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April 1, 2015

Tapout's President Talks State of UFC Sponsorship and their New WWE Deal


As the most established of all the MMA “lifestyle brands,” Tapout has not been as hard hit by the UFC’s sponsorship restrictions and its new exclusive deal with Reebok. But, the company still got a huge boost recently by signing a deal with WWE.

Tapout President Dan “Punkass” Caldwell was in attendance at WrestleMania 31 this past weekend in California, which was his first trip to the annual sports-entertainment extravaganza.

“We’re really excited about the deal,” Caldwell told MMAjunkie. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been working on it for awhile, and it’s just finally come together. This is my first WrestleMania, so I’m excited.”

Caldwell is well aware of the state of UFC sponsorships and the way it’s impacting brands that have made MMA the central part of their businesses.

“Domestically, it’s had some troubles here,” Caldwell said. “I feel for some of those other brands that are out there because I was knee deep in that stuff. I was sitting next to these guys at shows. You create this kind of warrior relationship with these guys because they’re all working hard. I just know that it’s going to be hard for them at this point now going beyond what’s happened with the UFC and their deal.

“But, what’s great about Tapout is that we’ve been around so long that we kind of excel beyond. We mean more than the UFC. It’s athletics, it’s – when you think about Quiksilver or Volcom, it doesn’t mean you have to be a surfer to wear Volcom. But yet, that’s what it is. A lot of people don’t even think about that anymore. It’s just a brand that’s out there. It’s a brand that’s made its way, and it’s excelled beyond its own sport, and I feel that’s where Tapout is today.”

Ultimately, Caldwell hopes the Reebok deal works out in a way that benefits the fighters.

“I feel sorry for them,” Caldwell said. “I’m hoping the UFC can put that together for the fighters. It’s really about the fighters for us. It’s always been about the fighters. We want to – they’re the ones that are really putting it on the line. We hope it works out.”

source: mmajunkie.com

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