Dana White calls UFC-Reebok deal a ‘home run’

Back in 2014 the UFC signed a six-year outfitting deal with Reebok to become the official apparel sponsor of the UFC, and that deal has not gone well in the eyes of many fans and fighters.

When fighters could represent their own sponsors, they had more opportunities to make money, but since the Reebok deal was signed, fighters are not allowed to represent additional sponsors. Reebok also pays most fighters much less than they would be paid by their own, individual sponsors.

While there have been many critics of the Reebok and UFC deal, UFC President Dana White is on the opposite end of the argument, and during an interview with Aaron Bronsteter of TSN, called the deal with Reebok a “home run”.

“It ended up being an absolute home run,” White said. “I love the look, I love the feel of everything that we’ve done with Reebok and uniforms are here to stay.”

When Bronsteter followed up and asked if the UFC could stay with Reebok or move to Adidas, which owns Reebok, White said that the UFC has a great relationship with Reebok and it has benefited everyone involved.

“Adidas owns Reebok,” he said. “We’ve had a great relationship with Reebok, it’s been good, it’s been good for us, it’s been good for the fighters, and obviously it’s been very good for television. It looks a lot better, cleaner, and we’ll see what the future holds when the deal is up.”

It sounds like Dana White is completely open to getting a new deal done with Reebok and keeping them as the official apparel brand of the UFC, especially because they provide a cleaner look on television. With Zuffa Boxing potentially beginning in 2020, it will be interesting to see if Reebok becomes the official outfitter for that organization as well.

Would you like to see Reebok stick around with the UFC?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 1/16/2020.