Brendan Schaub poses for a portrait on March 17, 2010 at Easton Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Denver. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post)
MMA fighter Brendan Schaub had some harsh words to say about the UFC’s firing of cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran in the latest episode of his podcast, “The Fighter & the Kid.”
Duran announced via Twitter Tuesday that he was dismissed from the UFC after he spoke out about how the Reebok deal hurt his income in . Schaub, who played football at Overland High School and the University of Colorado, blasted his fighting promotion for the move.
“There’s kind of an unspoken rule where if you’re unpleased with what’s going on in the UFC, especially if you don’t have a name, man, you do not want to do interviews and come out,” Schaub said. “Look at Stitch.
“Stitch barely said anything. Gone.”
UFC announced in December 2014 that it signed a deal to exclusively have its fighters and their corners wear Reebok gear. Fighters have historically relied on sponsors to supplement their incomes.
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)
“If you want to fight in the UFC, you’ve got to realize that you are just an elephant in the circus. As soon as you ask for more peanuts, you have to go find a different circus.
“Does it hurt the fighters? Yeah, it kills the fighters.”
Listen to It starts about 1:02.00.
Schaub has long been vocal in the past about his displeasure of the UFC’s deal with Reebok, saying that his earning potential has drastically decreased with the deal.
I’ve made six figures in sponsorship in each of my last 6 fights
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub)
Reebok responded to angry UFC fans after Duran’s dismissal, clarifying that they are not part of UFC’s personnel decision process.
UFC fans: We have no input on decisions of UFC employment or fighter compensation. Our focus is providing the best gear for fighters & fans.
— Reebok (@Reebok)
Schaub isn’t the only UFC fighter who responded to Duran’s dismissal.
Dang, , big ups for your bravery in speaking your mind…sorry to hear about how it all played out…
— TheOnceAndFutureKing (@BensonHenderson)
Sooo disappointed to hear about !! He’s the man and was my go to guy. Wrapped me for all my championship fights!
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC)
it was always a honor sharing the cage with you God bless you and your family.
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC)
A good cut man in the corner is a valuable part of the team during a fight. I’ve seen the best at work, and there are very few of them.
— Brandon Gibson (@SixGunGibson)
Hey THANK YOU for not being afraid to speak the TRUTH. And THANKS for helping to keep ME in my fights. AND yikes.
— Nathan Quarry (@NateRockQuarry)
FREE STITCH
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson)
First no now no
That’s a tough loss for the fighters back stage.
Only those who have fought or cornered can ..
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant)
Now we look like professional sports league
— Fabricio Werdum (@FabricioWerdum)
So sad to hear that will no longer be around during fight week. It’s the end of an era. The golden age of MMA has passed.
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma)
