Bellator President Scott Coker isn’t over the moon about the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Reebok deal.
Back in Dec. 2014, the UFC announced an apparel deal with Reebok. The deal marked the end of UFC fighters having their own sponsors on fight gear. Many have criticized the deal as fighters have earned more through their own sponsors than Reebok’s pay scale offers.
Coker told Ozy.com that he’s no fan of the deal:
“The Reebok deal is not healthy. Telling [the fighters] what to wear, what they can put on? No. We’re happy for our fighters to make money by fighting here.”
Coker then explained the importance of competition in mixed martial arts (MMA).
“Look, we’ve got a great free agent roster, we’re selling out of 80 percent of the places we’re doing fights. But you know, the reality is if there are not at least two buyers, it’s not a healthy industry. So we’re glad to be making the industry healthier.”
