Former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson recently claimed that Dana White and the company stole the Reebok sponsorship from him so they could make millions for the company.
During his prime, Quinton Jackson was one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. After a memorable run in Pride FC, the Tennessee native began his stint in the Octagon with an impressive win streak that included victories over legends Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson.
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While he would go on to have some notable setbacks during his tenure, at one time he was among the most beloved fighters in the promotion. Due to his notable fan base, “Rampage” was able to secure some major sponsorship deals. One of them was with the apparel giant Reebok.
However, the MMA great recently revealed that in 2013 the UFC cost him a huge amount of money by stealing that sponsorship away from him.
- Rampage Jackson record: 37-14
Rampage Jackson says Dana White cost him Reebok sponsorship deal for a separate pact with UFC
“I left the UFC because they stole my Reebok deal,” Jackson said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast this week. “That was my mother f****** deal. Reebok sponsored me and I was gonna wear them on my shorts. And Dana White said you can’t wear Reebok. We don’t have a relationship with Reebok. I said, ‘I’m an independent contractor, you don’t need a relationship with my sponsor. What the f*** you mean.’
“It got a lot of press. And Reebok was happy. They were like, ‘Rampage we’re getting more press by not being able to be on your shorts.’ So I was like, ‘What you trying to say?’ The UFC and Reebok teamed up and cut me out and they tried to give me one of them kits,” he recalled. “I was like, ‘Man f*** you. I’m leaving.’ They tried to make it look like I retired.”
The former UFC light heavyweight champion would soon leave the company and compete for rivals Bellator from 2013 to 2019. His final bout was a knockout loss to fellow Pride FC veteran Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237.
The UFC signed a six-year, $80 million apparel deal with Reebok in 2014. They have since switched to Venum being their new apparel company.
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