The more success I have with track and field the bigger my brand is. So I would say I'm more of a brand now, trying to build for the future.
I don't think we know who a lot of these athletes are. We think we do, but they're never allowed to be themselves. Because the minute they try, people are saying, What's wrong with him? Why is he drawing attention to himself?
I see myself as an athlete and just try to market myself as a feminine athlete.
Being outspoken was important... I helped make the UFC what it is today with Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, and Randy Couture. Some said I was outspoken in a bad way, but I was just trying to educate the fans what being a UFC fighter is all about.
It's important for me to create a brand because branding allows me to create a lifestyle that goes beyond track & field. It also lets my fans and followers get a better picture of who I am as a person, my interests and my passions.
I'm very involved in Shred, constantly checking in on something. It takes a lot of time. But it has let me leverage who I am as an athlete into a product.
Let's face it: if you're an elite basketball player and you choose to be socially and politically active, it could harm your brand.
There are not a lot of athletes that are going to get their own shoe.
Only a handful of professional football athletes have had a signature shoe, unlike in basketball where there have been a number of guys.
I'm already the face of the UFC, plus the face of boxing, WWE, and Hollywood.
I know why the UFC runs the business the way they do. I know why Conor McGregor makes a base pay of $3 million. But I think I justify my pay with my skill set, and I've always been willing to promote my brand.
What we do is unique in helping empower athletes and their voice through long-form and short-form content to social to our products.
Former Olympians also get paid to make appearances. Many of them won their medals in an era when Olympic success didn't go hand-in-hand with financial success.
I was very fortunate to come into sports representation with Arn Tellem; he has helped me understand the business in the same way that we help out clients find solutions to their problems.
The marketing of players has created untold wealth for many sports stars. You can't blame them or the company that covets the relationship with them, but that doesn't mean the player is good.
I'm not gonna be one of those guys who's going to do the Conor McGregor effect and talk a bunch of crap to make money.
It's cool that someone would be willing to pay to wear your jersey around.
Richard Sherman is a creation of the media and a bright young man who has learned how to capitalize on everything, and sometimes at the expense of his other teammates.
The nature of athletic celebrity is increasingly moving away from the actual field of play.
In sports, big names and celebrities drive events, and that's what people gravitate to.
Have you seen any African American athlete that appeals to the urban market actually bring that market to the MMA?
There are many players who don't measure up to their marketability.
I'm not going to change my name unless I know that the public are behind England and show that they want me to become Chris Cabanga.
I've really gotten into fashion, and ever since I got into the NBA, I feel like players are walking billboards.
After the Cardinals traded their No. 6 pick, I didn't know where I was going, ... The first thing I thought about was me and Ray Lewis doing that commercial, and how he made me do his laundry. And now it's actually going to be a reality.
