The athletes have had their say about the changing tide of sponsorship in MMA.
The UFC announced a landmark sponsorship deal with Reebok yesterday which will see every fighter on the roster be forced to wear Reebok uniforms for every promotion-based event from summer 2015. It means that fighters will no longer be allowed to wear non-Reebok apparel at any UFC event including press conferences, weigh-ins and the fights themselves.
Each fighter will receive a flat sponsorship rate based on their position in the rankings and will also get a percentage of the sales of the gear. This means that the much maligned UFC ranking system is set to become more important than ever.
The reaction to the deal has been mixed with the higher paid fighters embracing it while the athletes lower down the rankings questioning the motives behind it.
Here's how the pros responded to the news on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/TimKennedyMMA/status/539869814916128768
https://twitter.com/mmasarah/status/539840453781106688
https://twitter.com/campbellcombate/status/539838065054081024
https://twitter.com/mattmitrione/status/540161160549773313
https://twitter.com/mattmitrione/status/540162123570356225
https://twitter.com/NateDiaz209/status/539933898218553345
https://twitter.com/NotoriousNewell/status/539840266019307520
https://twitter.com/TheCaveman316/status/539833106266464256
https://twitter.com/johnalessio79/status/539831209791324160
https://twitter.com/johnalessio79/status/539830375577829377
https://twitter.com/johnalessio79/status/539829058935472128
https://twitter.com/PendredMMA/status/539884953337884673
https://twitter.com/Flyinjudoka/status/539841020541038592
https://twitter.com/JohnyHendricks/status/539856732944867329
https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/539859132514197504
https://twitter.com/86_JRHernandez/status/539854265984888832
