Reebok slashes UFC Fight Kit availability

Ronda Rousey

It appears Reebok is drastically scaling down its investment in UFC Fight Kits, just four months after a star-studded kickoff in New York City.

Reebok’s online UFC apparel site now offers just seven fighter-branded “kits” and a smattering of other t-shirts, leaving out several active champions and hundreds of others on the promotion’s roster.

UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor boasts four available jerseys, while women’s featherweight champion has two. Middleweight champ Chris Weidman has one, as does featherweight champ Jose Aldo.

Absent is heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum, welterweight champ Robbie Lawler, and light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, among others.

Reebok’s PR firm, M&C Saatchi Sports Entertainment, could not be reached for comment, and the UFC didn’t immediately respond to questions about the status of the promotion’s relationship with the apparel maker.

A customer service rep for the apparel maker today told MMAjunkie that the kits were pulled because there were “a LOT of unhappy parties” and mentioned the controversy over fighter payouts, but did not know when the decision to pull the uniforms was made.

As recently as August, the UFC said it was “working with all UFC athletes to ensure their kits are available to the public for purchase” after one fighter – known for controversial opinions on Reebok – pointed out his fight kit wasn’t available.

A separate chat screen posted on Reddit MMA said the remaining jerseys were the most popular ones sold by Reebok.

The development comes on the heels of a poor design choice that led to immediate backlash from one very prominent coach and fans online. But it’s not the first time Reebok’s feet have been held to the fire for its involvement in MMA.

Even before the unveiling of the UFC Fight Kit, Reebok’s multi-year deal with the promotion was bashed by fighters and industry vets via its “athlete outfitting policy,” which forces contracted athletes to wear Reebok-branded apparel on fight night and other UFC events and prevents them from promoting individually acquired sponsors. Several fighters spoke out against a tiered payout system linked to rankings. And a switch to tenure-based payouts did little to brighten the outlook.

UFC President Dana White has downplayed backlash, telling several media outlets that any change is bound to be met with negative feedback and that fighters are getting all the proceeds from the apparel deal.

But now, there’s a clearer signal from Reebok – that the jerseys simply aren’t selling.

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

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