Joe Rogan speaks out on Reebok deal

[Wild]

On the latest edition of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Rogan said he doesn’t know the finer intricacies of the deal. But based off the available information and the overwhelmingly negative reaction from UFC fighters on social media, he said it’s a worrisome issue.

“I’m not a business man. I’d be the sh-ttiest businessman in the world; if I owned the UFC I would probably file for bankruptcy right now,” Rogan said. “I would have never gotten it to where it is. I would have never done any of the smart moves these guys have done. I’m an idiot when it comes to business, but I don’t like when I see fighters suffering financially. I don’t like it. At all.”

Joe knows a lot of these guys. He's friends with some of them (Saunders, Schaub, etc). So he understands what's going on and it's nice to see him openly discuss it.

“Whenever you see these guys complaining and talking about the difference in the amount of pay that they’re getting, that’s not good – just not good,” Rogan said. “All that stuff had to be worked out. It should have been worked out, I think, before.

“Even the champs get 40 grand. The best guys in the world get 40 grand? That just doesn’t seem like enough to me. It just doesn’t.”

Amen. And it likely was...the UFC just wanted to wait as long as they possibly could, to make it public (and inform the fighters), because of the backlash we're seeing right now. Now they're scrambling to change things on the fly, and try to do some damage control.

“It’s great to have a big sponsor like Reebok involved, but not if the fighters have to suffer,” he said.

100% agree. This should have been a collective effort, with Zuffa working with the fighters to reach a deal that is fair to everyone...from top level fighters, to one's making their debuts.

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: Joe Rogan on reaction to Reebok pay tiers: ‘I don’t like when I see fighters suffering’ | MMAjunkie

 

[lookoutawhale]

some good points from @Joe Rogan

nice thread IWEI!

 

[Wild]

Joe discussed it on his Podcast today as well.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&t=5371&v=P2uW5mlq0Ug&app=desktop

 

[ThatOneDude]

Powerful @Joe Rogan glad to see people from all different parts of the company speaking up

 

[Darqnezz]

Much respect @Joe Rogan.

 

[Punch]

Tell it like it is @Joe Rogan

 

[delightone]

Guess he is getting a call from the baldfather very soon

 

[La Paix]

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

UFC colour commentator Joe Rogan delves into the possibility of a fighter’s association in MMA.

Since the Reebok sponsorship compensation rates were officially released earlier this week, fighters and pundits alike have publicly shared their displeasure with the financial hit that their income is likely to endure.

According to the released figures, a fighter with five or less fights will make $2,500 in sponsorship money, which is certainly a significant step down for many fighters in the promotion. Even champions not signed to separate Reebok deals are set to make $40,000 for their title defences.

With the majority of fighters reacting negatively to the Reebok compensation figures, many have called for a union or fighter's association to help enforce collective bargaining against the UFC. Given that individual leverage has done little to shape the promotion's decisions about the Reebok uniform policy, the association suggestion is one that reverberated with many.

Even UFC colour commentator Joe Rogan suggested that an association that would look out for fighters' interests might not be a bad idea for the sport.

"So Jon Fitch posted about this thing: MMAFA, Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association," Rogan said on The Joe Rogan Experience. "The MMAFA is on twitter run by a guy named Rob Maysey. He must be in charge of it. I don't think it is a bad idea to have some sort of an organization that looks out for fighters."

Rogan also expressed his satisfaction that a promotion such as Bellator, backed by the capitalistic might of Viacom, can help create a more competitive market for MMA.

Joe Rogan open to the idea of an MMA association that ‘looks out for fighters’ - Bloody Elbow

 

[La Paix]

Joe Rogan on UFC-Reebok deal: 'I don’t like when I see fighters suffering financially' - MMAmania.com

 

[ThatOneDude]

Man, I would really like to know what's going on at Egg's slope side UFC office in Vegas. "these fucking goofs! How can we pay them more money and have our official ufc ski slope resort at my house in Vegas!?"

 

[Ministry of Silly Walks]

i think the stress is starting to get to joe. he's friends with a lot of fighters, and zuffa fucks them all the time. he just chooses his words carefully because he loves his job there.

 

[Wild]

Joe Rogan speaks out on Reebok deal | The MMA Community Forum

 

[Left Hook Larry]

2 weeks from now on the ppv broadcast im sure Joe will have to say Reebok is paying these guys wheelbarrows full of cash.

Yea. Wheelbarrows full of Zimbabwean dollars.