Introduction
Venum is a brand that has quickly gained a loyal following in the world of mixed martial arts and combat sports. Venum has become one of the most popular brands in the industry, with a wide range of products that appeal to fighters and fitness enthusiasts alike.
From clothing and equipment to supplements and accessories, Venum has something for everyone. With a commitment to quality and a dedication to providing the best possible products, Venum has established itself as a leader in the martial arts industry.
The History of Venum
Venum was founded in France in 2006. From the beginning, Venum has been committed to quality and innovation, developing products designed to meet the needs of fighters and fitness enthusiasts.
Venum quickly gained a following among mixed martial arts and combat sports fans due to its extensive fighter sponsorship program. In the early days, they sponsored fighters in their prime such as Wanderlei Silva, Jose Aldo. Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua and many others. Before the UFC signed a controversial exclusive deal with Reebok in 2014, almost every fight in the UFC had one of the fighters wearing Venum Fight Shorts.
As Venum expanded, so did their product range which began to move away from being solely focused on MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They ventured into new markets such as Muay Thai, Karate and Professional Boxing. Their sponsorship deals continued to follow suit when they signed a deal with fighters such as Jorge Linares, Vasyl Lomachenko and Bobo Sacko.
As always, the sponsorship deals included the release of new, fighter-endorsed products emblazoned with designs specific to each combat sports athlete and which included their name on their own products, such as the extensive LOMA Boxing range. This tactic is something common in the sports industry that Venum has likely drawn inspiration from market leaders such as Nike Jordan Basketball Shoes or Adidas Yeezy Trainers.
Jump forward to 2021, the brand has now become the official clothing sponsor of the UFC (replacing Reebok). Venum's commitment to quality and innovation has made it one of the most popular brands in the industry, and its products are now used by fighters and fitness enthusiasts all over the world.
Made4Fighters were the first-ever UK stockist of the Venum brand in 2007 and the brand sees continued success in our store.
Who owns Venum
Venum (VTEC Limited) is a privately owned company originally founded by Franck Dupuis & Jeff Bandet who were passionate about mixed martial arts and fighting. Venum are now established in multiple markets with companies in the USA, Asia and Europe. The current owner is still Franck Dupuis.
The UFC partnership and what it means for Venum
As of 2021, Venum is the official clothing sponsor of the UFC. The 3 year partnership means that Venum will be the exclusive provider of clothing for UFC athletes until the deal expires in approximately 2024, this includes everything from fight shorts to hoodies, t-shirts and much more. All that will be customised with different colours and styles for each fighter, along with the fighters name on the products.
The deal excludes trainers (or sneakers if you’re the other side of the pond) as the UFC has kept an exclusive footwear deal with Reebok which provides shoes for all fighters to wear during fight week and the events. It also excludes training equipment, as the license for this is currently held by Dyaco.
The UFC partnership is a major coup for Venum and it is sure to help the brand grow even more rapidly. With the UFC's massive global following, Venum has the potential to reach millions of new consumers.
What does the Venum x UFC Deal mean for Fighters?
The current deal gave fighters a slight pay increase versus the previous deal with Reebok. The payouts depend on the level of the fighter and their current MMA Record in the UFC. The table below highlights how much each fighter gets paid from the sponsorship deal, each time they fight in an event:
| Fighter Pay Tier | Old Reebok Deal | Venum Deal |
| UFC Champion | $40,000 | $42,000 |
| Title Challenger | $30,000 | $32,000 |
| 20+ UFC Fights | $20,000 | $21,000 |
| 16 to 20 UFC Fights | $15,000 | $16,000 |
| 11 to 15 UFC Fights | $10,000 | $11,000 |
| 6 to 10 UFC Fights | $5,000 | $6,000 |
| 4 or 5 UFC Fights | $4,000 | $4,500 |
| 1 to 3 UFC Fights | $3,500 | $4,000 |
The future of Venum
Venum is committed to providing the best possible products for its customers, and it looks poised for continued success in the years to come.
The future looks bright, with the brand continuing to grow in popularity all over the world. We can expect to see new products and ranges being released on a regular basis, as well as continued expansion into new markets such as South America, Asia and Fitness.
One thing is for sure, Venum is here to stay and will continue to be one of the leading brands in the combat sports industry for many years to come. Something that isn’t certain, is whether the Venum and UFC sponsorship deal is here to stay, we’ll find out when the deal is set to renew in 2024.