
2. Handling of the Reebok Deal
The Reebok deal had to happen eventually, but it didn’t need to happen the way it did. UFC had previously allowed fighters to collect sponsorship revenue, but in 2015 they yanked that ability away. They have offered fighters some compensation, though the fighters feel said compensation is far too low.
When the inevitable public and fighter backlash occurred, White did little to appease his critics. To make his point on the matter clear, White fired longtime employee Stitch Duran after he publicly made disparaging comments about the deal.