Epstein

By FCF Staff

Although several fighters have been openly critical of the UFC-Reebok deal’s compensation structure, UFC officials insist it’s a positive development for the promotion’s athletes.

On Wednesday, the UFC disclosed to its fighters how much fighters will be paid per bout, as a result of the the company’s uniform deal with Reebok. Payment is based on tenure. So for example, fighters who have fought 6 to 10 times in the Octagon will receive $5,000 per fight. Competitors who have had more than 21 bouts with the UFC will be paid $20,000.

The deal also provides a percentage of clothing sales to fighters, but they cannot where other sponsorships during fight week.

Well, after the payment figures were released, fighters like Matt Mitrione, Brendan Schaub and Aljamain Sterling relayed on Twitter they weren’t happy with the deal. Other competitors, like Scott Jorgensen for example, announced they were pleased with the terms.

The UFC held a media call to promote the new deal, and during it, here is what UFC COO Lawrene Epstein had to say about the agreement (quote via UFC.com):

“Prior to sending out this letter today, we spoke with a ton of athletes – not just champions, but athletes at all levels of the UFC – and got their feedback on the Athlete Outfitting Policy, and a lot of the provisions of the policy are the result of discussions we had with particular athletes about their concerns and their ideas,” he said. “I’m sure there will be those that aren’t excited about the policy, but I can tell you that the vast majority of athletes that we’ve spoken with are excited about the opportunity.”

The uniform deal and its compensation goes into effect in July, before UFC 189 takes place on July 11th.