Featured Image Credit: YouTube - UFC
Topics: UFC, Dana White, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Nike
Marcus Banks
Topics: UFC, Dana White, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Nike
Eagle-eyed UFC fans spotted an unusual change to Max Holloway’s attire during the UFC 300 press conference.
All 26 fighters took to the stage for a historic press conference ahead of Saturday night’s UFC 300 event which promises to be the biggest in the promotion’s history.
Holloway will face Justin Gaethje for BMF title in one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of the year as he steps up to lightweight for the second time.
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As per usual, UFC president Dana White had all the fighters face off at the end of the press conference where earlier he announced that post-fight bonuses would be $300k instead of $50k.
During Holloway and Gaethje’s face-off, fans noticed an unusual step the Hawaii-born fighter was forced to take.
It appears Holloway was told to cover up the Nike logo on his shoes as the iconic swoosh was covered up by white tape.
UFC fighters are not permitted to display other brands or sponsors due to the company’s uniform agreement with Venum and have a specific partnership for shoes with The Rock and Under Armour.
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According to The Guardian, all UFC fighters and corner teams are obligated to wear Project Rock footwear during fight-week events, workouts, as well as during their walk to the octagon.
In this specific case, fans noticed Dana White was also wearing Nike shoes but did not cover up the logo which has left fans baffled.
One fan wrote on X: “Two pairs of Nike’s directly next to one another, one has tape covering the logo, the other doesn’t. The one with tape over the logo is an independent contractor that had no say in the UFC’s shoe partnership with The Rock. The one without tape over the logo is a top decision maker who signed said deal.”
The UFC’s decision on sponsorship has been a cause of controversy for a number of the years due to the lower pay compared to when fighters could display their own personal brands.
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Ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou fired shots at the promotion after leaving for holding back fighters in what they can earn. He wrote on social media in 2023: “Fighters are getting short-changed in the sponsorship arena. Uniformity in attire is aesthetically pleasing, but isn’t there room for at least a couple of in-octagon sponsors of our choice?”