Stitch open to returning to the UFC

Cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran is a deeply and widely respected figure in mixed martial arts. His work on Robbie Lawler at UFC 189 allowed for one of the greatest title fights in league history. And his work on Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar helped keep the most important fight in UFC history going and going and going and the viewers peaked and peaked and peaked, ensuring the survival of the sport.

There was an outpouring of shock when he was unceremoniously told the UFC would no longer be using his services, following an interview in which he was critical of the impact of the Reebok deal on cutmen.

Duran maintains that there is value in a logo appearing on the apparel that the top cutmen wear in the Octagon. He is right, which is why the UFC is requiring cutmen, along with everyone else in the corner, to wear it.

Cutmen got started in boxing, and were hired by the fighter. As such, they came out wearing the fighter’s name on their jacket, as they were a part of the fighter’s camp, just like the chief second (cornermen are at a minimum a chief second and a cutman).

In mixed martial arts a different convention developed, where the promotion hired the cutmen. The popularity of the UFC then exploded, and suddenly the real estate on a cornerman’s apparel was worth something, and companies like TapouT started paying for it.

However, this is only the case where the cornerman was being broadcast by the UFC. There is no sponsorship market for cutmen in boxing. There is no sponsorship market for cutmen in Bellator MMA, WSoF, Titan FC, etc.

When the UFC did a deal with Reebok, they made the decision to give the money to the fighters, and to require corners and cutmen to wear the apparel without compensation. The income Duran was realizing from sponsorship was substantial, in excess, he said, of what the UFC was paying him to work as a cutman.

The cornermen fell into a weird space. In boxing, they are part of the corner. A few cornermen in MMA were receiving sponsorship money, perhaps most notably Greg Jackson, who said it was bad for him, but that it wasn’t about him, it was about the fighters.

Definitely it’s not good for the coaches, but it’s not about the coaches. It’s about the fighters at the end of the day, said Jackson to Tristen Critchfield for Sherdog. The coaches are here for support. Myself and some of the other ones that have been sponsored, I’m sure we’re gonna lose that unless they want to stick with us outside the events.

There’s only five or 10 of us that get sponsored. There’s how many fighters in the UFC? That, I think, is a much bigger deal. Yeah for me is a big deal. I’m gonna lose a lot of money, but it’s not about me.

As much I would love to be self-centered and think the world revolves around me, it doesn’t. If I quit MMA tomorrow, literally nobody would care. The fighters matter. They’re the ones seriously putting their ass on the line. As long as it’s good for them, I will be good with it.

There is no market for referee apparel sponsorships, although they are on camera far longer and more visibly than are cornermen. Referees or judges being sponsored by an apparel company would be unseemly, as they have to maintain the highest standards of impartiality – being a TapouT sponsored ref officiating a TapouT sponsored fighter vs. a Hayabusa sponsored fighter would not look right.

Duran spoke with Dave Meltzer for MMAFighting.com in a wide-ranging interview. ‘Stitch’ said that he had worked the first WSoF show, and that in response the UFC did not use him for five shows.

“One of their attorneys said that I gave (WSoF) credibility,” explained the cutman.

This time the response was of course harsher. Still, he said he remains open to working with the UFC.

“Yeah, absolutely,” said Duran. “I’m the kind of guy, I’m not going to have hard feelings. I think it was a knee jerk response. I don’t think the UFC realized they picked on the wrong guy. I bring more to the table than just wrapping hands and working on cuts. The fans, the fighters, the trainers, even people within the organization, and commissioners, have called me. They should understand I bring a lot more. If they called me tomorrow, I’d be more than willing to sit down.”

He noted that whatever stress Dana White may have gotten from the aftermath could be settled in a split second.

“If I was a doctor, my prescription would be two words, `I’m sorry.'”

“It was pretty simple, about a year ago, we were notified that we’d be losing our sponsors, me in particular, me and four of the senior cut men,” said Duran. “We were the ones on the prime fights, and we’d be wearing Reebok gear. Throughout that year we tried to meet with UFC to see if there was any way we could be compensated and the answer was always `No.’ I did an interview the other day, the question was asked, I answered it, and I guess the UFC didn’t like it. I got a call from one of my friends, they’re all friends of mine in UFC, his voice was trembling a little and he said, `They don’t want you to work anymore UFC events because of the article you did on Reebok.'”

“Was I shocked? Yeah. When I got the call, I thought they might say, `You know what, we’re going through this Reebok deal and maybe you should tone down your comments.’ Worst case scenario, that’s what I expected. But to get told you’re not working anymore UFC events for that article, that blew me away.”

What makes this situation all more miserable is that UFC president Dana White and Duran go back to the old boxing days in Vegas, before they were in the UFC. Both were struggling to make a living in combat sports. Then in 2001 White hired him.

“That changed my life,” he said.

“So if there’s anything that bothers me, it’s that Dana didn’t come forward and say, `We don’t have a place for you and goodbye.’ I could have respected that.”

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Let’s hope that phone call happens, and that any feelings of betrayal are subdued, and that we can get back to normal.