When the UFC made their deal with Reebok back in 2015, the $70 million/6-year contract seemed like it may have been a solid chunk of change to pay for outfitting UFC athletes—at least to some. But, with a rare few exceptions, Reebok essentially purchased the rights to brand a rotating cast of more than 600 athletes for somewhere in the neighborhood of what it cost Nike to sign Kevin Durant to his Rookie shoe deal.
Even if many UFC fighters don’t exactly fit the mold of a surefire merchandising hit, the package was designed to be an easy win for the sports apparel company.