Issue 120
October 2014
Fighters Only editor-in-chief Nick Peet on the prospect of fighter uniforms and the forthcoming feast of championship fights.
At the start of the year Dana White mentioned two words: ‘fighter’ and ‘uniforms’ – and the MMA media went crazy. For weeks and weeks after, the UFC president was plagued by questions regarding the likelihood of UFC athletes being made to wear styled and ready-sponsored attire inside the Octagon.
Eventually, like all ultimately unconfirmed rumors, the hysteria died down. But now it seems clearer than ever that an announcement confirming the uniform deal will be made imminently, with women’s champ and crossover star Ronda Rousey even proposed as the first fighter to compete in the new apparel.
According to Mike Mossholder, the UFC’s senior vice president of global marketing partnerships, the organization is “actively engaged in conversations” with a “premium apparel line” for an exclusive uniform deal for the UFC’s 500-plus fighters.
In an interview with Adweek, Mossholder did not reveal which brands were in talks, but it’s most likely Nike, Reebok, adidas and perhaps even Under Armour – who all have MMA ties – are each being consulted.
No date was given in regards to any announcement, but with Nike reportedly paying the NFL over $1 billion for a five-year contract to fashion all teams with their Swoosh logo, it’s easy to see why the UFC is making the move.
Back in February, White insisted a uniform deal would mostly benefit the undercard fighters who may struggle for financially beneficial sponsorship and endorsement deals. But, at the top, the array of UFC divisional leaders have no such issues.
Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Junior Dos Santos all rock Nike deals, while Johny Hendricks and Anthony Pettis are both tied in with Reebok. Georges St Pierre boasted an Under Armour deal throughout his championship reign, while just recently Robbie Lawler signed with adidas.
It’s these current endorsement deals with the UFC’s spread of champions and contenders that has most likely slowed negotiations in terms of any potential UFC-wide uniform deal.
Meanwhile, Mossholder went on to say Rousey would be “highly likely” to be the face of any launch of UFC kit, due to her mainstream star appeal and obvious lack of sporting brand sponsorship. She’s currently subsidized by Xyience, Metro PCS and the UFC itself.
The female bantamweight champion also endorsed the uniform scheme, saying: “You give yourself more value if you don’t walk out looking like a race car covered in ads. I like to think my sponsors are valued more because it looks more clean.”
The times they are a changin’ – and so are the fighters.
TITLE FIGHT FRENZY
Are you ready for the most championship-stacked, main event fight filled period in the history of the Octagon? You should be, as it’s just begun. Starting last weekend, the final four months of this calendar year – injuries permitting – will be historic in that it’s likely every single UFC world title belt will be contested inside the Octagon.
At the time of going to print, only Ronda Rousey’s next bantamweight title defense and Johny Hendricks’ rematch with Robbie Lawler were still to be announced for the end of the year. Every other championship belt was confirmed as being put on the line in the final third of 2014.
Last weekend, at UFC 177, TJ Dillashaw and Renan Barao were due to rematch for the bantamweight belt, while on the same night ‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson was making the latest defense of his flyweight crown against Chris Cariaso.
Light heavyweight Jon Jones defends against Daniel Cormier at the end of this month at UFC 178, while October entertains José Aldo’s featherweight title fight return with Chad Mendes in Brazil. Then in November, Cain Velasquez defends his heavyweight belt against Fabricio Werdum.
But December tops the lot with at least three title fights already on the calendar. Middleweight champion Chris Weidman is scheduled to face Vitor Belfort in Las Vegas, with the lightweight title fight between Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez as chief support, at UFC 181. While the TUF Season 20 Finale, where the vacant female strawweight belt will find its first owner, is also likely to go down around the same time.
‘The UFC is being diluted’, fans often say. But surely the final few months of this year plainly prove otherwise.
