Sean O’Malley has made quite the claim on his minuscule royalty percentage with Reebok.
O’Malley is considered to be a bright prospect in the UFC’s bantamweight division who has massive star potential. The “Sugar” show has gained quite a following and has grown in popularity rapidly. Even at this stage of his young career, O’Malley feels he isn’t being paid what he’s worth.
Sean O’Malley Makes Quite The Claim On Reebok Royalties
O’Malley appeared on Brendan Schaub’s Food Truck Diaries and he claimed that Reebok made $1 million off his merchandise but he only received $3,000 (h/t MMAFighting).
“I got royalties from Reebok,” O’Malley said. “If I read it right – which I think I did, and I even sent it to my dad like, ‘Did I read this right?’ and he said yes, so unless we both can’t read – Reebok made over a million dollars on all my merch, and I got like $3,000. I’m like, what the f*ck?
“It’s ridiculous. I thought I got 15%. And they’re like ‘Well, you get 15% of this, but of this, and then these guys get it, and then you get 15% of that.’ I’m like holy sh*t, you guys are f*cking me. Then, they make all these sweet shirts on Reebok and I’m like, damn. I tell people, ‘Don’t buy that!’”
UFC president Dana White has hinted at the promotion being done with Reebok once the current deal expires. White has teased Nike, Under Armor, and Venum as the potential new outfitting partner. Whether or not that means more money in the pockets of fighters remains to be seen.
O’Malley is a perfect 12-0 in his pro MMA career. He is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Eddie Wineland. With the win, O’Malley made his debut in the top 15 UFC bantamweight rankings.
