Ultimate Fighting Championship signed a deal with Reebok years ago to make the athletic apparel company the exclusive clothing brand of the octagon. Fighters are no longer allowed to wear any other brand of clothing during UFC sponsored events, essentially changing the landscape of how fighters get sponsored and make money.
While this deal has garnered a lot of backlash towards both the UFC and Reebok, it creates a steady cash flow for those who would normally not be able to obtain any sponsorship deals. Even though fighters cannot sign a deal with other companies to be represented inside the octagon, however, it seems Reebok is allowed to sponsor fighters outside of the UFC.
Kyoji Horiguchi was recently featured in a Reebok advertisement on their Japan account, which should leave some officials in the UFC to scratch their head as Horiguchi just left the UFC in favor of RIZIN in Japan. This may open the doors to Reebok sponsoring other athletes outside of the UFC.
Reebok has sponsored individual fighters in the octagon in the past, including Jon “Bones” Jones and “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Despite being the exclusive sponsorship of the octagon, Reebok has chosen to sponsor a fighter who no longer throws down inside the octagon but rather the RIZIN ring.
世界を舞台に戦ってきた格闘家堀口恭司が4月16日（日）に開催されるRIZINに参戦！ホンモノの戦いを見逃すな！#リーボック#人間をきわめろ#RIZINFF #RIZIN2017@kyoji1012 @rizin_PR pic.twitter.com/feq1foPWv9
— リーボック (@Reebokjp) April 11, 2017
Do you think this is a smart business practice? Let us know in the comment section below.
