Escapist)

The post Friday Link Dump: Pettis Sidelined Again, Fighters React to Reebok Deal, Funniest Help Wanted Signs + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Video footage of Albuquerque PD searching Jon Jones’ car. The pipe is to be expected, but the “sh*tload of condoms”? Priceless.)

–Anthony Pettis Injures Elbow, Tentatively Scheduled to be Sidelined for Four-to-Six Months Following Surgery (MMAFighting)

–Edson Barboza Steps in for Anthony Pettis to Fight Myles Jury at UFC on FOX 16 (MMAMania)

–Fighters Respond to the Official UFC Reebok Payscale on Twitter (BloodyElbow)

–As Gripes over UFC Outfitting Deal Pile Up, Will Backlash Be More Than Words? (Bleacher Report)

–10 Reasons to Watch a Rare MMA Co-Promotion and Some UFC fights This Weekend (MMAJunkie)

–Matt Brown: “I Don’t Really Wish Anything Good for Jon Jones at This Point.” (FoxSports)

–Honest Trailers – Fifty Shades of Grey (100th Episode!) (Screen Junkies)

–Know Your 2016 Presidential Candidate: Ben Carson (Every Joe)

–Hot Girls and Tattoos – All The Girls Mom Warned You About (Radass)

–The 20 Funniest Help Wanted Signs (World Wide Interweb)

–8 Weird Simulation Games that Actually Exist (Escapist)

The post Friday Link Dump: Pettis Sidelined Again, Fighters React to Reebok Deal, Funniest Help Wanted Signs + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

The New Reebok Fighter Payout Structure Has Been Revealed and Boy Is It Something


(To put the Reebok deal in terms Jon Jones might understand, he just went from being able to total a Lexus per fight to only a pre-owned Acura per fight.)

Late last year, it was announced that the UFC had inked a 6 year/$70 million exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok that would not only change how its fighters presented themselves, but how they could obtain sponsors moving forward as well. Gone were the days wherein a fighter/manager could secure as many (pre-approved) sponsors as possible per fight, and in its place was a tiered system dependent solely on the opinions of a group of “experts” who quite literally could not be less informed.

As has become the case with most of the UFC’s newly-instigated policies, it took a couple tries before the world’s premiere fight organization was able to get it (mostly) right. So the rankings-based payout system was scrapped in favor of a structure that “rewarded” fighters with bigger cuts of the action based on the number of fights they had while competing under the Zuffa-owned Strikeforce, WEC, and UFC.

Earlier today, UFC fighter Cody Gibson tweeted an image of the new payout system which goes into effect on July 6th. And boy is it something.

The post The New Reebok Fighter Payout Structure Has Been Revealed and Boy Is It Something appeared first on Cagepotato.


(To put the Reebok deal in terms Jon Jones might understand, he just went from being able to total a Lexus per fight to only a pre-owned Acura per fight.)

Late last year, it was announced that the UFC had inked a 6 year/$70 million exclusive sponsorship deal with Reebok that would not only change how its fighters presented themselves, but how they could obtain sponsors moving forward as well. Gone were the days wherein a fighter/manager could secure as many (pre-approved) sponsors as possible per fight, and in its place was a tiered system dependent solely on the opinions of a group of “experts” who quite literally could not be less informed.

As has become the case with most of the UFC’s newly-instigated policies, it took a couple tries before the world’s premiere fight organization was able to get it (mostly) right. So the rankings-based payout system was scrapped in favor of a structure that “rewarded” fighters with bigger cuts of the action based on the number of fights they had while competing under the Zuffa-owned Strikeforce, WEC, and UFC.

Earlier today, UFC fighter Cody Gibson tweeted an image of the new payout system which goes into effect on July 6th. And boy is it something.

So um….yeah.

As Gibson stated, the only people the Reebok deal does seem to benefit are the lowest tier of fighters, most of whom have/had trouble finding sponsors due to their lack of name power. So good for them.

For everyone else, however, it’s hard not to see this new structure — infinitely superior to the previous one as it may be — as anything other than a total screwjob. Twenty-thousand dollars for a 20-fight veteran? Is that some kind of joke? Seeing someone make it 10 fights in the UFC is downright inspiring, but finding a 20-fight UFC veteran who currently *isn’t* riding a losing streak and giving them that chump change is like finding a unicorn and using its horn as a hatrack, to quote a more eloquent man than myself.

Look, I don’t want to leap to any ill-informed conclusions here, but how are guys like Eddie Alvarez (1 UFC fight) going to take this massive cut in pay? Established fighters like Carlos Condit (15 UFC/WEC fights) and Brendan Schaub (11 UFC fights) all the way to middle-of-the-packers like Luke Barnatt (5 UFC fights) have publicly admitted to making upwards of 70k a fight before in sponsorship money, and now they’ll be making 40k at best?

