Nate Diaz took aim at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson before the final fight of his UFC contract earlier this month. The fight was scheduled for the beginning of the month.
After holding up a pair of Johnson’s Project Rock shoes in front of the camera, Diaz said, “These shoes fucking suck” during an ESPN interview preceding UFC 279. Take a look at this footwear. They forced me to wear this. Get out of my shoes!
Diaz’s remarks were edited out of the original broadcast, but the clip later went viral after being posted on Twitter without her knowledge. At the time, it was the only known instance of a UFC fighter speaking out against the promotion’s newest sponsor, whose financial support is not likely to benefit the fighters who risk injury to compete in the UFC.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Project Rock, a collaboration between Johnson and Under Armour, announced their multi-year partnership at the end of August, with the goal of providing co-branded footwear to fighters as part of the official kit for matches. During events, workouts, and the walk to the octagon during fight week, all UFC competitors and their corner teams must wear Project Rock footwear.
Our @UFC ✖️ @ProjectRock partnership is anchored in hard work & legacy.
Work ethic & legacy are the pillars of all @UFC athletes.
The #HardestWorkersInTheRoom defining their LEGACY. @ProjectRock is proud to be the official footwear partner of UFC. #ForThoseWhoWalkTheWalk pic.twitter.com/aSNl0Nwnum
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 30, 2022
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tiuvasa, held on September 3, 2022, marked the beginning of the partnership, which was signed in January 2022.
In a press release, UFC president Dana Johnson praised the “men and women warriors of UFC” for competing with “pride, purpose, passion, intensity, and MANA” inside the Octagon. “Legacy is a word that means a lot to me, and our Project Rock is excited to send training gear to all UFC athletes who want to leave their mark in the UFC and beyond,” said one of the founders.
Project Rock released a new marketing campaign earlier this month, featuring Johnson praising MMA fighters as the “Hardest workers in the room” and featuring testimonials from multiple UFC fighters praising Johnson for his dedication to the sport.
UFC fighters may respect Johnson, but the Guardian has learned that they will not share in the actor’s lucrative deal. Several fighter representatives whose athletes competed at UFC 279 said, on condition of anonymity because of the topic’s sensitivity, that no additional compensation was given to their fighters for wearing or promoting Project Rock footwear.
Fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) participate in a programme called Promotional Guideline Compliance (PDC), in which they are paid a flat rate during fight week in exchange for wearing approved gear and performing promotional duties. The Project Rock deal appears to be a part of PDC.
An athlete’s salary in the UFC fluctuates based on their status as a champion or title challenger in a given event, as well as the number of fights they have participated in for the promotion. The largest cash prize at UFC 279 was $21,000, and the smallest was $4,000. (these payments are separate from the fee they earn for the actual fights).
If a fighter was earning $4,000 from the PDC programme before the UFC signed the Project Rock deal, they will continue to earn the same amount even though the UFC now has more money thanks to the lucrative deals with Venum and Crypto.com. Neither the UFC nor Under Armour, however, were willing to comment on the nature of the partnership.
A representative for Under Armour told the Guardian that the company “Does not disclose this level of detail on any of our partnerships.” However, UA is pleased to partner with Dwayne Johnson and the UFC to offer its performance footwear solutions to UFC athletes.
Because its fighters are independent contractors with no union or association to collectively bargain for their rights, the UFC has long been able to maintain a stranglehold over its roster.
Traditionally, the UFC has only paid out between 16% and 19% of revenue to its fighters, while in the vast majority of sports leagues and organisations, athletes receive anywhere between 47% and 50% of the revenue from their respective sports. Only 16% of the UFC’s $900 million in revenue in 2019 was distributed to its roughly 600 fighters. In the NFL, for instance, players receive roughly two-thirds of the revenue generated from jersey sales.
American financial services firm Moody estimates that UFC earnings in 2021 were over $1 billion, with 2022 projections of similar magnitude. While the UFC has seen unprecedented success, fighter compensation has remained dismally low.
The “Values and foundation of Project Rock… are so aligned with the values and the foundations of UFC, and of the fighters,” Johnson said in a recent advertising campaign. Nonetheless, Johnson may not want to be compared to the UFC, which was established with the help of exploited labour.
Many UFC fighters have called on Johnson to advocate for a better deal for the athletes he claims to respect, though it is unclear how much input Johnson had in the UFC deal. Johnson’s industry has multiple unions for professional actors.
UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney said last week on Twitter, “Hey brotha @TheRock if you’re a fan of what we do make the deal favourable for the ones modelling your shoe.” I know you don’t mean any harm by doing this, and it’s certainly none of your business, but please, for the love of God, prove it to us. Back us up and fight for us.
Johnson’s management did not respond to the Guardian’s requests for comment. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that Johnson is represented by Endeavor, the same company that owns the UFC.