The UFC’s Reebok Deal: Mysterious or Phenomenal?

By Dave Madden

With the buzz surrounding a terrific night of fights, UFC Fight Night Adelaide, Australia could still not escape the issue that has enveloped a heaping dose of controversy, the sponsorship deal between Reebok and the UFC. No matter which side of the fence you find yourself, the fact remains that almost everyone outside the corporate round table that seats UFC and Reebok executives do not have a clue what the end result of this partnership will look like, both for fighters and fans.

Maybe the unknown of the Reebok deal is comparable to the unknown of how prolific a night of fights will truly be? The fight card on display in Oz was discounted because, apparently on paper, the UFC didn’t caravan every ranked-fighter on their roster down under. Those who were pessimistic without knowing the details of what was to come should simply rest easy in their favorite MMA viewing chair and mimic Bill Gates who stated,

“Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path.”

All in all, allow for time to tell to fully pixilate the end result, whether it’s a fight card or a new endorsement deal. Sit back, relax, and let’s see how everything pans out.

Displeasure for the Reebok deal, currently understood as piecemeal, was highlighted in the post-fight interview with “Smile’N” Sam Alvey (26-6-0 1NC) after his crushing knockout victory over Australian Olympiad in Judo, Dan Kelly (9-1-0). For much of the time on the microphone, Alvey had the crowd roaring with pleasure and eating out of the palm of his hand with his charisma.

First, he admonished Mothers all over the world,

“I want to thank the Mommas out here. I heard a couple of Australian gals calling all of you Mums. In America you’re Mommas, so Happy Momma’s Day; I love each and every one of you!”

The audience also chorused in Alvey’s attempt to do as the Romans, or Aussies in this case,

“First of all, thank you all! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! That’s what you say, right? Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!” The crowd responded, “Oy, oy, oy!”

Shockingly enough, the smile on Alvey’s face widened before he got to the next order of business, to the delight of viewers, calling out TUF Nations: Canada Versus Australia contestant Elias Theodorou (11-0-0),

“The guy I want to call out; ya know, I’m trying to remember his name because we just picked him last night.” Alvey turned to his corner for a refresher on who the person was, got the name, and proceeded, “Elias Theodorou, I’m coming for you buddy. I want you; I’m going to knock you out. He was bragging about having the best hair in MMA. I’ll tell you what. If I lose, I’ll shave my head. When you lose, I want you shaving your head because I’m coming for your hair buddy.”

Rolling with laughter, Alvey was compiling fans with every syllable uttered until Alvey shared his appreciation for Reebok. Alvey’s sentiment for Reebok sent his newly acquired fan-base running for the hills,

“And I’ve got to thank Reebok; you guys make the best shoes in the business.”

The crowd rained down boos onto Alvey. Granted, the bulk of the talk about Reebok, with no empirical evidence one way or another, provides support to the argument presented by Amanda Ripley in From the Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way (2013),

“Without date, you are just another person with an opinion…” (p.19)

You don’t have to love the invasion of Reebok onto the UFC scene, but we all need to accept it. The unknown presents forlorn mysteries, and social media has created a number of unofficial badges for us all to play detective. Curtains drawn, fans simply need a perspective other than the dark and gloomy that’s repeated over and over.

Jen Wenk, former Head of Public Relations (PR) for the UFC, made an appearance on MMA Junkie Radio, and her perspective on the collaborative inner workings of the Reebok and UFC will, in her opinion, produce a product that very well may send consumers flocking to websites or brick-and-mortars for some shopping. Wenk’s background in PR affords her the opportunity to visualize the hustle and bustle of deal making and promoting that the common enthusiast can’t imagine. She explained the potential enormity of the Reebok deal,

“They [Reebok] are super powerful. They can open a lot of doors. This is a very big deal for the UFC. Not just for the way that it effects the presentation and production of an event, but the channels it opens. Like I said, big brands attract like brands. This is a good thing all the way around.”

Listening, the audience was given a sense that it’ll all work out. From a consumer’s standpoint, there have been a number of rumblings about the fact that Reebok isn’t the name it once was in prior decades. Yes, eras resurge, though Reebok hasn’t really been a name associated with professional athletics, at least not yet. Wenk presented why this perception may alter,

“They did not just do this overnight. They have a plan. You haven’t even seen them debut yet. You haven’t seen their marketing and advertising campaign. When these two [UFC and Reebok] get together and break this thing out, I wouldn’t underestimate their ability to achieve cool. We haven’t seen the different uniforms, and we haven’t seen the different styles that they’re going to come out with. Just wait, we’ll see.”

Patience being a virtue isn’t only good advice from a reputable name in the industry, but it’s the only thing UFC fans and fighters can do until the UFC and Reebok merger is rolled out the way the powers that are planning to do so. Whether the Reebok deal has you downtrodden because you want answers or optimistic for the changes to come, the back and forth should accompany the words of American author Bernard Malamud (1914-1986), not matter what side of the argument you find yourself,

“Teach yourself to work in uncertainty.”