Here at WKR we know that most of you probably don't want to talk about Hoelzer Reich and for the record WKR completely agrees with you. Hoelzer Reich was recently banned from both Zuffa promotions as well as Strikeforce so this discussion may be an exercise in beating a dead horse. That being said there are still several lingering questions about how Hoelzer Reich became a Zuffa sponsor and what happened behind the scenes leading up to the banishment of the apparel company.

The only public explanation that WKR can find --other than statements about Hoelzer Reich no longer being a sponsor-- is Ariel Helwani of MMA Fanhouse interview with Dana White about Hoelzer Reich in the lead up to UFC 107. Unfortunately White's answers, as well as Helwani's questions left much to be desired.

Ariel Helwani: How did it [Hoelzer Reich] even get passed (inaudible)...

Dana White: I guess, I guess our guys. Let me start this off with, you know who are lead attorney is, right? Lawrence Epstein, okay? And he uh, yeah, I don't know and these guys are swearing they're no't Nazi's. They're gone.

Epstein may be Zuffa's lead attorney but this doesn't get at the core issue; namely what happened with the vetting process of Hoelzer Reich? A good question here would be to ask which department gave the go ahead on Hoelzer Reich and what research was done into the company's past if any at all? Also whether or not Dana White was ever in direct communication with the owner of Hoelzer Reich.

Ariel Helwani: Are you surprised that it [Hoelzer Reich product] got on the broadcast?

Dana White: No, no. It got on for a reason. There were legal reasons it happened but that was the only time, they'll be on.

Here is where things get interesting. What were those "legal reasons"? This statement by White suggests that Zuffa and Hoelzer Reich had a legal agreement beyond being a simple sponsor. Or is this the case with all apparel sponsors? If not what kind of relationship existed between Hoelzer Reich and Zuffa and how far back did it go?

Ariel Helwani: They're banned?

Dana White: Yes. Yep

Ariel Helwani: Did you speak to them? Did the company try to tell you...about...

Dana White: Oh yeah. They did everything. They've written statements and put stuff on their website, they, and I mean, and apparently their website had Nazi punk bands on there. They are not on there anymore but from what I am hearing they did one time.

Unfortunately this is where the Hoelzer Reich portion of the video ends and it left several loose ends that WKR wished Helwani had followed up on. 

For instance, did Dana White see the images and shirts that were making the rounds through the blogosphere? Based upon his answer it appears that White had no idea what the issue was other than Nazi punk bands on the Hoelzer Reich website. Of course, White may be playing the incident down as a form of damage control.

Another question that should have been asked is whether Dana White was personally offended by Hoelzer Reich's apparel designs and whether or not he believes that this company represents some form of neo-Nazism.

Did White see the use of SS thunderbolts, Totenkopf death's head and other WWII Germanic imagery as crossing the line? Or did Zuffa officials only see the shirts that were being produced for UFC and WEC broadcasts? If that is the case then why was there a failure to properly vet the organization's entire clothing line?

Finally what legal process did Zuffa use to remove Zuffa fighters e.g., Donald Cerrone from the Hoelzer Reich website?

WKR is sure that most of us would like to move past this story. After all Hoelzer Reich is banned from the big three MMA organizations so this should no longer be an issue. But just because MMA broadcasts won't be marred with Hoelzer Reich shirts doesn't mean that this story is a closed book. The aforementioned questions would go a long way in clarifying what actually happened to help ensure that it won't happen again.

WKR's Podcast discussion with The Savage Science and Fightlinker surrounding Hoelzer Reich.