Now, it is worth mentioning that these figures are apparently “minimums” that will hopefully increase should the UFC find other sponsors (*makes wanking motion with hand*), but just look at Zane Simon’s breakdown of things:

Interestingly, using the figures from Reed Kuhn’s FightNomics Blog (which show that about 61% of the UFC roster falls into the lowest sponsorship tier), the new figures only total up to about $7.5 million $7 million a year of the reported $70 million/6 year Reebok deal initially announced back in December, figuring for 20 title fights a year. That’s a lot less than it seems like the annual numbers should shake out to, especially when just a couple weeks ago the Boston Herald reported that the tiers were expected to pay out along the following lines:

0-5 fights: $5,000
6-10 Fights: $8,000-$10,000
11-15 Fights: $12,000-$15,000
16-20 Fights: $18,000-$20,000

So, to summarize: This deal is garbage. It has always been garbage. Everyone from the media to the fighters themselves know its garbage. But because we are all garbage people with garbage spines, we will continue to let these kinds of garbage policies go by unchecked out of the fear that we will lose our garbage jobs.

Welcome to the show, everyone.

The post The New Reebok Fighter Payout Structure Has Been Revealed and Boy Is It Something appeared first on Cagepotato.

[VIDEO] Wanderlei Silva Offers to Sponsor Fighters Passed Over By Reebok Deal via Social Media

Wanderlei Silva may not be the hero MMA wants right now, but dammit, he’s the hero it needs.

While the sketchy stipulations surrounding his departure from the sport have been well documented, there’s no denying that he has made some thoughtful, not to mention passionate points about issues like fighter pay and treatment in the time since. You might say he’s a phoenix of sorts, rising from the possibly enhanced ashes of his former self to become the symbol of a movement that MMA is in dire need of.

Take his latest video, for instance, wherein he continues his crusade for better fighter pay by breaking down the much talked about Reebok deal. Although Wandy seems cautiously optimistic that the deal might very well be a sign that the UFC is finally starting to heed his cries, he also is aware how badly the deal will screw over up and coming fighters without any real name recognition. To help combat this, Silva has offered to sponsor said screwed-over fighters via his social media:

What can a young fighter offer to his sponsors, if not the space on their shorts? To help, I am giving space on all my social media, which reaches millions of people. Show your sponsors and I will post it to my friends. That way you can offer a lot more exposure to your sponsors and even get new ones. And I want to ask the other fighters, our icons in the sport. It’s the minimum we can do and for me it’s a pleasure to help the next generation. I know what a fighter goes through until he can make a name for himself.

Wanderlei Silva may not be the hero MMA wants right now, but dammit, he’s the hero it needs.

While the sketchy stipulations surrounding his departure from the sport have been well documented, there’s no denying that he has made some thoughtful, not to mention passionate points about issues like fighter pay and treatment in the time since. You might say he’s a phoenix of sorts, rising from the possibly enhanced ashes of his former self to become the symbol of a movement that MMA is in dire need of.

Take his latest video, for instance, wherein he continues his crusade for better fighter pay by breaking down the much talked about Reebok deal. Although Wandy seems cautiously optimistic that the deal might very well be a sign that the UFC is finally starting to heed his cries, he also is aware how badly the deal will screw over up and coming fighters without any real name recognition. To help combat this, Silva has offered to sponsor said screwed-over fighters via his social media:

What can a young fighter offer to his sponsors, if not the space on their shorts? To help, I am giving space on all my social media, which reaches millions of people. Show your sponsors and I will post it to my friends. That way you can offer a lot more exposure to your sponsors and even get new ones. And I want to ask the other fighters, our icons in the sport. It’s the minimum we can do and for me it’s a pleasure to help the next generation. I know what a fighter goes through until he can make a name for himself.

Additionally, Wanderlei called for other top fighters and “icons in the sport” to offer the same kindness to younger fighters, stating “it’s the minimum we can do.”

As we’ve already discussed, the terms of the Reebok deal — where fighters in the top 15 of each class receive compensation according to where they are ranked by so-called “expert panelists” — seem to be grounded in a conflict of interest that is wide open for corruption. While we’ll have to wait and see the actual dollars and cents before we pass a total judgement, it’s nothing short of inspiring to see Wanderlei take such a hands-on approach to ensuring that the little guy is looked out for. He’s quite literally putting his money where his mouth is, which is more than we’ve been able to say about “The Axe Murderer” in some time.

Think about this for a second: Less than six months ago, Wanderlei Silva was a drug test-dodging social pariah who was treated like an outcast in his own country. The good will he had built as a legend of the sport had been eroded, and he seemed all but destined to toil away in the solitude of a dimly lit basement, screaming into a camera with bro-metal blasting triumphantly in the background. Now, he’s the voice of the frikin’ voiceless.

God I love the freak show that is MMA.

–J. Jones