Jacob “Stitch” Duran, a well-known cutman who works in MMA and boxing, lost his job with the UFC this month after he spoke out about a new deal the organization signed with Reebok.
In an interview with Bloody Elbow on Monday, Duran revealed that the UFC’s new apparel deal with Reebok has stripped him of his ability to wear brand-name sponsors to fights and make money doing it.
“I got paid on a monthly basis so it definitely added up,” Duran explained. “I made really good money on that sponsorship so it’s kind of a shocker to transition.
“I understand why my old sponsors used to come to me, because I gave them exposure. Before a fighter entered the cage or between rounds you’d see me and my vest on camera. No reason Reebok couldn’t be getting that exposure now. I wonder if Reebok realizes they are missing a nice piece of real estate.”
Duran also spoke out about the deal on Twitter, telling one follower he “lost everything.”
@InMyMMAOpinion Brother, I lost everything regarding sponsors from pay to a nice vest!
Now I have no fees and a generic vest.
— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 13, 2015
You can understand Stitch’s frustration, as his work is incredibly important to the sport. No one wants to have money taken out of their pockets, but apparently Duran was too candid in speaking about the UFC’s business publicly. He told a Twitter follower on Tuesday evening that the UFC has fired him.
@daej81 You will be the first to know that the UFC just let me go because I spoke out about the Reebok deal. Got to look for a new job!
— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 21, 2015
Sports is a cruel business, and not just for the athletes.
H/T MMA Fighting
