Bellatorfightern Bobby Lashley är den senaste fightern som kritiserar Reebokaffären. Lashley är inte drabbad själv men anser att fighters måste gå samman och bilda en fackförening.
Bobby Lashley (12-2) slåss för Bellator och är inte intresserad av att byta till UFC. Lashley är en av dem som lever främst på stora sponsorpengar. Även om Lashley själv inte är en av de som drabbas av UFCs Reebokaffär så är han kritisk mot affären. I en intervju med Bloody Elbow anser han att fighters måste bilda ett fackförbund:
”I understand business to a certain point, but I think at the same time, with this the fighters are going to have to kinda stand up for themselves. I understand everybody wants to say, ’The UFC this and that,’ but I think at this point in time they’ve gotta form some type of union to keep these things from happening. It’s one of those things, I mean it’s a double edged sword. You get an opportunity in the UFC, they’re gonna pay you a little bit more, but at the same time there are regulations and restrictions. So, I know some of the guys are kind of begging for [a union] or hoping for it, but it’s not gonna happen until everybody sticks together, kinda comes together and says, ’Hey, we need to make something happen.'”
Lashley fortsätter med att han anser för att en fackförening ska fungera måste även UFCs toppfighters vara med:
”I’ve dealt with it before in big business and it’s hard to do, because really, there’s certain people that really make the PPVs and really sell the PPVs, that’s why their names are in the headliners. And those guys are taken care of, heavily. So, if a union is formed, these guys get together and say, ’Oh, let’s start a union.’ Those guys that are taken care of heavily, they’re making millions, they’re gonna be like, ’Uhhhhh, we don’t wanna go over there and join the union because that’s gonna pull me down.’ But those are the guys that sell PPVs.
So, it’s almost like the mid-card guys and the lower card guys are the ones that are gonna have to step up. But it’s like, how much power are they really gonna have? Because their name is only as important as the UFC makes it. And then if a bunch of guys get together and say, ’Okay, let’s start this union,’ then the UFC can just say, ’Okay, you guys are gone and we’re going to bring in the 100,000 guys that would love to fight in the UFC.’ So, it’s almost gonna take those guys that are making the top dollar to get together and say, ’Hey look, we gotta do what’s right. We may take a little hit because of it, but we’re gonna have to do what’s right and come down and help everybody else so it’s an even playing field.’
