Here are the official fighter salaries for UFC 108 as released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The UFC also awarded $50,000 superlative bonuses to the following fighters: Paul Daley for “Knockout of the Night”, Jim Miller for “Submission of the Night” and Sam Stout and Joe Lauzon for “Fight of the Night.”
The total disclosed fighter payout was $843,000
* Paul Daley failed to make the contracted weight limit of 170 lbs. and was fined 10% of his fight purse, which was awarded to his opponent, Dustin Hazelett.
Here are the official fighter salaries for WEC 45 as provided by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The total disclosed fighter payout was $162,000.
Here are the official fighter salaries for the Strikeforce: Evolution fight card as released by the California State Athletic Commission.
The total disclosed fighter payout was $481,200.
Here are the official results from last night’s Strikeforce: Evolution fight card.
Here are the official results of last nights WEC 45 fight card.
Here are the official weigh-in results for tomorrow night’s UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez fight card.
BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez – Of all BJ Penn’s challengers as lightweight champion, I think Diego Sanchez has the greatest chance of taking the title.
I still think BJ wins this fight, but have to concede that this matchup will be the toughest test BJ has faced as title holder.
Sanchez has good striking power and quick hands that he should be able to put to good use against Penn. Penn has shown throughout his career that he has a chin made of granite and Diego probably knows he can’t look to knock BJ out.
Diego needs to put heavy pressure on BJ and attempt to land as many strikes as possible, both to the head and to the body, in an effort to wear the champion down.
While BJ Penn has improved his conditioning and cardio significantly in his past few fights, that area of his game is still his weakest and we saw GSP wear down Penn and force him to throw in the towel. While Diego is no where as big as GSP, he is a former welterweight and does carry a good amount of muscle.
I look for Penn to attack this fight with the same gameplan he used against Kenny Florian. Penn feels confident that he can stand and trade strikes with anybody, but I think BJ will look to take this fight to the ground sometime during the second round.
Sanchez is a strong wrestler, but BJ’s grappling skills are too good for Diego to defend. I see this fight ending by submission sometime in the third or fourth round.
Winner: BJ Penn
Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo – Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo are two heavyweight fighter’s that are almost a liability to the UFC, in my opinion. Both men are solid heavyweights, but neither is truly at the “top of his class” enough to become and remain the heavyweight champion for any period of time.
Kongo has a good striking and kicking game, but his ground game is still completely lacking even after 20 professional fights, including 10 in the UFC.
Frank Mir’s ground game is top notch, and he even has started to show some good signs of improvement on the feet in recent matches. Mir just has never been able to get over the hurdle and become a huge force in the division.
Personally, I’m pretty ambivalent about this matchup and don’t know what the winner really gains out of the matchup. A title shot probably isn’t on the line, and both men will undoubtedly remain with the promotion.
Look for Mir to test the hands early on, but wisen up and submit Kongo for the victory.
Winner: Frank Mir
Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce – The training camp for UFC 107 was something of a circus for Jon Fitch. Originally slated to fight Ricardo Almeida, Fitch had to switch to preparing for Thiago Alves when Almedia withdrew. The preparations for Alves were short-lived however, as Alves also pulled out leaving Fitch with a fight against Mike Pierce.
I don’t think the revolving door of opponent’s hurt Fitch’s preparations at all, however, and I don’t expect this fight to be much of a problem for Fitch. While Mike Pierce is a solid fighter and has some decent power in his hands, his matchup here with Fitch is more about finding a way to keep Fitch on the fight card rather than matching up two equal opponents.
Expect Fitch to have his way with Pierce on the ground and win via unanimous decision or submission.
Winner: Jon Fitch
Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida – Most MMA fans are looking forward to this lightweight matchup between Kenny Florian and Clay Guida almost as much as the night’s main event.
Both Florian and Guida consistently bring a high-energy gameplan into the Octagon and this fight could be an excellent battle.
Florian recently changed up his training camp and has moved away from Mark Dellegrotte as Sityodtong and it will be interesting to see if the change of scenery has improved Florian’s game at all.
Florian’s striking and Muay Thai game are better than Guida’s, simply because he is the far more accurate and technical striker. Guida should be able to out wrestle Florian on the mat, but Florian has the strong guard game. If Guida can avoid Florian’s guard he should be able to do some damage, but avoiding Florian’s guard isn’t an easy task.
I don’t really see either fighter look to take this fight to the ground however, and I fully expect to see a three round striking battle. If Guida can get in close and frustrate Florian with the clinch in the same way he did to Nate Diaz, then Guida will walk away the victor. If he can’t, look for Florian to win via decision.
Winner: Clay Guida
Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve – MMA heavyweight journeyman Paul Buentello gets another crack at the Octagon. Buentello is by no means a top prospec, but is more of a middle-of-the-pack type of heavyweight. Why the UFC chose to bring “The Headhunter” back into the fold, I’m not quite sure, but the matchup against Stefan Struve will prove an interesting one.
Buentello can still pack a solid punch, and should have the easy advantage on the feet if he can figure out a way to contend with Struve’s huge height advantage.
