UFC’s new Reebok deal is causing a lot of problems with fighters on their roster these days, and UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo is the latest to speak out about it.
Aldo, who makes the next defense of his title against Conor McGregor at UFC 189 in July, recently spoke with Brazilian media outlet Combate and explained why UFC’s Reebok deal is “sh*t.”
“First of all, it’s sh*t,” said Aldo. “That’s a huge setback for us. We live for each fight, we have to keep fighting and nobody fights more than three times a year. Not a champion, anyway. Even the value they measured doesn’t match what our sponsors were paying us. That is great for the UFC, but not for the fighters.”
Aldo continued, “I see a lot of athletes losing too much. If we had a union for fighters, and we were all together, like in the NBA, this would’ve been different, but fighters are not united. Today I have a price the event is willing to pay to have me, but there are other fighters out there willing to fight for spare change if I don’t want to, and that is not even their fault.”
“The UFC brought the sport to where it is today, great, that’s their merit,” said Aldo. “But if athletes were more united and had a union to protect them, I don’t think this would happen.”
