Reebok’s association with the UFC probably isn’t going as swimmingly as they might have expected.
According to former UFC middleweight and light-heavyweight contender, Chael Sonnen, Conor McGregor had a disagreement with company officials at the UFC 189 weigh-ins/
Sonnen revealed in a recent installment of his podcast You’re Welcome that McGregor refused to wear the official much maligned Fight Kit uniform before walking out to the scales. Sonnen added that an unnamed company representative was forced to remind “Notorious” that he was legally obligated to wear the uniform at the event, as per the terms of his contract.
“Conor did not wear Reebok (at the Mendes weigh in). He wore something else and behind the scenes they were giving him his Reebok kit. He refused to wear it.”
“They said, ‘Hey, you have to wear this.’ And McGregor said, ‘I’m different, I’m not like those other guys. I’m not wearing it.’ So they get out the contract and everything and they tell him, ‘You have to do this,’ and Conor said ‘I’m not doing it.’ When the weigh in rolled around he did not wear the Reebok stuff.”
Mcgregor did wear Reebok apparel at the weigh ins, but perhaps Sonnen is suggesting he did not wear the outfit the UFC brass wanted.
According to Sonnen, company president Dana White instructed McGregor to put on the champion’s black and gold Fight Kit after his knockout victory over Chad Mendes to win the interim strap. However, McGregor did not comply.
“After the fight Dana gets in the Octagon and hands him the Reebok shirt (black champion shirt) and goes ‘You have to put this on.’ and Conor did not respond, he just looked at Dana. And when he did his post fight (interview) he did not put the shirt on.”
After Uncle Dana handed him the jersey, McGregor marched over to his corner and tossed it over to one of his cornernmen before giving his post-fight victory speech:
Hat-tip to Bloody Elbow
