Belfort does not see the partnership between UFC and Reebok favorably: 'I don't think it's fair'

V. Belfort (photo) fights for the middleweight belt in May. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

The exclusive contract for the supply of sports equipment between the UFC and Reebok, announced at the end of last year and which comes into effect in July, has divided opinions between athletes and people linked to MMA. Some consider that the new format can help athletes at the beginning of their careers, but others prefer to focus on possible losses of sponsors due to the restriction on the exhibition of other brands. This is the case of Brazilians Vitor belfort, which classified the division of values ​​as unfair and demanded more equality in the transfer to fighters.

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“I have big contracts, which involve a lot of money. And I'm going to have to tell these people: 'Listen, I can't have you in the Octagon anymore because there are those guys who sponsor the UFC and you're only allowed to wear their brand.' And they're going to think, 'Okay, but are they going to pay you what we paid you?'. And I say, 'No, I have nothing to do with them.' Will someone show up in my uniform and not pay me monthly? It's fair? I have 19 years of career. I don't think that's fair, because some fighters have the privilege of having a contract with this big organization that comes to my sport and they get paid monthly. To be fair, it has to be the same for everyone”, said Belfort, in an interview with the podcast “The MMA Hour”.

The Brazilian continued to explain his point of view, pointing out that the relevant comparison in the case of fighters would be with that of professional tennis players. “I don’t see us as the NBA. I don't get paid by the Blackzilians like I would get paid by the Miami Heat. What I mean is that our sport is more comparable to tennis. Tennis players need to have their sponsors, as they are the ones who pay for travel and all expenses. Not everyone can win a championship and make a lot of money, so many tennis players need sponsorship to travel the world. I get paid by the UFC when I fight, but, on a monthly basis, sponsors help us too. Sometimes we have injuries, sometimes we don't fight. In the NBA, guys get paid monthly. If they get injured, if they can't play, they're still making money. And they can still play in their ‘Nikes,’ or whatever the brand is,” he concluded.

At 36, Vitor belfort He has a professional record of 24 wins and ten losses. Vitor will next step into the Octagon before the agreement between Ultimate and Reebok comes into effect. On May 23rd, after more than a year of waiting and no less than three postponements, the “Phenomenon” will finally challenge the champion Chris Weidman for the middleweight belt. The duel is the co-main fight of UFC 187, which will be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones e Anthony Johnson.