The UFC has signed a licensing agreement with GuardLab, a New York-based company that produces custom-fit mouth guards according to a report from the Sports Business Journal. Financial terms were not disclosed for the multiyear global licensing and partnership agreement with the company.
The UFC will receive a portion of sales from every UFC-branded mouth guard sold. The article states that UFC fighters will not be required to wear a GuardLab mouthpiece. However, the UFC will offer the mouth guards free to fighters. It will attend UFC events to meet with UFC fighters to explain the technology.
The licensing deal is the first time the company has signed on with a mouth guard company. The UFC has looked into the prospects of such a deal about a year ago when it was approached about such a deal by several companies.
GuardLab will offer mouth guards with the UFC logo on them through GuardLab’s network of dentists nationwide or through its website. The company also offers mouth guards that prevent people from grinding their teeth at night. The company uses 3-D scanning technology to create custom-fit mouth guards.
On its web site, UFC branded mouth guards are $249.99 ($124.99 for an additional guard) for adults 18 and over and $149.99 ($99.99 for an additional guard) for youths 17 and under.
Payout Perspective:
While the deal might not seem like a big one, it actually is another savvy move to monetize the UFC business. For people that train in MMA or BJJ, mouth pieces should be necessary equipment. In recent years, you may have noticed designs on mouthpieces. Oftentimes, if an MMA fighter wins, they will take out their mouthpiece (which usually displays a flag logo and show it to the camera). While the price point is high, the technology sells the fact that it is custom-fit. Frankly, custom-fit mouth pieces are much more comfortably than “off the shelf” models so it may be worth it. Notably, UFC fighters will not be required to use it due to potential issues with liability. Of course, the other issue is that requiring mouth pieces from a UFC sponsor could be another example of the UFC retaining the control of its contracted fighters.
Only ufc fanboys would purchase such item with that logo hahahaha
Topps quest continues. Hahaha.
desperate for money, I guess.
One more thing to get fighters on if they’re not using their product
Yeah, really desperate after a record setting year. Haha.
Record setting year? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA.
Bellator kicked the UFC’s bum this year!
Rizin drew over 4 million viewers and its debut fighters got paychecks that went into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Klitch v Fury drew at least 9 million viewers in Germany.
May v Pac’s sold the most PPVs in the history of boxing.
What did the UFC do?
As with McGregor’s 10$ million paycheck, which turned out to be a lie, the UFC’s “success” boils down to a series of rather mediocre achievements. The UFC in a nutshell: White cashing in on the McGregor and Ronda hypes.
Now that these hype trains have been derailed, the UFC is desperate.
Nice design