Dana White: Nike shutting down Manny Pacquiao line
Last week’s signing by Nike of Jon Jones was a major step for MMA towards mainstream acceptance. The MMA market…
Last week’s signing by Nike of Jon Jones was a major step for MMA towards mainstream acceptance. The MMA market has been rocketing in popularity for years, and almost entirely eluded Nike. All that could change when Jones fights Dan Henderson at UFC 151 decked out in Nike gear. Jones’ worldwide deal is similar to the ones signed with LeBron James and Tiger Woods.
UFC President Dana White, while making laudatory comments about the products, later reported that Nike is shuttering their Manny Pacquiao line.
While the two situations may not have anything to do with one another, White points out that Nike has decided to drop their endorsement deal with boxing star Manny Pacquiao as they begin their new relationship with Jones.
They’re shutting down the Manny Pacquiao line and starting up the Jon Jones line, UFC President White revealed. I don’t know why they shut down the Pacquiao line, but they did and that s— was selling like hot cakes. I got Manny Pacquiao s— from Nike.
Jones’ deal with Nike will include a clothing line as well as a signature shoe that will be produced in the coming months.
Any changes to the Nike Pacquiao likely has little do with Jones. Pacquiao has been rumored to be moving to Nike’s Jordan brand. Nike also signed Timothy Bradley, who beat Pacquiao by split decision arly this year.
Further, Nike says they are ‘amused’ by the report, and denied it categorically.
Manny Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, told Boxing Scene’s Ronnie Nathanielsz that not only does Nike maintain its close relationship with Pacquiao, he also said the company has new deals in store for the eight division world champion.
Koncz said the executives at Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon felt the comments by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White that Nike had dropped Pacquiao were pretty amusing.
The Nike officials also flatly denied that the company is cutting off Pacquiao.
Koncz quoted Nike executives as saying that the Pacquiao line is selling very well and that they have got some other things going that would involve the Filipino boxer.
