Kajan Johnson (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

At the UFC Athlete Retreat this past weekend, Kajan Johnson took the opportunity to list his grievances with the promotion’s Reebok uniform deal, and the lightweight’s reporting it led to a productive meeting.

Since the UFC’s uniform deal was enacted, multiple fighters have claimed that the agreement has cost them money, since fighters are not allowed to promote other sponsorships during fight week. Johnson reportedly stood up during the UFC Athlete Retreat, and proceeded to criticize the uniform deal. Johnson said that the agreement has cost him 80% of his sponsorship money.

Afterwards, however, UFC officials apparently held an impromptu meeting with fighters, to discuss their concerns. Johnson has since told Bloody Elbow the following:

“It was really, really productive,” Johnson said, while reflecting on the meeting. “There were a lot of people that were speaking up. I spoke a little bit at the beginning, but I didn’t have to say very much; I just had to create that situation. And then the room just took over. There were guys like Joe Lauzon talking about numbers. Sara McMann was really vocal, giving a lot of great solutions and ideas that we can use to work around the deal that’s currently in place to put more money in fighters’ pockets.

“I don’t think it’s ever happened before that that many fighters have sat down and had an open and honest, back-and-forth conversation with high-level UFC executives outlining the problems and then trying to find solutions to those problems that work for both the company and the athletes.”

The 33 year-old Johnson, who has won two straight fights, hasn’t competed since 2015.