UFC fires long-time cutman Jacob 'Stitch' Duran for speaking out against Reebok deal

Perhaps the most beloved cutman in mixed martial arts (MMA), Jacob "Stitch" Duran, finds himself out of a job with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

That's according to a Tweet Duran sent out recently, claiming that the world's leading MMA promotion relieved him of his duties for speaking out about the much-criticized Reebok deal.

@daej81 You will be the first to know that the UFC just let me go because I spoke out about the Reebok deal. Got to look for a new job!

— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 21, 2015

Duran's comments -- which you can see here -- stated that once the Reebok deal took effect, his -- and the rest of the cutmen sponsors -- were prohibited from being displayed at UFC events. That meant the monthly paychecks he was receiving from his sponsors were no more.

In all reality, the comments weren't malicious at all, he was simply stating facts.

When the cutmen expressed their concerns to UFC execs, they were met with much resistance, as "Stitch" revealed that they were informed that there was no more money left to go around from the deal.

Because it's all going here.

Now, "Stitch" will unfortunately have to hit the unemployment line after simply speaking his mind. Thankfully, Duran holds favor with many top professional boxers, which means he likely won't have to turn in applications for too long. In addition, he is now free to talk with other promotions such as Bellator MMA without having to worry about UFC holding it against him.

UFC has yet to release an official statement on what can only be described as a shocking and unfortunate move.