On Jan 23, Gegard Mousasifiled a lawsuit in Quebec against UFC lightweight John Makdessi, and Fear the Fighter, for non payment of agreed upon sponsorship revenue. The suit seeks payment of a contracted $25,800, plus $15,100 for lost sponsorship opportunities and moral damages, plus interest. The sponsorship was in connection with three events, UFC Fight Night 36, UFC Fight Night 41 and UFC Fight Night 50.

Makdessi spoke with Steven Marrocco for MMAJunkie, and said that that despite being the president of record of Fear the Fighter, his brother David ran the company, and his sole role in it was as a sponsored athlete.

Unfortunately, my name was on the piece of paper as president, said Makdessi. I never knew it was going to come to this point. There’s so many things that I knew of, but I was never a part of the business aspect.

I never benefited from Fear the Fighter … I never spoke to anybody; I never signed a piece of paper. I was the inspiration behind Fear the Fighter, and I was a sponsored athlete. My brother was helping me in my career and helping me with the business side so I can focus on the fighting.

Mousasi was not impressed.

“The courts will decide,” said Mousasi to Marc Raimondi for MMAFighting.com. “However, it is hard to accept his defense. He acknowledges that he was president and that he wanted to benefit from the investment. So how can you not accept the liability associated with that investment? Ignorance is not a legal defense, and what he said sounds desperate and foolish.”

The Reebok Deal was driven in part by a series of debacles like this one. While Mousasi and his management have lauded that the Reebok Deal will end fighters being no payed by sponsors, he is never the less concerned about the decline in income, in a sport with a very small window.

“There are a few fighters that will benefit from it,” said Mousasi. “I think the vast majority will have to assume a pay cut. Even with all the sponsorship issues, I will make substantially less with the new model. This Reebok deal is work in progress and hopefully it will improve with positive dialogue and input between all the people that are involved and invested in this situation.”