Joe Rogan on reaction to Reebok pay tiers: 'I don't like when I see fighters suffering'

Brendan Schaub

Almost everyone has an opinion about the UFC’s fighter payout tiers for its apparel partnership with Reebok, which goes into effect in July. Veteran UFC commentator and host Joe Rogan is no different.

On the latest edition of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Rogan said he doesn’t know the finer intricacies of the deal. But based off the available information and the overwhelmingly negative reaction from UFC fighters on social media, he said it’s a worrisome issue.

“I’m not a business man. I’d be the sh-ttiest businessman in the world; if I owned the UFC I would probably file for bankruptcy right now,” Rogan said. “I would have never gotten it to where it is. I would have never done any of the smart moves these guys have done. I’m an idiot when it comes to business, but I don’t like when I see fighters suffering financially. I don’t like it. At all.”

The tenure-based tiers, which go into effect on July 11 with UFC 189 in Las Vegas, break down as follows: Fighters with 1-5 bouts receive $2,500 per fight; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts get $10,000; 16-20 bouts get $15,000; and more than 21 bouts get $20,000. Additionally, title challengers receive $30,000, and champions receive $40,000.

Lightweight Myles Jury lashed out at the deal. Others, including Joe Lauzon, said it’s not so bad. UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub claims he’s made at least six figures in sponsorship dollars for each of his past six UFC fights. With a total of 12 octagon appearances to his name, Schaub now stands to make just $10,000 for his next fight under the terms of the Reebok deal.

“Whenever you see these guys complaining and talking about the difference in the amount of pay that they’re getting, that’s not good – just not good,” Rogan said. “All that stuff had to be worked out. It should have been worked out, I think, before.

“Even the champs get 40 grand. The best guys in the world get 40 grand? That just doesn’t seem like enough to me. It just doesn’t.”

It remains to be seen if fighter response will force the UFC to alter the structure. Under the current setup, though, most who have shared a public opinion are opposed to the deal. Rogan didn’t discuss potential solutions to the problem, but he hinted the Reebok deal may not be an ideal partnership for the UFC if athletes are negatively impacted.

“It’s great to have a big sponsor like Reebok involved, but not if the fighters have to suffer,” he said.

For more on the UFC’s schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.