Here’s what she said:
“As a business woman, I understand why 9ine cut ties with the UFC. Vitor has lost millions for years because of the new sponsorship policy. Thank God he is an athlete whose reach goes beyond the cage and he has other businesses. Fighting has become a hobby, but he was harmed much like the other fighters with this new business model. We have a great relationship with Ronaldo (9ine’s owner) and all the 9ine crew. We wish them success.”
Belfort still wore his Reebok gear for his rubber match with Hendo like a good little soldier. Photo by Sherdog.com.
That’s not a good look for the UFC at all. While Belfort is a notorious juicer, is completely insane and was absolutely wrecked by Chris Weidman, he is still one of the biggest stars in Brazilian MMA. The fact that he isn’t raking in money with both hands means that there’s a really big problem with the sport.
Unfortunately, the 9ine news does little to help fighters. 9ine was one of the few companies that was well networked with Brazilian companies. Brazilian fighters long struggled to find sponsors close to home (look back on old Anderson Silva fights and notice how few ads he had on his shorts) and 9ine was one of the few ways for fighters to break out of that.
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