Ronda Rousey doesn’t discredit the UFC for implementing the Reebok deal.
In a recent interview with actor-comedian Steve-O, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Rousey defended the UFC’s 2015 decision.
“It’s not that they get nothing,” Rousey said of the fighters. “Everybody gets a split share. Instead of having a whole bunch of people having individual sponsors all over themselves, everybody gets a share of the Reebok sponsor – whatever they’re paying.”
In Rousey’s eyes, the UFC is acting the same way as other sports. The current WWE superstar said the UFC is simply following the foundation laid by longtime sports organizations like the NFL.
“If you think about it, are any of the NFL players allowed to have individual sponsorships?” Rousey said. “Are any of the basketball players allowed to put ‘CondomDepot.com’ on (them)? It gets to a point where it’s like, ‘In WWE, are you allowed to come out with ‘Guns R Us’ on your titties?’ It’s kind of like the standard that’s been set by other sports.
“The UFC was unique in that. When (UFC) was smaller, that was part of the whole puzzle. As they got bigger and more mainstream, some of those smaller characteristics got lost. If they want to be looked at on the same level as the NBA and the NFL and baseball and all that (expletive), they have to adopt that model a little bit more.”
Despite her unwillingness to criticize the deal, Rousey said she would like to see the deal, and other major deals, generate more money as a whole.
“I’d like to see bigger sponsors and more money, bigger deals being made, so what is being split up and divvied up between all of the fighters actually gets to be more, and more, and more, and more,” Rousey said. “It’s something I hope will mature along with the sport, but who knows?”
The UFC’s partnership with Reebok is set to expire in 2021, but company president Dana White has said it’ll likely be renewed. In a January interview with TSN, White called the deal a “home run,” assuring “uniforms are here to stay.”
