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For the first time since the UFC instituted its revolutionary Athlete Outfitting Policy, a handful of the promotion’s athletes will be receiving a little less money than they might have expected based on the program’s payout tiers.

MMAjunkie today confirmed with UFC officials that three athletes who competed at December’s UFC on FOX 17 event will receive reductions on their scheduled payments after “knowingly and seriously” violating the policy, marking the first time the promotion has taken such a step.

“We have had over 99 percent compliance with the Athlete Outfitting Policy,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski told MMAjunkie. “This week will be the first time that we will be issuing reduction in payments for non-compliance with the policy.”

Additionally, another 12 athletes will also be receiving warning letters for non-compliance issues noted during the first six months of operation under the Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on FOX 17 took place Dec. 19 at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos scored a 66-second TKO of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the evening’s main event.

Bleczinski, formerly the Vice President of Consumer Products for the NFL, said “the athletes and the details around the payment reductions” will remain confidential, and the promotion will not be releasing those names.

However, she stressed the promotion works diligently to avoid such situations and only issues the payment reductions as a last resort.

“A warning is issued when an athlete is non-compliant but agrees and takes steps to correct the infraction,” Bleczinski said. “There is ample opportunity for an athlete to correct an infraction. The equipment department, as well as our athlete relations teams, are onsite at the event throughout event week, helping the athletes to be compliant. We know that there’s very much an educational process around this, and so that’s why they’re just receiving a warning letter.

“A payment reduction is enacted when an athlete knowingly and seriously violates the policy after receiving an opportunity to correct it.”

Bleczinski would not reveal specific details of the cited infractions but did say that failure to properly utilize the Reebok Fight Kit during fight week is a primary concern. However, additional infractions can potentially include the usage of unapproved flags or banners in the octagon (only national flags are allowed), usage of unapproved headphones (Monster products are required) or to bring any other brand or competing sponsor to the octagon, weigh-in, press conference or open workouts (branded training equipment, such as gloves and mitts, are allowed so long as it’s part of the athlete’s typical training routine).

For the remainder of fight week and any non-sanctioned UFC events, such as leisure time at the host hotel or private workouts and practices, fighters are not bound by the Athlete Outfitting Policy.

Bleczinski said the official policy, which has been translated to 11 different languages, was originally distributed to fighters beginning in December 2014 and that educational classes were held at each UFC event prior to the official roll-out of the Athlete Outfitting Policy at July’s UFC 189 event.

“Between January and July, there were fighter information sessions held before every fight,” Bleczinski said. “Fighters were required to attend, and they were taken through the policy, educated on all the do’s and don’ts and what the expectations are and were given time to ask questions and voice their opinions.”

Bleczinski insists the UFC is doing everything possible on fight week, as well, to ensure there are no avoidable violations of the Athlete Outfitting Policy.

“When a fighter shows up at fight week, after they check in at the UFC office, the next step is to go to the equipment room, and when they get to the equipment room, the equipment managers are there,” Bleczinski explained. “They talk the athletes through all the product they’re being issued, as well as their expectations of what they’re supposed to wear and when to wear it, and they answer any questions. Following that, they’re onsite at the open workouts and the weigh-ins with bags full of gear, so if a fighter isn’t compliant, an equipment manager will say, ‘You can’t wear that branded T-shirt with a third-party brand on it. Here, let me give you this UFC-Reebok T-shirt to put on.’

“There is always product available to them to switch out so that they are in compliance. There are equipment managers around to help them comply with the policy.

“Then when they arrive on fight night, all of their gear is in their locker for them, and it’s all laid out. Again, the equipment managers are there, in the locker room, answering questions for them, as well as doing checks before they walk out, and if there are any issues, they let the athletes know then. There is ample opportunity for a fighter to correct an infraction.”

Bleczinski said a percentage-based guideline is used by the UFC Compliance Committee – a group made up of UFC senior executives and former UFC athletes – when reviewing the compliance infractions and determining when to issue payment reductions. These are the first such reductions ordered, but Bleczinski said the policy allows for “fines, penalties and potentially even removal from a bout” for continued disregard for the Athlete Outfitting Policy.

Bleczinski, said she realizes the payment reductions aren’t likely to be greeted with a warm response but that properly administrating and executing the UFC-created policy is imperative toward the promotion’s future goals.

“The guidelines, the rules, the expectations were clearly laid out for everyone, and it’s our responsibility to our partners to make sure that we are administering all aspects of the policy,” Bleczinski said. “The athletes had plenty of chances to correct the infractions. In any type of organized sport or league, there are parameters and rules that govern every aspect of it, so this is no different than any other regulations around our sport.

“We, the UFC, are investing in the sport, and in order for us to continue to grow, our programs need to be successful, and that requires guidelines and regulations. This program on a whole is good for the brand, good for the athletes. We have people investing in our sport, which only helps everyone.”

Under the UFC Athlete Outfitting program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC and Strikeforce fights.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive, in perpetuity royalty, payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

The Athlete Outfitting pay is supplemental to the fighters’ usual fight purses.

For complete coverage of the UFC’s schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.