Rory MacDonald debuted in Bellator on Friday night with one sponsor on his shorts, Monster Energy drink. Even though MacDonald is free to sign with multiple sponsors, he has selected a different strategy.
In an interview, last week on The MMA Hour, MacDonald indicated that his UFC-Reebok individual sponsorship deal had run its course. Recall, MacDonald was just a handful of UFC fighters with their own Reebok deal.
You may recall that prior to the Reebok deal and its exclusivity, MacDonald’s shorts were adorned with multiple sponsors. Upon leaving the UFC, it looks like that MacDonald will be much pickier about his sponsor partners. He is seeking out blue-chip brands.
Of course, one of the advantages of leaving the UFC is the opportunity to solicit sponsors which gives fights extra income for their fights. MacDonald’s training partners, Kajan Johnson, just revealed in an interview with Ariel Helwani that MacDonald is making $400,000 per fight year in Bellator. Johnson was at the center of controversy at the UFC Retreat this past weekend when he spoke up against the Reebok deal.
Payout Perspective:
Making less on sponsors is helped by making more money to fight. For MacDonald, his brand strategy makes sense. He wants to maximize his brand by taking an initial hit on pay with the hope that it lands him bigger deals in the future. It’s great for guys like MacDonald, but other fighters will need to maximize their pay now and seeking out as many sponsors as they can helps mitigate training costs. Speaking out, Johnson may have put himself in the doghouse for the UFC, but he felt like it was a necessity least he suffer in silence.
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