Rory MacDonald isn’t making bank with sponsorship money, but it’s all part of the plan.
“Red King” is set to make his Bellator debut against Paul Daley this Friday (May 19). The winner of that bout will meet the winner of Douglas Lima vs. Lorenz Larkin for the welterweight title.
It’s quite the norm to hear fighters who made the jump from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to Bellator say they’re now making more sponsorship money. This is due to the Reebok deal at the UFC and how it’s based on a tier structure.
That isn’t the case for MacDonald, who explained why on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour:”
“I could have easily went out and got plastered sponsors all over my shorts and banner and stuff and got little sponsors for the fight. But basically what I’m going out there is for long-term, marquee sponsorships that are going to be solid name brands that are going represent me and I represent them well and be a long-term partnership.”
MacDonald went on to explain the importance of having bigger sponsor as opposed to going for short-term compensation.
“Give those sponsors big exposure, rather than be clustered and totally packed full of a bunch of different random companies that don’t have any connection to me whatsoever. That’s the strategy, there.”
