“Our UFC & ProjectRock partnership is anchored in hard work and legacy. Work ethic and legacy are the pillars of all UFC athletes. The hardest workers in the room define their LEGACY. ProjectRock is proud to e the official footwear partner of UFC. #ForThoseWhoWalkTheWalk” – Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, announced his collaboration with the UFC on his Twitter account.
Dwayne Johnson came out as a huge fan of the UFC promotion and the UFC fighters. During his speech for the launch of the collaboration, he praised fighters for the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice they put into their careers. He announced that he and the UFC introduce a new partnership and explained what the project is all about.
The UFC Signs A Sponsorship Contract With Dwayne Johnson – Fighters Forced To Wear The Rock’s Shoes Without Getting Payment
The UFC immediately asked fighters to wear the Project Rock shoes but did not offer any payment for it. The usual agreement for sponsorships is that the fighters are getting their cut from the deal. However, that is not the case this time. According to ‘Bloody elbow’, the fighters will not get anything from the deal despite promoting the shoes before each following event.
“The values and foundation of Project Rock, they are so aligned with the values and the foundations of UFC, and of the fighters.” – Dwayne Johnson told at his marketing campaign.
Numerous fighters came out with a unanimous statement that they did not receive any additional funds for wearing the shoes during the fight week. Nate Diaz even made it public after the fight, at the press conference. He took of his shoes and put them on the table mocking the UFC.
“These shoes f**king suck” – Diaz said at the press conference. “Look at these shoes, they made me put this shit on. F**k these shoes!”
ESPN clipped this part off the Diaz press conference and did not put it on their channel.
The ‘sponsor’ wear includes clothing, uniforms, headwear, fight gloves, footwear, headphones, mouth guards, knee or ankle sleeves and wraps, and flags. In addition, it refers to various accessories like socks, headbands, bags, and towels as well.
Dana White has a good explanation on why the UFC won’t pay anything to the fighters for the sponsored wear. When signing for the UFC, you give them permission to decide what brand of clothing you would wear at the fight camps and fight weeks. The wear is a part of the Promotional Guidelines and Compliance Pay. Fighters agree to it when they sign with the promotion.
This is most certainly a high-profit road for the UFC. The setup of the legal guidelines allows the UFC business to grow exponentially by introducing more sponsorships over time. However, as it turns out – it doesn’t bring anything to the fighters in particular.
What do you think? Should fighters get a piece of the pie?