Struve holds the clear advantage on the ground and has a very good submission game for a man of his size. Stefan needs to use his reach advantage to kick and jab in an effort to keep Buentello at a distance. If Buentello is successful at getting in close and starts landing strikes, look for Struve to take the fight to the ground and attempt to work a submission.
I think Buentello is experienced enough and still has good enough power in his hands that he should be able to keep the fight on the feet and win this fight on points.
Winner: Paul Buentello
Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia – Winner: Wilson Guiveia
Matt Wiman vs. Shane Nelson – Winner: Matt Wiman
Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo Funch – Winner: Johny Hendricks
Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares – Winner: Rousimar Palhares
DeMarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia – Winner: DeMarques Johnson
Kevin Burns vs. TJ Grant – Winner: Kevin Burns
Here are the official fighter salaries for The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale as reported by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The total disclosed fighter payout was $351,000.
The UFC also awarded $25,000 superlative bonuses to the following fighters: Frank Edgar and Matt Veach for “Fight of the Night,” Roy Nelson for “Knockout of the Night,” and Mark Bocek for “Submission of the Night.”
Man, what a joke of an event the TUF 10 finale turned out to be.
In my opinion, last night’s even was probably the overall worst event the UFC has put on for several years. From numerous, huge production quality issues, to the quality of fights and ending of fights, I was just left scratching my head.
In the video above, Keith Kizer states that the cut on Matt Hamill’s nose from the illegal strikes is what caused the fight to end. That simply is not the case. This is probably one time were Hamill’s inability to communicate probably helped him. Since when does a cut on the bridge of the nose end a fight? Sure blood was going into his eyes – he was lying on his back. We see cuts on the nose all the time that aren’t even examined by a doctor much less stopping a fight.
Hamill couldn’t continue fighting because of his left shoulder injury, and even stated so after the final decision had been rendered. The cut on the nose wasn’t what rendered Hamill unable to fight. Victory for Jones or a No Contest, but not a DQ. Not in my book.
Here are the official fight salaries for UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 as released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The UFC also awarded $70,000 Fight Night bonuses to the following fighters: Josh Koscheck and Anthony Johnson for Fight of the Night; Antonio Rogerio Nogueira for Knock of the Night, and Josh Koscheck for Submission of the Night.
* The fight between Dustin Hazelett and Karo Parisyan did not take place as Parisyan withdrew from the fight. Hazelett still received his fight purse plus win bonus, however.
The UFC returns this weekend with the second of back-to-back even weekends with UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2. The original UFC 106 fight card looks very different from the list of fights we will get to see this weekend.
Tito Ortiz was scheduled to make his (second) return to the UFC against Mark Coleman, but will instead rematch Forrest Griffin due to an Coleman knee injury.
Top welterweight Jon Fitch was the victim of a double-whammy as his first opponent, Ricardo Almeida, suffered a new injury and his replacement opponent, Thiago Alves, also suffered an injury during training.
Finally, the scheduled main event heavyweight title fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin has now been postponed indefinitely due to Lesnar’s illness.
The UFC will once again treat fans to a minimum of two undercard bouts on SpikeTV leading up to the Pay-Per-View event.
Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin – Tito Ortiz is known for running his mouth and talking himself up in grand fashion. This fight with Forrest Griffin really is a clutch fight for Ortiz though, as it truly is now time for him to put up or shut up.
Ortiz has already cleared any potential excuses from his collection and has told us all on numerous times that he is finally healthy again and back to 100% after having his spinal fusion surgery.
Can we believe Tito? Is he truly back to the Tito of old?
My guess is yes and no. In Tito’s mind, I’m sure he feels great and feels like he’s back to the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy.” However, in reality, father time has caught up with Tito to a certain extent, and the landscape of MMA has changed greatly since his glory days in the early part of the decade.
The problem for Tito is this – the Tito Ortiz that dominated the UFC light heavyweight division from 2000-2003 wouldn’t enjoy the same success in today’s MMA landscape. The whole MMA game has changed and the athletes that fight today are just much better mixed martial artists than the guys who where at the top of the heap just eight or nine years ago.
So for Tito to simply be back to “the Tito of old” is not enough; Tito needs to be “the Tito of old” with some serious improvements in his standup game.
Luckily (or unluckily) for Tito, he is catching Forrest Griffin at what is a very tenuous time for the TUF superstar. After winning the light heavyweight title in a razor close decision against Quinton Jackson, Griffin proceeded to cough the belt up to Rashad Evans and then get completely humiliated against Anderson Silva.
The embarrassing loss to Silva really seemed to bring out a different side of Griffin that many of his fans had never seen before. Forrest has always been glib and tough to really pin down on his true thoughts and feelings regarding fighting, but Forrest simply ran out of the ring and went AWOL.
Sure, Forrest got married and spent some time on his honeymoon, but when he returned he still didn’t provide any kind of insight or answers into what is going on in his head. Will Forrest have the confidence needed to continue to compete with the top of the light heavyweight division? Fighting Tito Ortiz for a second time will definitely help us to find out.
