Darren Till reflects on UFC’s unpopular business decision during Reebok era: ‘What the f*cks going on now?’

Darren Till isn’t one to slander the UFC, but he admits he didn’t agree with a business decision the promotion made a decade ago.

Prior to 2015, UFC fighters were accustomed to signing their own sponsorship deals. Oftentimes, the fighter shorts and banners would be filled with branding. In late 2014, UFC announced a deal with Reebok that marked the end of its athletes being able to wear outside branding on their gear. While the UFC introduced compliance payouts, many argued that the freedom to secure independent sponsorships was more lucrative.

Appearing on “MightyCast,” Till admitted that he wasn’t a fan of that decision, and he feels it left himself and other fighters in a rough spot (via MMAFighting).

“I don’t like to slander Dana too much, he gets a lot of heat, but obviously I have to be a truthful guy as well. I always stand on business with what I believe in as well, but even when you’re in the UFC, it’s like, ‘We’re going to take away your sponsorship now. We’re going to put Venum in there or Reebok,’” Till said. “I was like, ‘What the f*cks going on now?’ So now the fighters aren’t even making money outside of it. It was actually quite cruel, some of it. It was, it was cruel.

“That sort of stuff, 10 plus 10, and then your fight’s set in stone, f*ck all that, that does not—For me now, I couldn’t be loving life more, I’ll be honest. I’ve just made a shit-ton of money.”

The UFC and Reebok are no longer in business together. Venum is the current official apparel sponsor of the top MMA promotion.

Till is longer under the UFC contract and has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in the world of influencer boxing. “The Gorilla” has called for boxing matches with the likes of retired legend Carl Froch. Time will tell if Till will be able to secure the matchup.