A longtime sponsor of many UFC fighters, Brazilian fight gear company, Venum, had already decided not to work with any Zuffa fighters due to the new Reebok deal. Next October, though, they will have a meeting that might end the contract with their biggest name, UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo.
Venum’s president, Andre Vieira, says he wouldn’t like to lose such a poster boy for his brand like Aldo, but he needs to focus on whether or not is good for business keeping him around.
“Our contract with Jose Aldo goes until October,” he told AG Fight. “Then we will have a talk to decide if it’s worth it to renew it. For the brand’s image, it’s a really positive thing to have Aldo, but how far does that really takes us? How far can people see it? Where is this information being shown?”
Vieira goes on to explain how the business changed because of the Reebok deal and how hard it has become to turn a profit based on visibility.
“It used to be different back in the day. A guy would wear your shorts and the whole world saw it. If I gave Aldo 10,000 reais ($2540 US) per month, I knew I would get that money back. Nowadays, to a get third of that, I must give Aldo 2,000 and spend the other 8,000 promoting his image elsewhere. Now I have to invest in ad, publicity campaigns, marketing, etc. I didn’t have to spend all that money before.”
Jose Aldo will fight for the first time under the Reebok deal at UFC 194 in Las Vegas on December 12th against interim featherweight champion, Conor McGregor.
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