Dan Henderson’s clothing label Clinch Gear was recently banned by the UFC and until further notice will not be seen in the Octagon. The move was made in the build-up to UFC 105, following the collapse of negotiations between Henderson and the UFC.
Surprisingly, Clinch Gear brand manager Aaron Crecy says the UFC had every right to ban the label and says the decision was “just business”. In a post today on The Underground forum, he explains how he was notified of the ban.
“Dan Henderson owns the Clinch Gear, and I manage that business for him. We did have an agreement with Zuffa and were paying them monthly for the right to sponsor fighters in the UFC. The WEC does not currently charge a fee,” he began.
“I received a phone call from a Zuffa representative about 10 days ago informing me that Dana decided to terminate our agreement and ban Clinch Gear from the UFC and WEC because Dan declined their most recent contract offer. Considering Zuffa’s history, it was neither surprising nor unexpected–it’s just business. If Dan ever returns to the UFC, I would imagine that the ban on Clinch Gear will be lifted.
“Zuffa has every right to ban Clinch Gear, so we are appreciative that they allowed us to follow through with the three fighters we had previously agreed to sponsor for UFC 105, as I would have hated to leave those guys in a lurch the week before the event.”
The ban on Clinch Gear coincided with a ban on RVCA, a surfwear label that sponsors several MMA fighters and has strong ties to UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn and recently began sponsoring middleweight contender Vitor Belfort.
“On a related note, I was also informed by the same representative that RVCA was banned due to their sponsor relationship with Fedor. Ironically, he had just been featured in one of their shirts on TUF a day earlier, though the episode was filmed months before,” Crecy related.
Crecy went on to say that the brand will continue to sponsor athletes in organizations such as Strikeforce, and he does not expect Clinch Gear to be hit hard by the ban as it is a functional rather than fashion product. “Most casual viewers who don’t train have probably never seen our products in retail setting, as we currently focus exclusively on distribution through gyms and MMA specialty stores. In addition, we offer custom shorts and rash guards for MMA gyms and wrestling teams, and that business is booming.”
He concluded, “Due to our modest budget, we primarily sponsored undercard fighters in the UFC and the WEC, and the people most affected by this decision are those athletes. It narrows their options and could reduce their income, as many larger clothing companies limit their sponsorships to fighters who are scheduled for the televised cards.
“Clinch Gear will remain a core brand in the MMA industry and will continue to develop innovative products and business strategies. Dan and I are thankful to everyone who has supported the Clinch Gear brand and contributed to our growth and success.”
As for Henderson, there is still nothing determined regarding his immediate future. Relations between him and the UFC seem to be at an all-time low and there is no sign of the deadlock between them being broken. Strikeforce is being mooted as his most likely new home, but Henderson commands the kind of salary that may make that promotion’s accountants baulk.
John Joe O’Regan
John.fightersonly@gmail.comADD US ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/FightersOnly
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Surprisingly, Clinch Gear brand manager Aaron Crecy says the UFC had every right to ban the label and says the decision was “just business”. In a post today on The Underground forum, he explains how he was notified of the ban.
“Dan Henderson owns the Clinch Gear, and I manage that business for him. We did have an agreement with Zuffa and were paying them monthly for the right to sponsor fighters in the UFC. The WEC does not currently charge a fee,” he began.
“I received a phone call from a Zuffa representative about 10 days ago informing me that Dana decided to terminate our agreement and ban Clinch Gear from the UFC and WEC because Dan declined their most recent contract offer. Considering Zuffa’s history, it was neither surprising nor unexpected–it’s just business. If Dan ever returns to the UFC, I would imagine that the ban on Clinch Gear will be lifted.
“Zuffa has every right to ban Clinch Gear, so we are appreciative that they allowed us to follow through with the three fighters we had previously agreed to sponsor for UFC 105, as I would have hated to leave those guys in a lurch the week before the event.”
The ban on Clinch Gear coincided with a ban on RVCA, a surfwear label that sponsors several MMA fighters and has strong ties to UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn and recently began sponsoring middleweight contender Vitor Belfort.
“On a related note, I was also informed by the same representative that RVCA was banned due to their sponsor relationship with Fedor. Ironically, he had just been featured in one of their shirts on TUF a day earlier, though the episode was filmed months before,” Crecy related.
Crecy went on to say that the brand will continue to sponsor athletes in organizations such as Strikeforce, and he does not expect Clinch Gear to be hit hard by the ban as it is a functional rather than fashion product. “Most casual viewers who don’t train have probably never seen our products in retail setting, as we currently focus exclusively on distribution through gyms and MMA specialty stores. In addition, we offer custom shorts and rash guards for MMA gyms and wrestling teams, and that business is booming.”
He concluded, “Due to our modest budget, we primarily sponsored undercard fighters in the UFC and the WEC, and the people most affected by this decision are those athletes. It narrows their options and could reduce their income, as many larger clothing companies limit their sponsorships to fighters who are scheduled for the televised cards.
“Clinch Gear will remain a core brand in the MMA industry and will continue to develop innovative products and business strategies. Dan and I are thankful to everyone who has supported the Clinch Gear brand and contributed to our growth and success.”
As for Henderson, there is still nothing determined regarding his immediate future. Relations between him and the UFC seem to be at an all-time low and there is no sign of the deadlock between them being broken. Strikeforce is being mooted as his most likely new home, but Henderson commands the kind of salary that may make that promotion’s accountants baulk.
John Joe O’Regan
John.fightersonly@gmail.com
ADD US ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/FightersOnly
ADD US ON FACEBOOK: Fighters Only Page
ADD US ON MYSPACE: Fighters Only Magazine
