Xbox- and Microsoft-backed UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has one of the most prominent fighter-sponsor partnerships in the sport.

Johnson’s attire through fight week and on fight night has remained the same for years, but with the introduction of Reebok-sponsored UFC uniforms in 2015, everything is about to change.

While the champ said details of the Reebok deal are still scarce, he does know it’s going to change the dynamic of his relationship with existing sponsors.

“Obviously I can’t wear Xbox in the octagon anymore, so there’s nothing I can do about that,” Johnson told MMAjunkie. “We’ve been talking to Xbox and Microsoft and all that stuff. We hope they keep me on outside. Whether they want me to go out and do promotion of games and stuff – for my last fight for ‘Call of Duty,’ I went down to L.A. and did a viewing party, went to San Francisco to work on the games – so I’m hoping I can do a lot more of that stuff outside the octagon where they have to keep me.”

The MMA sponsorship game has been in a noticeable decline in recent years. Few companies are willing to put their logo on a fighter’s gear, and even fewer are willing to fork out considerable payment to do so. So what about the fighters whose sponsorship dollars represent a considerable portion of their income? Johnson worries for those fighters.

“A guy like Nick Diaz, for example, comes out with all his Metal Mulisha, all his sponsorships,” Johnson said. “Let’s say from those sponsorships he makes like $80,000 to go in the octagon. That’s a nice payday just for wearing sponsorships.

“Lets say the UFC says, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to wear Reebok tomorrow.’ And he says, ‘OK, that sounds good. Here are all my pay stubs and my contracts for my last fight. They’re paying me $80,000, so what’s Reebok going to pay me?’ They say, ‘You’re ranked second in the world, so we’re going to pay you $2,000 to wear Reebok.’ For me, I think that’s not necessarily fair because there’s basically $78,000 that’s unaccounted for. If UFC’s going to compensate me with the same amount, that’s fantastic. If not, that’s a big boo-boo.”

As a champ, Johnson said he wants what’s best not only for him, but also for other fighters on the roster who could end up in his position.

Money is a fickle subject in MMA, especially since the vast majority of fighters don’t have a lot of it. Johnson is in a more privileged position than most. Despite that, though, he still has concerns over the financial impact for his fellow fighters.

“I think everyone would hope (they’re paid the same or more as before), whether they’re the champion or not,” Johnson said. “I would hope the person on the prelims card who is ranked 20th in the UFC, if they’re making $10,000 from Dynamic Fastener, I believe they have the right to be paid that. That’s just me being an honest person.

“If the person can show what they are making and this Reebok deal isn’t making the same, they should be making it right. That’s my take on it. I support the UFC, I’m happy for this deal, and I hope it helps out a lot of fighters, including myself.”

The group that stands to benefit most from the deal, Johnson said, is fighters who may not even yet be in the UFC. With sponsorships quickly drying up, it’s going to become increasingly difficult for a UFC newcomer to get sponsors. The Reebok deal bridges that gap since it will provide some sort of funding to fighters who may not receive anything otherwise.

“I think it’s a good thing to where people don’t have to run out and struggle to find sponsorships and all that stuff,” Johnson said. “But at the end of the day, I just don’t want people to be stripped of what they can bring in. That’s my biggest thing about it. If a person is getting paid $80,000 for something and they’re told they can’t wear it anymore and they’re losing that money, then something needs to happen about that.”

For now Johnson said his relationship with Xbox still stands. The fight-week/fight-night component will end in July, but if the Reebok deal proves beneficial to the sport as a whole, Johnson said he’s happy to make the sacrifice.

“The whole thing with the Reebok deal is (UFC President) Dana White and (chairman and CEO) Lorenzo Fertitta care about making things right,” Johnson said. “If they say this deal is going to benefit the fighters, then fantastic. It’s a six-year long deal. That’s a big deal, so hopefully it works out.

“We won’t know how good the deal is until we see the actual fine print. I think for Reebok, it’s a hell of a deal because I know what Microsoft and Xbox spend for a 20-second spot on FOX, and it’s a ridiculous amount of money, so we’ll see what happens.”

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