Mousasi Vocal About (Alleged) Non-Payment By Sponsor
UFC middleweight Gegard Mousasi (35-5-2, #8 ranked middleweight) has gone public via social media alleging that a sponsor has not paid him. The alleged sponsor is “Fear The Fighter.”
Mousasi wrote, “I am prepared to let the cat out of the bag in order to find justice”.
Kirik Jenness of mixedmartialarts.com and Jeremy Brand from mmasucka.com brought attention to these allegations, sharing Mousasi’s messages on twitter. and from there Mousasi leaked the information (the following was shared courtesy of mixedmartialarts.com):
Gegard Mousasi @mousasi_mma
•The cat is coming out of the back this week. Non-Paying sponsors have become an epidemic in our sport. Honest fighters are being cheated.
•I am putting all of the sponsors that have refused to pay me the money they owe on notice. I am calling u out bc. I know I am not the only 1
•@Fearthefighter u have refused for my last 2 fights & still owe me money from my 1st fight. U owe myself and others. @ftfenergy @ufc
•@Fearthefighter u promised me and @ufc that u would pay, and u lied to us. Instead of paying your debt u are investing in @ftfenergy
•All @ufc fighters I encourage all of you to speak up about sponsors that are stealing from you. We have to support each other!
•@Fearthefighter owes money to various @ufc fighters. They need to pay their debt.Stop stealing from honest fighters. @bisping @roynelsonmma
•Prepared to support any fighter that is being cheated by @Fearthefighter Before u promote @ftfenergy 1st pay your debt to the @ufc community
•@Fearthefighter your brother is a @ufc but u are stealing from his co-workers. Shame on u and @ftfenergy . Pay your debt. @AkiraCorassani
*@Fearthefighter , instead of investing in @ftfenergy pay the @UFC fighters u owe money to. Pay your debt to our community.
•Thank u to all of the honest sponsors in the @ufc community. We value u! @Venumfight @kalapakijoes@TrainingMas @Hayabusa_MMA
•Thank you @BoosterMMA for being an honest sponsor in the @ufc space
There have been a long list of fighters who have been left to dry from sponsors after advertising their name brand, and some fighters make even more money from sponsors than their actual fight purse. UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub just mentioned that he lost six sponsors, and that money was nearly equivalent to the amount of his fight purse.
With Reebok becoming the official uniform of the UFC, hopefully UFC fighters such as Gegard Mousasi do not have to lose sleep over being concerned if their sponsors will cut them a check as promised.
