Report: UFC, Reebok payment tier structure terms revealed

Just about a week after Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brass revealed they would be overhauling the payment structure in the landmark sponsorship deal with Reebok from a tiered rankings system to a fighter tenure model following public outcry from fans and fighters alike, terms of the new payment structure have been revealed.

According to a report from the Boston Herald, longtime UFC veterans will be paid quite handsomely in the new deal.

The terms:

The email further states that the UFC will "within the next few weeks" disclose payment tiers. It's expected to roughly approximate $5,000 for fighters with zero to five UFC fights, $8,000-$10,000 for five to ten fights, $12,000-$15,000 for 11-15 fights, and $18,000-$20,000 for 16-20 fights.

The deal also contains higher payouts for champions and title challengers.

After years of fighters complaining about pay in mixed martial arts (MMA), UFC is hoping to have found the solution with the new revenue stream in Reebok.

The deal takes effect this July (sneak peek here), but there has been plenty of Reebok exclusive apparel and athlete signings since the initial announcement.

With UFC brass insisting all of the money from the Reebok deal will be going to the fighters, will the latest changes to the system benefit more fighters fairly?

With some fighters -- like Brendan Schaub -- noting the Reebok deal has made it harder for them to make money currently, it seems we will have to wait until this Summer to see just how much of an effect the deal has one way or the other.