UFC to control sponsorships with a Standard Uniform

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1959834-dana-white-ufc-working-on-deal-to-create-a-standard-ufc-uniform



LAS VEGAS—When it comes to fighter sponsorships in the UFC, the winds of change are blowing.

UFC president Dana White confirmed on Thursday that the UFC is working on a deal to create a UFC uniform.

In December, White promised that he was working on a way to fix sponsorships. On Thursday, White told Bleacher Report that the uniform was one thing he was working on to deliver on that promise, but that nothing was finalized.

"We are. We're working on it," White said. "But nothing yet."

According to multiple sources, the deal is with a major apparel company. Our sources also said the uniform will be head to toe—including fight shorts, walkout shirt and hats—and every fighter in the UFC will wear it.

Bleacher Report's sources also noted that several spaces on the shorts and shirt will be reserved for fighters and managers to sell their own sponsorships. But outside of those spots, the uniforms will consist mostly of UFC-branded product and the brand of the apparel company.

The uniform deal would seemingly benefit lower-tier preliminary fighters who have trouble selling sponsorships on their own.

White said he has heard from many of his fighters who are exhausted by the sponsorship game, specifically noting the case of Mac Danzig, who appeared at his UFC on Fox 9 bout against Joe Lauzon in December with plain-white trunks.

"It's not as big as everybody makes it out to be. Those are the guys that are making tons of money anyway, and they make big money on sponsorship," White said. "The lower level guys? They're not making a bunch from sponsorship. We just saw the thing go down with Mac Danzig. He said, 'I'm done. I don't want to deal with this anymore.'

"Do you know how many fighters call me and say they don't want to deal with sponsorships anymore? What can you do? It's not as plentiful as everybody makes it out to be."

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sport

The uniform would also help strengthen the UFC brand across its televised events; instead of an array of logos splashed across garish T-shirts and shorts, there will be a uniform look much like the one in other major sporting leagues.

It is a move that has been long predicted by pundits and those involved in the industry.

The UFC has continually attempted to inch toward becoming a mainstream sporting organization with some of the same traits as other professional sports leagues. And every other league—from the NFL and NBA to Major League Baseball and the Premier League—has its own set of uniforms, so it stands to reason that the UFC would want to capitalize on its own brand instead of allowing other companies to use the Octagon to promote competing products.

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What does this mean for fighters with major apparel deals with companies like Nike? One would assume that the apparel company that is tasked with creating these uniforms would not want the logos of its competitors appearing on the uniforms. And what about MMA-specific companies such as Bad Boy or Jaco?

It's too soon to answer many of these questions. But whenever the deal is finally finished and announced, it will immediately become one of the biggest stories of the year.


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unbelievable! this isnt about the smaller guys who make nothing. Sound like White is trying to figure out how to get more money to pay fighters. Just not money out of his pockets or the UFC's bank account

Sounds like a nonsense excuse to me.

UFC is seeking to turn guys into billboards for the UFC to sell ad space on, while at the same time further homogenizing the presentation by making all fighters look the same.

It's funny how the propagandists have used supposed sponsorship money to justify pitiful pay figures. Now, on the basis of convenience, White uses lack of sponsorship as an excuse for something like this.

Also, Zuffa is entirely and directly responsible for any difficulty in attaining sponsorships. They tax sponsors heavily, and only approved sponsors are allowed. This was put in place a couple years back or so.

i find it hilarious how he's saying fighters cant find sponsor then they have a sponsor tax running at the same time. something Bjorn Rebeney said Bellator would never have!

He's trying to justify UFC paying NOTHING with fighters being able to make twice as much on the sponsorships they can find....I.e pay the guy 6k show money and he might be able to get 4-8k sponsor money. then argue that UFC fighters are paid fairly.lol

I don't see how this makes sense. If they stopped banning and asking the sponsors to pay hem a percentage maybe fighters would have more sponsors.

Realidea wrote:I don't see how this makes sense. If they stopped banning and asking the sponsors to pay hem a percentage maybe fighters would have more sponsors.

exactly!!! but Dana has to talk about a few "bad sponsors" who didnt pay a fighter ..to make it seem like this is a better idea

lets not get into Xcience then Dana?

I don't blame GSP for leaving

It's all smoke and mirrors.

It's just another ploy to increase the bottom line for Zuffa.

Non-sponsored fighters means Zuffa is missing out on taking its cut. They have to monetize that trunk space.

Also, do keep in mind the audacity of guys walking to the ring with non-approved (and hence non-taxed) branded shirts or hats.

The whole official uniforms thing though is the hardest one to get my mind around. The lengths Zuffa will go to stifle any forms of originality and creativity whatsoever.

seems like a way of basically once again admitting they are putting the ZUFFA brand over the fighter's brand.