Gilbert Melendez är den senaste i raden av fighters som uttryckt sig om UFC:s deal med Reebok och han är inte helt nöjd. Trots tiden som han varit med i Pride och Strikeforce är han en av de som ligger i det undre skiktet i den nya rankingen och kommer nu därför att tjäna 5000 dollar per match.
Det här hade Melendez att säga, via ”MMAJunkie Radio”:
(UFC President Dana White and UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta), they’ve done a lot for this sport, and they’re smart men, so I have faith that they have an ultimate big game plan, and hopefully, this is better for the sport and yada yada yada – all that stuff.
But with that said, it has the potential to hurt my pocketbook for sure.
Melendez har haft ett antal sponsorer sedan han började med MMA, som han nu har byggt upp personliga förhållanden med och som hjälpt honom genom hela hans karriär:
I lived off my sponsorship money every day as an up-and-coming fighter. Just my food, my rent – just so I didn’t have to work as hard and I could focus on fighting.
These people have watched me grow to see where I’m at, and I love to represent them in there. It was a way to make it in this sport. I don’t think, without sponsors, I’d be where I’m at today. I would have had to throw in the towel and get a real job, and I think some fighters are going to have to do that.
I’m trying to have faith here, and hopefully there’s a big picture here.
Melendez möter härnäst Eddie Alvarez under UFC 188 den 13 juni i Mexico City.
