UFC alters Reebok sponsorship earning tiers

[Wild]

Tweaks to the UFC’s tiered Reebok sponsorship structure are part of the promotion’s newest policy changes, ESPN reported Friday. Under the new structure, athletes with three or less fights in the UFC will receive a Reebok sponsorship stipend of $3,500 per fight, while athletes with four or five Octagon fights will earn $5,000. Previously, both of those categories were encompassed under one sponsorship tier, which paid out $2,500 in Reebok earnings per fight.

UFC chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein told ESPN that over half of the UFC's roster falls within the two tiers affected by the change.

"This gives the shorter-tenured fighters on our roster an increase," Epstein said. "We felt this was the most impactful, meaningful way to get more money to our athletes."

...

In addition to tweaking its sponsorship tiers, the UFC has enacted further policy changes regarding the promotional obligations of its fighters.

Athletes are now obligated to provide “four days of ‘advance’ media promotions, six hours of ‘fight week’ promotion, and one hour of ‘post-fight’ promotion.” Athletes competing in headlining bouts — main or co-main events — are additionally required to permit the UFC filming access “eight days prior to a fight.” The UFC can also request a “one-day, eight-hour commercial shoot” twice a year for each of its individual athletes.

Notably, the UFC enacted these new policy changes without athlete consent, as fighters in the UFC lack the ability to collectively bargain with the promotion due to the absence of a recognized fighters’ union or association.

UFC alters Reebok sponsorship earning tiers

 

[sparkuri]

This is an outrage!

 

[ShakaSway]

Good stufff, increase in pay for fighters.

I liked that idea they had about getting the fighters more sponsors, thats a wonderful step backwards in the right direction.

 

[Gay For Longo]

Extra 2500bux is a nice, should be more but it's at least a step in the right direction

Putting in the mandatory press time is a smart business move, surprised this wasn't in the contract to begin with

 

[Silverball]

It feels like something's missing...oh yeah, this:

A collective agreement is a special type of commercial agreement, usually as one negotiated "collectively" between management (on behalf of the company) and trade unions (on behalf of employees). The collective agreement regulates the terms and conditions of employees in their workplace, their duties and the duties of the employer. It is usually the result of a process of collective bargaining between an employer (or a number of employers) and a trade union representing workers.

 

[Dat Pre-HollyHolm Ronda $]

It feels like something's missing...oh yeah, this:

A collective agreement is a special type of commercial agreement, usually as one negotiated "collectively" between management (on behalf of the company) and trade unions (on behalf of employees). The collective agreement regulates the terms and conditions of employees in their workplace, their duties and the duties of the employer. It is usually the result of a process of collective bargaining between an employer (or a number of employers) and a trade union representing workers.

From the article:

"Notably, the UFC enacted these new policy changes without athlete consent, as fighters in
the UFC lack the ability to collectively bargain with the promotion due to the absence of a
recognized fighters’ union or association."

Just making shit official policy with zero agreement from fighters.

They have a name for that type of work environment. Its called Employer
and Employee work place.

The claim that fighters are subcontractors is complete bullshit.

I am a subcontractor and not a single mutherfucker I do work for
can make me do shit I don't first agree too

 

[Robbie Hart]

It’s not reeboks fault.......they got a raw deal

 

[Greenbean]

Weird. They said all the reebok money is going to the fighters. How will they fund these raises?

 

[Dat Pre-HollyHolm Ronda $]

Weird. They said all the reebok money is going to the fighters. How will they fund these raises?

"First of all... I did say "All the money"... and 2nd of all I meant
that as in "All the money I say their gonna" get clown shoes" - BLAF

 

[silentsinger]

I, for one, whether it be Jersey Tapout/ Afliction/wannabe gangsters/whoever miss seeing walk out tshirts that aren't Reebok.

 

[Howard Moon]

If you take this huge raise and divide it by the new promotional requirements:
let's say four days of ‘advance’ media promotions equals at least 4 x 12 hour days, plus the additional fight week and post-fight availabilities of 7 hours(I'm rounding to 10 for travel time, etc) equals nearly 60 hours of additional obligations.

For Tier 1 fighters, they are being paid $1000 for this. For Tier 2, they get the princely sum of $2500 for over a week of their time.
What a steaming pile of bullshit.

 

[Lukewarm Carl]

Weird. They said all the reebok money is going to the fighters. How will they fund these raises?

The way the Reebok deal is structured, Reebok pays more in the later years of the deal than in the first few.

 

[Jesus X]

 

[Wild]

Make the UFC great again.

 

[jimmy boogaloo]

it's better than nothing but a tenner is better than nothing. looking at it in terms of reebok's overalls resources, this is a derisory uplift