Every media outlet under the sun is buzzing about the UFC's press conference this afternoon where the company finally unveiled its long-awaited fighter kits, which initiate a long-term partnership with the apparel brand Reebok. This deal as many know has gained mixed reactions from both fighters and the sports media. I won't delve into the details of the deal right now, but you can click here for a previous story about the partnership and the compensation strategy for fighters.
With all of its major stars in attendance Reebok unveiled a signature champions line that will be all black and several other variations of colored shirts emblazoned with the fighters full name. In addition one of the sleeves will display the fighter's country of origin with a large UFC logo in the front. My description is fairly lacking so I will post a link to the story.
These kits are a stark contrast to the fighter shirts of yore. The previous apparel brands were quite artistic. Some had interesting graphics and some were just plain logos. These new kits are the example of professionalism, much like the athletic kits of other sports only the most necessary information is displayed in order enhance recognition. It also may create a larger unity in terms of team infrastructure (countries share similar color schemes, creating discernible groups within the organization). In other words, they are uniforms meant to unify and distinguish fighters in the roster. However, I cannot help but think of previous fight leagues like the now defunct International Fight League (IFL) where the fighters were separated into teams and displayed uniforms reflecting those teams where they competed as teams as well, much like the current season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Fighter reaction to the new kits has been mixed as well. Some ridicule the structure and color scheme of the new kits. Others are ready to tow the line and embrace this new chapter in their careers. I actually thought that the UFC was just going to let Reebok design custom shirts for every event reflecting the personalities of the fighters who were to step into the cage much like they had done with some of their signature athletes before this partnership. But as we saw today the ability to brand yourself and stand out from the crowd has been hindered to fighters, which means that fighters will have to hustle to monetize themselves out of the cage.
On the other hand, this could make the sport better. A fighter will now be recognized because of their skills if everyone if are know distinguishing characteristics. Fighters would elevate their performances in order to be recognized by the mass media. This is the first step the company believes will lead to more promotion and more coverage form media circuits outside of the traditional MMA media and legitimize the sport to appeal to the masses.
Whatever you think of the new kits; they will be here to stay. Let me know what you think of the new kits. Feel free to leave a comment down below and subscribe to the blog. Also I am available to discuss these issues on my Google+ account and on twitter via @mmalegal2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment