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UFC Fight Kit

It’s still over two months until the next New York Fashion Week, but the UFC and Reebok showcased their own cultivating designs with the official UFC Fight Kit launch.

Set on a dull-lit stage in New York, the figure heads of Reebok, Matt O’Toole and Todd Krinsky, alongside UFC President Dana White kick started the monumental presentation.

Reebok President O’Toole spoke about the long journey that UFC and Reebok have travelled to attain ‘high performance, technical gear with a bold new look that will usher in a new era for the UFC and the sport of MMA’.

When the kits were finally revealed, it was immediately obvious that very specific marketing styles had been chosen by Reebok. “Flexibility. Strength. Customization. Fit.”

With the likes of Jimi Manuwa, Miesha Tate, Cain Velasquez and poster-boy Conor McGregor, the chosen fighters were paraded on stage like a fashion week runway.

After the initial unveiling of the Universal Kit, fighters were announced by their countries; in a pretty cool PRIDE FC throwback.

Each “Country Kit” dawned the same style, however distinguished through colours and flags matching a fighter’s nationality, with their name’s etched on the back.

McGregor; who challenges for the UFC featherweight championship on July 11, was brought back on stage by Corrina Werkle, Reebok General Manager, Training Business Unit, and it seemed to go smoothly until McGregor almost kicked Werkle in the head. What a shame.

Werkle’s response: “It really fits great, you look absolutely iconic!” But let’s be honest, McGregor, the don of tailored suit and flashy attire, can pretty much make anything he wears look ‘iconic’.

The final tier, the Champion Kit; self explanatory, and arguably the best looking of the bunch.

The Champion Kit is presented with a mixture of sleek black and grey, alongside gold coloured emblems to represent the fighter’s status. It was really the least ‘in your face’ out of the bunch and seems the most likely to survive the test of time.

If you still weren’t sold on the kits after that, then who better to bring onto the stage than bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

“I always like wearing black because I’m the bad guy, and I like wearing gold because I’m the best,” said Rousey. “So I’m going to be wearing gold for the entirety of my career.”

Even if you aren’t a fan of the over-priced, similar looking products, there is no doubt that Reebok were spot on the money with the designs of their female equipment.

For so long in mixed martial arts, women fighters have worn all sorts of apparel inside the Octagon. From shorts to leggings, to rash guards. Now, one defined attire, which seems the most comfortable, and best designed yet, is only good for the future of Women’s MMA.

“It will elevate the sport of mixed martial arts forever,”said Werkle, in her closing statement.

Now I guess we wait in anticipation for the UFC and Reebok’s Autumn/Winter collection.