Joey Beltran: Low sponsorships because “I’m a fat Mexican?”
“Maybe it’s because I suck. Maybe it’s because I’m a fat Mexican, I don’t know. So for me and the whole sponsorship thing, it really doesn’t matter and I really don’t care.”
The question of whether it is fair that woman fighter’s sex appeal plays a role in mixed martial arts popularity and sponsorship is often asked. In a recent interview, UFC vet and current Bellator MMA fighter José Felipe “Joey” Beltran obliquely took the discussion to male fighters are well.
‘The Mexicutioner” fought in the UFC eleven times from 2010-2013, and estimates he averaged less than $6,000 per fight in sponsorships.
I have a little different viewpoint on the whole sponsorship thing,” he began. “Like I hear these stories of people saying they got like $50,000 to wear a t-shirt or something and I’m like ‘when the f— did this happen?’ I fought 10 times for the UFC and never got that type of money! I mean not even if you added up all the money from all 10 of my fights would it have resulted in over $60,000 in sponsorship. Maybe it’s because I suck. Maybe it’s because I’m a fat Mexican, I don’t know. So for me and the whole sponsorship thing, it really doesn’t matter and I really don’t care. It is what it is.
My gear sponsor Triumph United is awesome and has been with me since I started fighting in ‘King of the Cage’ and ‘Total Combat’. They have the best gear in the industry as far as I’m concerned. And that’s all I’m really concerned about is that I have fresh gloves and fresh gear to train in. The money just isn’t make-or-break money for me. That’s just my opinion, like I said maybe I sucked and nobody wanted to sponsor me who knows. For me, I’m from the old school you know. MMA literally saved my life in so many ways. I’m just a prize fighter. You say you will pay me X-number of dollars to hop on a plane and fight in Russia, then I’m like ‘Alright, let’s do it’. That’s always been my mentality, it’s never been about the extra bells and whistles (sponsorships). In retrospect, maybe it should have been more. But oh well, could have, should have, would have.
Joey Beltran fights Kendall Grove in the co-main event of Bellator 143 on September 25, 2015.
