Following the landmark Reebok sponsorship deal with UFC, fighters of the promotion are finally starting to get the answers they have been waiting to receive.
UFC Bantamweight fighter Cody Gibson tweeted a photo of a screenshot taken of an e-mail sent from the UFC to fighters on their roster on Wednesday, a letter that explains how much they will be compensated through the promotion’s new uniform deal with Reebok. UFC Senior Vice President of Public Relations, Dave Sholler, has since confirmed the figures to members of the MMA media.
Fighters who have competed inside the UFC’s world-famous Octagon between one-and-five times will earn $2,500 per fight under the tiered system. Fighters with six to ten UFC bouts will earn $5,000, 11 to 15 fights in the UFC will earn the combatants $10,000, 16-to-20 fighters will get you $15,000. Fighters with 21 or more will earn $20,000. Fighters who are defending their title will earn $40,000, while those fighting for a UFC title will pull down $30,000.
UFC’s deal with Reebok is worth approximately $70 million across a seven-year period. Per the agreement, fighters will no longer be permitted to wear any of their own sponsors inside the Octagon, as well as during fight week and while they are taking part in any official UFC-related event.
The email that was issued to fighters on the UFC roster reads that athletes will get their compensation within ten business days following a fight in the UFC. As previously announced, Strikeforce and WEC fights under the Zuffa banner will also count toward athlete’s tenure.
In addition to the tiered structure, fighters in the UFC will also earn a percentage of money earned from sales of merchandise that include their name and/or likeness. Those percentages will be determined based on the terms and agreements of the current UFC merchandise rights agreement.
UFC’s deal with Reebok will officially take effect starting July 7th of this year, which will be at the beginning of UFC’s “International Fight Week.”
“The above outlined compensation structure will result in UFC distributing the vast majority of the revenue generated through the AOP directly to the athletes,” the e-mail states. “We continue to believe the introduction of the official outfitting kits for our athletes is a beneficial investment, which will elevate and create long-term value for you, the UFC brand and the sport.”
H/T: MMAFighting.com.
