The MMA Hour recently interviewed Reebok’s Michael Lunardelli regarding its partnership with the UFC as its official clothing sponsor. While Reebok touts the relationship, it addressed some of the controversy arising out of the sponsor deal.
Notable in the interview with Ariel Helwani was Reebok’s response to the criticism that there were misspellings for some UFC fighters. Lunardelli, the head of Reebok’s combat sports division, offered a response with a subtle point of the finger back to the UFC.
Via MMA Fighting:
“The UFC came to us and asked us if we could do it [go live with every fighter’s jersey]. We said we could try. So, we were moving very quickly to get to that PR launch. The way it works is, we get a list from the organization. The organization provides the list. I don’t know who the 560th fighter is in the UFC. How would I know that? How would my team know that?
“The list was vetted out by the organization and passed to us in a very short period of time. They were moving quickly as well. Again, it’s a partnership. We don’t want to mess up anybody’s name, nor does the UFC.
Yet, Reebok did “mess up” names. While Lunardelli points out that no products were ever made with misspellings such as Gilbert Melendez’s name, the fact remains that there were glaring misspellings that fans, already annoyed by the deal, took note.
Lunardelli also indicated that Reebok had no input on the fighter pay scales and no say in the release of Stitch Duran after the cutman’s comments that the new sponsor deal did not cover cutmen. Lunardelli also indicated that the deal does not include the ring card women.
Payout Perspective:
It was an interesting interview/explanation regarding Reebok’s side in the UFC deal. Despite the claim that the clothier was up against a deadline, it’s inexcusable to state that there was a reason for the misspellings. Simply no excuse. Either the UFC does not know the spellings of its contracted fighters or Reebok failed to double-check through another source. Either way, it’s something us “hobbyists” allegedly do which separates the “professionals” from the amateurs. As some commenter called us the other week, this must be “amateur hour.” It would be as if a journalist for the New York Times or Wall Street Journal were to write a 5,000 piece on a short deadline and tell the editor, “well I tried to spell most of the words correctly.” To which the editor tells the journalist, “ok, we’ll go with whatever you have.” As for its other explanations, just a subtle “don’t blame us” answer.
We’ll see if Reebok does any better as this partnership progresses.
Thats how little reebok sees the UFC hahahaha
I do believe his comment about having plans for ring girls and cutmen. Some claim it is claiming they had plans after the fact. But I don’t think so. The ring girls and current as well as Rogan get way to much air time for them not to want to use that space. So clearly they wanted to eventually get those spaces once the settled in with the 600 fighters.
I think the reebok deal is working out great. It just takes time. The money is decent and when you add in the fact it forced existing fighter sponsors to make a bigger commitment to the fighters and promote them and fighters have not lost sponsors like they claims. Most fighters are way better off already and it will only get better!
I think everyone is just trying to milk as much money as possible with little to no regard for the fighters. It all boils down to $$$. As long as fighters have little to no say in this deal, they aren’t “better off”. The fans don’t even know how much money fighters need to be able to compete: they need to rent gyms, hire trainers, eat healthy. So the fans should shut up and let the fighters decide what’s best for them.
As far as I’m concerned, when someone gets fired simply for talking about a sponsor deal, no fighter is “way better off”. And when fighters have less freedom and can’t even express their honest opinion about something, it won’t get “any better”.
no fighter from last night’s UFN made more than $10k from the the Reebook Sponsorship…Only one or two fighters made $10k.
@Brainsmasher
“I think the reebok deal is working out great. It just takes time. The money is decent and when you add in the fact it forced existing fighter sponsors to make a bigger commitment to the fighters and promote them and fighters have not lost sponsors like they claims. ”
How the fuck have they not lost sponsors??? Working great??? Any fighter who wasn’t a big enough name to sign an individual deal directly with Reebok is losing tons of cash per fight. Have you been absent during all the clamor? Again, unless they have a direct deal with Reebok, EVERY fighter asked has stated they are losing a lot of money… That doesn’t bother you??
” it forced existing fighter sponsors to make a bigger commitment to the fighters and promote them…” Are you on the UFC payroll? That’s the craziest statement in your comment. Sponsors who now are excluded from any of the important exposure they use to get will have to commit? No dude, they’ll do like Alienware and sign elsewhere.
Please don’t tell me you’re still confused about Ronda being signed to do commercials for a restaurant chain having to do with the Reebok deal.