Strikeforce Enacts Sponsor Tax Right Before 'Overeem vs. Werdum' Card

[WrestlingSmarks News]

In 2009, the UFC enacted a sponsorship tax for companies to sponsor fighters. Now, that tax is coming to Strikeforce.

On June 8, MMA clothing company Vexillum tweeted the following:

.bbpBox78601056195588096 {background:url(http://a0.twimg.com/images/themes/theme1/bg.png) #C0DEED;padding:20px;} p.bbpTweet{background:#fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:#000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata{display:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px;padding-top:12px;height:40px;border-top:1px solid #fff;border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author{line-height:19px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author img{float:left;margin:0 7px 0 0px;width:38px;height:38px} p.bbpTweet a:hover{text-decoration:underline}p.bbpTweet span.timestamp{font-size:12px;display:block}

UFC is pissing me off today the must not care about fighters getting payed by sponsors #UFC #strikeforce #mma #bitchesless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPad Favorite Retweet Reply Vexillum
vexillumllc




Strikeforce lightweight Conor Heun responded:

.bbpBox78685798739869696 {background:url(http://a0.twimg.com/profile_background_images/76450267/Heat3.jpg) #EBEBEB;padding:20px;} p.bbpTweet{background:#fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:#000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata{display:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px;padding-top:12px;height:40px;border-top:1px solid #fff;border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author{line-height:19px} p.bbpTweet span.metadata span.author img{float:left;margin:0 7px 0 0px;width:38px;height:38px} p.bbpTweet a:hover{text-decoration:underline}p.bbpTweet span.timestamp{font-size:12px;display:block}

Hey @vexillumllc the #UFC and #Strikeforce hit you with the sponsor tax huh? They are really taking $ out of the fighter's pockets w dat BS!less than a minute ago via UberSocial Favorite Retweet Reply Conor Heun
ConorHeun




Now word has come out via The Underground and Fighters Only Magazine that the UFC is charging $35,000 to sponsor a Strikeforce fighter with the tax going into effect for this Saturday's "Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum" show at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

American Top Team's Alex Davis responded on The Underground:

The same policy that is used in the UFC is now in place at Strike Force. Sponsors must pay a fee in order to endorse athletes fighting in Strikeforce.

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Strikeforce heavyweight Chad Griggs, who fights Valentijn Overeem on Saturday, spoke to us on Thursday's edition of Bloody Elbow Radio about this:

Q: Chad, there's a story that came out today talking about a new sponsorship tax coming in on Strikeforce fighters that kind of happened recently. Have you been effected by this at all?

CG: I have. Most definitely. I don't want to get in trouble with anybody so I won't say a whole lot other than it's, yeah, we're having a little issue with it right now and it's definitely costing, hopefully, we're trying to work it out, but yeah, it's snuck up on us pretty unexpectedly, and we're looking to lose a lot of money, potentially lose a lot of money in sponsorships. I hope that doesn't happen, but it's not looking good.

Q: I understand you don't want to talk yourself into trouble, but I have to ask: Is it a distraction at all that it happened this close to a fight and all of a sudden, you have to worry about something else that isn't the fight?

CG: I like to say it isn't, but absolutely (it is). It's not something I really wanted to be worrying about, but I'm here, I'm supposed to be fighting in two days and I've got all my gear and all my shorts and I'm wondering, 'OK, well, am I going to be going out in a Speedo to fight? Or will I be duct taped up all over?' I'm not even really sure what I'm going to be wearing out there, but I'll be there to fight.

Q: As a fighter who is just starting to come into his own on the big stage, and you work for so long to make it and have those sponsorships and earn the bigger money, is this kind of depressing news for you?

CG: Sure, absolutely. How could it not be? If it costs you a bunch of money, how could it not be depressing? Like I said, it is what it is and we'll get through this fight and we'll try to learn from it and see what the changes are and grow from it and do something different for the next one. One fight at a time, we're gonna focus on the fight and like I said, I'm not sure what I'll be wearing, but I'll be out there.

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It will be interesting to see what new details emerge going forward.