UFC: Fighters’ Tenure, Not Rankings Will Determine Pay Under Reebok Deal

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Ultimate Fighting Championship’s rankings will no longer determine fighter pay under the company’s new deal with uniform sponsor Reebok.

Instead, the company tells Sports Business Journal, fighters’ tenure will be used to determine how much they are paid to fight under the six-year, $70 million deal.

When UFC initially announced its agreement with Reebok in December, it stated that fighter pay would be based off a five-tiered system determined by the organization’s media-voted rankings. On Monday, that changed to a five-tiered system based on the number of times a fighter has competed under the Zuffa banner.

The new system groups fighters into tiers of one to five fights, six to 10 fights, 11 to 15 fights, 16 to 20 fights, and 21 or more fights. Champions and challengers competing in title bouts “will receive greater compensation,” though the UFC has yet to disclose exactly what fighters will be paid under the new system, which takes effect in July. Officially sanctioned UFC bouts will count toward a fighter’s total, as will bouts contested in the now-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting and Strikeforce organizations.

Along with the new deal will come official Reebok uniforms to be worn by fighters in each UFC bout. According to the report, the uniform will feature a UFC logo, a Reebok logo, the fighter’s full name and a single sponsorship logo which will be selected by UFC.