All UFC 309 fighters in the main and co-main events will wear custom fight shorts from Venum, the promotion’s exclusive apparel partner. Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic serves top bill in a heavyweight main event. Michael Chandler runs things back with Charles Oliveria in the pay-per-view (PPV) co-mains bill.
UFC heavyweight champion Jones’ shorts previously came out last week. It touted a design that included the same Philippians 4:13 bible verse he had tattooed on his chest. Venum, the exclusive UFC Fight Kit brand, pipelines these custom shorts as part of their UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout tiers. Now, Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira gets his.
Oliveira was definitely looking for an explosion of hues on his return custom fight shorts. The design is very loud, with his nickname “Do Bronx” embossed out on the side. With that raw favela tinge, the blue, red, and yellow shorts contrast Oliveira. Especially when compared to the other fighters, Stipe Miocic and Michael Chandler.
🚨| The UFC just unveiled Charles Oliveira’s custom shorts for his fight this weekend against Michael Chandler at #UFC309. 🔥#MMA #UFC pic.twitter.com/VJaOgSy2TP
— MMA Frenzy (@mma_frenzy) November 11, 2024
Stipe Miocic will wear a relatively generic pair of shorts by comparison. The black and grey design features the crest of the flag of Croatia, the country his parents lived in before moving to Cleveland, Ohio. Chandler, known for the hustle rather than the flare, dons stars and stripes on black. While all are good, Olvieira’s shorts are not it, and fans have reacted as such.
Fight fans react to Charles Oliveira’s new custom kit
UFC has been working in tandem with Venum to create custom fight shorts for athletes involved in some of the biggest cards. UFC 309 is no exception this weekend. Venum’s multi-year sponsorship saw fight kit releases for UFC 299, 300, 302, 304, 305, Noche, and even UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV) cards.
UFC Authentic Adrenaline Fight Week tees, the “Fusion” series, and others have been the latest hits in the series. However, Oliveira’s new custom shorts largely miss the mark for many. Given the bona fide legend Charles Oliveira already is, fans wanted something better. Here are a few top reactions to it:
Is that the Favelas?
— Mmatt (@Mmatt_c) November 11, 2024
Look like boxer shorts… shouldve went brazil themed with a lion
— Dilla SGE (@DillaGamingWW) November 11, 2024
looks horrible ngl
— The Beast Within (@NickThaOne) November 11, 2024
Good idea but hell nah that ain’t it
— mmafan🥊🥊 (@mmafan12362) November 11, 2024
This is garbage
— Doctor MMA 🇵🇸 (@FightDoctor_) November 11, 2024
These might be the worst ones so far
— MB (@mbristow387) November 11, 2024
They need to fire whoever made these and hire me
— Scraps (@ScrapsCann) November 11, 2024
UFC 300 saw Alex Pereira pay homage to his tribe in Brazil, the Pataxó, with his custom shorts. UFC 305 saw the pay-per-view (PPV) top bill headliners pay homage to their African roots. But this just wasn’t it. After ponying up $20 million in post-production for media packages and kits in the Noche Pay-per-view, maybe the brass wanted big names like Jones and Oliveira to sell the show on merit. A prime reaction even noted that UFC needs to “fire whoever made these.”
