# Sponsoring UFC/MMA Fighters



## Raygunz187 (Sep 3, 2007)

Anybody here tried to reach out to UFC Fighters or fighters in the MMA world? Were you successful? Please share your experience. Thanks.


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## nycmerch (Mar 29, 2009)

Very Expensive! $100,000 and up from what I understood. Besides with all the fight apparel... it would be just a waste of money for a screen printer to do... unless you have your own line of fight gear. No one is going to pay attention to Joe Schmoe Screen Printing with a huge Tapout (TM) logo on the front of the shirt. Anyone who watches MMA knows exactly who tapout and the other brands are. This is why they have no problem paying big bucks for promotional sponsorships. Brand recognition is key when doing sponsorships on that level.


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## Unik Ink (Nov 21, 2006)

I am a printer and I print for several MMA companies. I sometimes give a discount to my clients to have my name on the back of MMA shirts. I have been contacted by fighters that promote me for free for throwing in free design work. I do not aggressively advertise in the MMA market though. With the type of printing that I do, the retail companies and fighters usually find me.


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## elcarl (Apr 3, 2009)

I have my own Apparel MMA Company and have looked into the bigger fighters, it all depends on the event on some of the bigger show your looking at 2000.00 for a small logo on the shorts, and $20,000.00 head to toe all in your apparel. your better off going to the local shows and sponsor fighters and doing a specific shirt for them, and then selling them, we have been very successful with that, its also very hard because everybody and their brother thinks they can do the MMA apparel thing now, I'd say that 80-90% of the companies will be gone in the next 2-3 years, very hard to get into right now.


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## DNR Clothing (Jun 3, 2009)

I own my own MMA clothing line in Australia(DNR Clothing)

And we sponsor three fighters in australia, all of them are pro's but Do not fight in big UFC events, the fights bring in crowds of about 4-6000 people and we sell our clothing there plus all the adverts on the fighter and flyer hand outs and stuff.

Your best bet is to go local, find local up and comers and ask them if they'd like to wear your clothing out to the cage.

our first fighter , we just gave him $250 worth of our own clothing and he got us seen by at least 15,000 mma fans in a few months and our sales did go up a fair bit.

Most young local mma fighters wont ask for heaps of cash and stuff, just some clothing. try work out a a small deal.

hope this helps!


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## totoytigasin (Jan 18, 2011)

hey guys. i dont know if i am on the right spot to ask you this. i know this is 2009. now its 2013 lols. i am new on in this industry and i have a guy who fights on MMA LOCAL EVENT HERE IN MAUI. He was like yo id like to wear your shirt for free, just free clothes. I know that is a great idea since i am starting out and guarantee my BRAND will be out there in no time. but the thing is i want to give him something later. or at least pay him something if i make money. i want to tell him that , if after the fight if i make money i will give u some cash. but i really dont know how much would be to kind of like give him back. i mean i am not big yet like other companies or clothing line. should i go to his fight ? should i sell my shirts there? any advise guys??? BIG MAHALOS . pls email me at [email protected] .


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

If he is offering for just free cloths run with it. If you start paying then there's 1099 for anything over $600 and some fighters are not allowed to accept money for promotions and maybe against their contract. 

If you pay cash under table you risk possible getting them in trouble and you'll have to pay the taxes for money given to him. If you don't you risk loosing your business if the IRS finds out.


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