Werdum told the media in Rio de Janeiro, via Bloodyelbow, how he believes that the UFC’s new deal with Reebok will only benefit the top fighters.
“It’s not 100 percent set how it’s going to be, but I think that for those who are fighting for a long time, who battled for a good position in the rankings, the champion or the top 10 fighters, will benefit from that,”
“I think that it’s not good for the up and comers, but maybe is a motivation for them. It will motivate them to get to the top. The fighter will think about it, an extra motivation. If I were an up and comer, I would think this way. Since I’m in a better position, I think it’s great. I worked hard for this. For those who are starting now, you have to work hard.”
Some fighters have mentioned losing sponsors because of the new Reebok deal. For Werdum it wasn’t the case:
“I didn’t lose any sponsors, and I don’t have many sponsors. I have few and good ones,” he said. “I have several sponsors that don’t get in (the Octagon) with me, but you don’t have to have them all in the UFC, right? Of course it’s the best way to showcase, but it all depends on the brand and the fighters.”