Werdum: Reebok Deal Is Only Good For Top Fighters

Since the UFC announced its new sponsorship deal with Reebok, which will go into effect later this year, many fighters and fans alike have taken note of the way the sponsorship will reward fighters based solely on their ranking.

Fabricio Werdum discussed the deal with MMAFighting:

“It’s not 100 percent set how it’s going to be, but I think that for those who are fighting for a long time, who battled for a good position in the rankings, the champion or the top 10 fighters, will benefit from that.”

“I think that it’s not good for the up and comers, but maybe is a motivation for them. It will motivate them to get to the top. The fighter will think about it, an extra motivation. If I were an up and comer, I would think this way. Since I’m in a better position, I think it’s great. I worked hard for this. For those who are starting now, you have to work hard.”

While fighters like Brendan Schaub, and trainers like Greg Jackson claim to have lost sponsors since the deal was announced, Werdum says he hasn’t felt any repercussions from the deal.

“I didn’t lose any sponsors, and I don’t have many sponsors. I have few and good ones. I have several sponsors that don’t get in (the Octagon) with me, but you don’t have to have them all in the UFC, right? Of course it’s the best way to showcase, but it all depends on the brand and the fighters.”