A respectful fan’s open message to Dana White on Reebok Deal

For what it is worth, the new Reebok uniforms did not go over well with the hardcore fanbase. Good news is, someone smart I know got a look at next year’s gear, and was impressed.

And for what it is worth, the Reebok deal meaning apparel companies could no longer secure booth space at the UFC Fan Expo did not go over well with the hardcore fanbase. Good news is, someone who knows says there are some major and exciting changes coming to the Expo.

Never the less, Now is the winter of our discontent as far as the hardcore fanbase is concerned. Of course, always is the winter of our discontent as far as the hardcore fanbase is concerned; but this one is some Winter is Coming stuff. Longtime UGer JM Smith respectfully lays out why.

A sincere message to Dana White (from a fan)

From: DiscipleDojo +987

Disciple Dojo, L3C, Prismacolor Sensei

Member Since: 4/1/11

Posts: 5591

Dana,

I know the chances of you actually seeing this are slim, but what the heck, I might as well give it a shot.

I’m writing this because I appreciate what you’ve done for the sport. I appreciate your candor and that you are genuinely passionate about MMA, even when it may get you into hot water in the press. I appreciate that you work your butt off and are largely responsible for the tremendous success that the UFC has experienced. Anyone who follows the sport simply cannot deny this with any degree of objectivity or credibility. I also appreciate and understand that Zuffa is a private company and you, Frank and Lorenzo can do what you think best with your product and people are free to support it with their dollars or not. That’s basic capitalism and Zuffa took a huge debt risk to begin with. I have heard your arguments in favor of the Reebok deal as well and I know how it is supposed to work.

However, as a longtime fan of both MMA in general and the UFC in particular I want to say the following honestly and without any animosity or anti-Zuffa emotion whatsoever. (You’ve always seemed to be a candid, straightforward guy who does’t mince words, so I want to give you an honest response that likewise doesn’t mince words, but which I hope you receive in the spirit it’s given, with no personal disrespect. Because I assure you none is intended.)

I absolutely hate this Reebok deal.

•I hate, as an artist myself, that whoever was working on it over at Reebok decided that making the fighters and cornermen look like a cross between ice-cream salesmen and a deck of UNO cards was a good idea and in any way reflected the look and feel of Mixed Martial Arts.

•I hate that while the Octagon continues to look like NASCAR with all its various sponsor graphics plastered around it, the fighters themselves not only don’t get to have other sponsors on their shorts/tops, but they also look completely generic due to the horrible design job by the one sponsor they are forced to represent. If the Octagon was also generically decorated with similarly bland Reebok-type design, it would perhaps be less jarring visually, and seem less hypocritical overall from a fight fan perspective.

•I hate that due to the Reebok deal, the Fan Expo this year was almost completely devoid of what made it so much fun last year–all the different gear/apparel/collectibles companies there and all the different fighters they had mingling with fans. This year was basically a Reebok/Monster/Toyo Tire Expo (with about a half-dozen small booths for other the handful of non-related vendors allowed to display there) combined with a meet-and-greet. Yes, it was technologically impressive, the badges were high-tech, the Fight Pass set up was nice, the Q&A forums were well-done, the bells and whistles were all flashy…but it was so devoid of what made it so much fun in previous years. I spent the majority of the two days watching the IBJJF tournament rather because after about 20-30 minutes in the Expo, there was nothing much to see, and no companies’ representatives to meet or connect with. There were no vendors with gear or collectibles (such as Topps, Round 5, Venum, etc.). The entire atmosphere was different, and not for the better. I’m sorry I went and will likely not be returning so long as the exclusivity of Reebok/MP/Monster is in effect at the Fan Expo.

•I hate how things were handled with Stitch. He’s not only the best and most experienced cutman in combat sports, he’s also a well-respected, longtime employee who said absolutely nothing inherently disrespectful or hurtful to the UFC or Reebok in his interview. The fighters deserve the best in the business when it comes to their safety and the UFC deserves the best in the business when it comes to saving fights that might otherwise be stopped due to unmanaged cuts. And when pressed about it, I hate that you doubled-down and responded by saying Stitch wasn’t a friend and needlessly ridiculing fans who disagreed with the decision. I get that you were likely frustrated from the fallout with the Reebok deal already, and we all have moments where we speak/act against our better judgment. You call people out when they are out of line, so I believe in calling you out in this particular instance, as it was out of line for the face of a professional sports league who is attempting to lead the UFC into the realm of premier mainstream sport.

Again, none of the above is personal and I have no desire to speak badly of you at a personal level. You’ve done some great things…especially for the UG (such as your support of #FranksFight in autographing the portrait I did of you to auction off and in giving Frank and Wendy an unforgettable weekend as VIP guests in the final months before he died from his cancer. That is something I’ll always be grateful to you for, and the reason why I am attempting to share my thoughts in a respectful and constructive manner rather than mindlessly Zuffa-bashing or ridiculing you, as many on here seem to constantly enjoy doing). I’m simply giving an honest opinion on a message board that I hope you or someone close to you will see, as a longtime customer and a fan of the sport.

I’ve never rooted against the UFC, Zuffa, or you as the President. I want the sport to continue to grow and for people to gain more of a passion for combat sports and martial arts as a result. I want nothing but success to result from the decade plus of time, energy, money, and passion you have invested into this sport and the company. Again, I’ve always rooted for you and want to continue doing so.

But because of this Reebok deal and its implications made evident in the Expo, the bad designs, and particularly in how Stitch was treated when he gave an honest and respectful response when asked in an interview, I can’t help but find myself hoping that Bellator, WSOF and other smaller promotions benefit from fighters leaving the UFC’s roster until the exclusivity of Reebok’s sponsorship is lifted.

Lastly…

•I hate that I even felt the need to write this, in fact. I honestly do. So I want to end by telling you what I love.

I love the sport.

I love the fighters.

I love the community it generates.

I love how you saved it from extinction during its near-death period.

I love how you created TUF and through it have introduced millions to the sport as something other than “human cockfighting” or “guys just rolling around with each other.”

I love ordering UFC PPVs with my friends and cheering like crazy when my favorite fighters win.

I love that you aren’t afraid to lay into the judging or referees when you think they did a bad job.

I love that you aren’t afraid to compliment or praise them when they do a great job.

I love that you are active on social media and respond to fans (even when I don’t like what you say in such responses from time to time!).

I love being able to watch MMA on television through the deal you’ve made with Fox.

I love seeing sports analysts and media covering MMA as a legitimate sport now.

Please, Dana, as a genuine fan I am asking you to somehow course-correct regarding the Reebok exclusivity deal, and to do right by Stitch as a longtime and valued cutman (even if he remains unemployed by the UFC).

I know such a random post by basically a nobody will be easy to dismiss, or ridicule. But I share it anyway in hopes that it may in some small way make a difference in the long run.

Sincerely,

a fan