Last week, the UFC announced the official Reebok compensation terms for their sponsorship deal that comes into effect in July. This generated mass displeasure amongst much of the promotion’s roster, as many fighters worried about their financial stability over the coming while.
While the lack of sponsorship opportunities in the UFC creates bargaining chips for their main competitors, similar deals could potentially be implemented in other promotions as well. According to World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo, a uniform sponsorship deal is something that could potentially be considered in the future.
“I wouldn’t say no, but it’s something where I’d have to sit down with my team and talk about it and discuss,” Sefo told Submission Radio. “Does it benefit the fighters? Does it benefit the company? So all these things have got to be taken into account and we’ll see. But it’s not a closed off matter or a ‘no’ to that.”
According to the released UFC figures, a fighter with five or less fights will make $2,500 in sponsorship money, which is certainly a significant step down for many fighters in the promotion. Five to ten fights with the promotion leave a fighter with $5,000, while 10-15 fights is worth $10,000. Even champions not signed to separate Reebok deals are set to make $40,000 for their title defences.
Given how fighters have come out publicly to discuss their grievances, Sefo believes such a deal could never be negotiated in WSOF without it being entirely beneficial for all fighters on the roster.
“Personally, if I had to answer that for myself, yeah one hundred precent I would. Because I want my guys, my team, my fighters to be happy with whatever they’re…or to be paid what they deserve. So in saying that, me personally yes, I would change it. But again, when it comes to such a big corporate decision like that, it would have to be a team decision, and again like I said earlier, I can only speak for what I can do and for what I know, but I can’t really speak too much about the other situation because I don’t know what the structure is at the UFC and how that’s all done. But yeah it’s something that obviously I want to see the fighters get paid what they deserve. So bottom line.”
Transcription taken from Submission Radio.
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