Jacob “Stitch” Duran is something of a UFC institution, having worked as a cutman with the promotion since 2001.

But now, it looks like those days are done — and according to Duran, some uncomplimentary commentary regarding the UFC’s agreement with Reebok are to blame.

In recent interviews, Duran (seen above, right with boxing legend Roberto Duran in a photo published on his Twitter account) had expressed frustration with the Reebok deal, saying it cost him sponsors; and that cutmen weren’t compensated by the deal.

He also took to Twitter in recent weeks to address the issue with fans and media:

@InMyMMAOpinion We did!

— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 13, 2015

@InMyMMAOpinion Brother, I lost everything regarding sponsors from pay to a nice vest! Now I have no fees and a generic vest.

— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 13, 2015

Yesterday, Duran responded to a fan’s frustration about the news by revealing he had been let go by the UFC, and his comments on Reebok are to blame:

@daej81 You will be the first to know that the UFC just let me go because I spoke out about the Reebok deal. Got to look for a new job!

— Jacob Stitch Duran (@StitchDuran) July 21, 2015

 

“UFC has just shown no respect for the great work that the cutmen do,” Duran said to MMA Fighting yesterday.

He also expressed frustration that UFC President Dana White didn’t call him personally.

“It’s not like I’m going to lack any type of work,” he said. “It’s just that I really enjoyed working with the fighters and the people in the UFC. To get a nut shot by Dana in him not calling me and having the balls to call me, it just showed me the kind of characters that I was dealing with.”

Duran also works as a cutman for boxing champions Wladimir Klitschko and Andre Ward, among others.