When Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) revealed its landmark sponsorship deal with Reebok, one that would eliminate all other sponsors from the Octagon, it promised to compensate fighters based on their media rankings (see them fluctuate here).
As expected, that went over like a lead balloon.
Especially considering the subjective nature of the ranking system. Sure, UFC President Dana White promised to recruit "ethical guys" to make sure everything was on the up-and-up, but the payment plan was still considered erratic and top heavy.
That's why the promotion picked up its kaiser blade (some folks call it a sling blade) and took it behind the woodshed, only to return with a revamped system that works on tenure, helpfully explained by Sports Business Journal biz whiz Alex Silverman (via The Underground):
When the UFC released the initial draft of its outfitting policy in January, it stipulated that fighters' compensation for a given bout would be based on their rankings.