UFC: Why Major Sponsors Are Missing out by Not Getting Involved with the UFC

Major sponsors need to get involved with the UFC—sooner rather than later. It will only take one word to convince them of this fact:

Everlast. 

Everlast was practically the king of combat sports equipment before MMA's emergence. Everybody knew Everlast and it was a popular brand. 

It still is in 2012 but not getting involved with the UFC and MMA has hurt the company a great deal—its current sponsorships with UFC fighters notwithstanding.

Everlast, for their folly, is now reduced to sponsoring Bellator Fighting Championships, the perennial second-fiddle of the MMA world, the Luigi to the UFC's Mario. 

It's also likely that not accepting MMA sooner has also impacted the market share that Everlast has in the combat sports industry. Everlast may have in their pocket the casual fans who pick up their gear at Sports Authority or Modell's, but many serious MMA enthusiasts patronize other brands. 

Everlast has sought to correct this oversight by endorsing Jon Jones but it's too little too late.

Brands like Hayabusa, Bad Boy, and Fairtex are already major players in the MMA world; these brands are just as popular as Everlast if not more so. Not sponsorsing UFC fighters, and not making MMA gear when the company and sport were still relatively young, has cost Everlast. It may not ever be able to become dominant.

Other brands do not need to make this grievous error. They can learn from Everlast's mistake. 

Nike, Adidas, and other "major" sponsors can get involved with the UFC by sponsoring UFC fighters. In doing so, these companies will guarantee that their products and sponsorships will be viewed by millions of people—especially those in the most notoriously hard-to-please demographic: males ages 18-34. 

If these companies delay, who knows what could happen?

The companies and brands we consider major today weren't always so.

Take Nike. The first pair of Nike shoes were made from a waffle iron. It doesn't get more bush league than that.

However, today Nike is an empire. It's swoosh is one of the most iconic logos on earth. 

It's no guarantee that if Nike and it's ilk fail to get involved in MMA that one of the lesser brands like Bad Boy will not rise up and take control of the sport's advertising dollar.  But it's a possibility—and a risk that these major brands shouldn't take. 

What is there to lose from jumping into MMA?

Nothing. All these companies have to gain is the further adoration of millions, along with the satisfaction that they are sponsoring the toughest athletes and the greatest sport in the world.

Follow @MattSaccaro