Reebok website errors cause confusion over fight kit sales

Correction: Following further clarification, and the return of the Reebok website to full operation, it appears that there's no change to the basic advertising being offered by Reebok for UFC fighters on their websites. The information posited from MMAJunkie appears to have been less than accurate and secondary statements from Jeremy Botter have made it clear that he was not intending to support MMAJunkie's claims. Below is the original article, which was written previous to receiving these clarifications.

One of the big questions surrounding the launch of customized Reebok fight kits for the entire roster was, just who is going to buy an $80 t-shirt for a non-team sport, whose only distinction is the name on its back? It turns out, if your name isn't one of the top sellers for Reebok right now, nobody. And because of that, it seems that Reebok has decided to stop advertising most kits directly. At least, that's the message that's currently going out to the MMA media through various sources close to the company. MMAJunkie first reported the news after all but the 8 most popular jerseys (h/t Reddit) were pulled from the website.

A customer service rep apparently told Junkie that "there were a lot of unhappy parties" surrounding the UFC's Reebok deal, including problems with fighter pay controversies. Before the news broke Bloody Elbow reached out to Reebok on the story, and were told that the database was currently undergoing maintenance, and that that was the reason for the removal of most of the custom UFC apparel.

However, Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report has since given more details on the change, Tweeting that the kits that will remain on site are the ones that are most in demand:

The kits still available on site are the ones that Reebok keeps stock of on hand due to popularity. The rest are printed on demand.

— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) October 21, 2015

If that's the new future for the UFC/Reebok uniform partnership, it seems like it will be just that much harder for fighters to get a percentage of their sales. No advertising and limited availability aren't exactly a recipe for financial success in the world of non-luxury goods. And if the vast majority of shirts aren't selling for Reebok, it brings up serious questions as to the value of the brand coverage they're getting out of producing the uniforms and sponsoring the fighters altogether. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more information as this story continues to evolve, as it seems unlikely that this will be the end of it.