Opponents requested to put on The Rock’s footwear, yet gained’t receives a commission from new UFC sponsorship

“For people that stroll the stroll.”

That’s the slogan for the co-branded UFC and Venture Rock footwear that was once introduced because the MMA promotion’s legit shoes. Throughout the release, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson again and again praised opponents for the entire arduous paintings and sacrifice they installed day-to-day.

Opponents and their groups were requested to put on those new Venture Rock footwear all over occasions, yet as Bloody Elbow has discovered thru more than one resources, those athletes gained’t be getting a lower from the brand new deal.

In keeping with a number of opponents and executives who wanted to stay nameless, athletes have no longer won any further reimbursement for dressed in the brand new emblem. This was once additionally showed by way of one fighter from UFC 279, who wore The Rock’s merchandise all over combat week.

“The values and basis of Venture Rock, they’re so aligned with the values and the rules of UFC, and of the opponents,” Johnson mentioned on their most up-to-date advertising marketing campaign.

Since 2011, Johnson has been a consumer of Undertaking, which recently owns the UFC.

Nate Diaz, the principle appeal for that PPV tournament, took pictures on the UFC’s new sponsorship deal earlier than his headlining bout.

“Those footwear f–king suck,” Diaz mentioned in an interview with UFC and ESPN’s Megan Olivi. “Take a look at those footwear, they made me put this shit on. F–okay those footwear!”

Diaz’s feedback had been bring to an end and no longer integrated at the ultimate clip in ESPN’s channel.

The unique Reebok outfitting deal from 2014 was once in reality made up of 2 elements, clothes — or uniforms — and a shoe deal. In March of 2021, Venum changed Reebok, yet simplest because the legit uniform sponsor.

Whilst they simply rolled out their new advertising marketing campaign not too long ago, the UFC signed a profitable multi-year take care of Underneath Armour and Venture Rock again in January 2022. Underneath Armour is the dad or mum corporate of Venture Rock, resulting in Dwanye Johnson’s emblem to transform the UFC’s legit world shoes spouse.

Opponents gained’t be receiving any further pay for the brand new merchandise that they’ll be dressed in.

Why? The best way the UFC’s contracts are structured, without reference to what number of new sponsorship offers, emblems and merchandise those opponents must put on (Venum, Venture Rock, Crypto.com, and many others), those are all simply seen as a part of the Promotional Pointers Compliance Pay they’ve already set earlier than.

Opponents get compensated in tiers relying on their quantity of fights with the promotion or by way of champion/challenger standing. Those who don’t conform to the ideas would no longer receives a commission, and any further UFC sponsorships wouldn’t technically exchange that shriveled pay construction.

It’s additionally value noting that once Reebok was once prior to now criticized for the low pay the athletes won, the corporate distanced themselves and mentioned the ones “are dictated by way of the contract between the person fighter and the UFC.”

The UFC’s promotional pointers from 2018 come with laws for the use of simplest “licensed” attire, headwear, combat gloves, shoes, headphones, mouth guards, knee or ankle sleeves and wraps, flags, and more than a few equipment like socks, headbands, luggage, and towels.

This arrange opens UFC’s already booming trade for numerous further sponsorship alternatives and income streams down the street, yet sadly no longer truly a lot for opponents.