Forrest standup game should definitely be better than Tito’s. While not a technical striker, Griffin has good power and manages to land a lot of strikes on his opponents. Griffin’s leg kicks have also become well known in recent fights and it will be interesting to see how he uses that skill-set against Ortiz.
Will Griffin attempt to chop down the legs of Tito as he did against Quinton Jackson or will the fear of being taken down make him hesitant?
This fight has me more intrigued than any other fight has in a long time. Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint.
Winner: Tito Ortiz
Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson – Will Anthony Johnson make weight? That is the only question we will undoubtedly hear over the remainder of this week. It’s really too bad because Johnson has only missed weight once and we all really should be talking about what a good matchup this is.
We all know Johnson’s excellent speed and explosiveness. We all know Koscheck’s excellent wrestling and competitiveness. Which fighter walks away victorious is a tough call.
I think Josh Koscheck can win this fight easily if he simply falls back on his strength and uses his superior wrestling to keep the fight on the mat. However, I’m not convinced that Koscheck is that interested in being just a wrestler after his loss to Georges St. Pierre. Koscheck seems to favor striking more and more with each of his recent fights and that could be a problem in this matchup with Johnson.
If the fight remains standing, I think its only a matter of time before Johnson gets the better of Koscheck with his striking and kick game. I’m not sure that Johnson can score another quick knockout like he is prone to do, but he should able to batter Koscheck on the feet and in the clinch.
The real deciding factor, in my mind, is whether or not Johnson can use his size advantage to keep from being dominated on the ground. Johnson can’t stop Koscheck from taking him to the ground, it’s just a matter of whether or not he can get back up or tie up Koscheck once the fight hits the mat.
I’d love to pick Johnson in this fight, and I really think he stands the better shot at victory, but I’ve gotta go with my gut in this fight and take the safe bet in Koscheck.
Winner: Josh Koscheck
Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again now. I just do not understand the infatuation Zuffa seems to have with Amir Sadollah. The way Sadollah is promoted and used for marketing and promotion within the UFC baffles me.
Sadollah has two professional fights to his credit, a victory over C-Level fighter CB Dollaway and a loss via TKO against Johnny Hendricks at UFC 101.
We are all familiar with Phil Baroni and know what to expect from him. Baroni has been an up-and-down fighter throughout his career, never putting together more than a three-fight win streak. To his credit, Baroni has fought a lot of top-level talent and has definitely improved over time.
In this matchup, I think this is one of the few times that I can legitimately say Phil Baroni outclasses his opponent. Baroni holds a huge advantage on the feet, and Sadollah must prey and hope that he can get the fight to the ground and keep the much stronger Baroni down if he doesn’t want to get his head caved in.
Winner: Phil Baroni
Luiz Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – “Lil’ Nog” joins his brother and former UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the UFC and his first matchup isn’t going to be an easy one.
Nogueira has bounced around as of late fighting in Affliction, Sengoku and Jungle Fights in his native Brazil since the fall of PrideFC. Nogueira has a solid striking game and top submission came and will be a fun addition to the UFC’s light heavyweight ranks.
In my book, Luiz Cane is one of those fighters who truly has a shot at being the next big star in the light heavyweight division. Cane would be undefeated had he not been disqualified for an illegal knee to a downed opponent in his fight against James Irvin at UFC 79.
After the DQ loss, Cane easily rolled through Jason Lambert and Rameau Sokoudjou before grinding out a somewhat unimpressive victory against Steve Cantwell at UFC 97.
I see both fighters looking to stand and trade strikes in this fight and I don’t expect much work on the ground. At this point in both fighters careers, I think Cane has the quicker hands, better footwork and more power and wins this fight.
Winner: Luiz Cane
Karo Parisyan vs. Dustin Hazelett – I think it’s impossible to know what kind of state Karo Parisyan will show up for a fight these days. Is he physically in shape? Is he mentally in shape? Are his panic attacks under control?
In my mind, none of that will really matter in this case however as I think Dustin Hazelett will pull of some kind of submission and send Parisyan further down into the depths of his mental abyss.
Winner: Dustin Hazelett
Ben Saunders vs. Marcus Davis – Winner: Marcus Davis
Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt – Winner: Jake Rosholt
Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann – Winner: Paulo Thiago
Brock Larson vs. Brian Foster – Winner: Brock Larson
Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes – Winner: Caol Uno
George Sotiropolous vs. Jason Dent – Winner: George Sotiropolous
The UFC kicks off the first of back-to-back fight card weekends this Saturday as UFC 105 takes place in Manchester, England. The fight card is filled with local UK talent and TUF alumni and is headlined by none other than “Father Time”, Randy Couture.
Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera – The smart money in the Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera matchup, would most likely be on Randy Couture.
Couture has the edge in experience, game-planning, and wrestling control. The question that will continue to remain with Couture, however, is how much does he have left in the tank? Couture is now 46, and has once again dropped down to light heavyweight to test the waters.
Brandon Vera is probably the standup fighter in this matchup, with a strong background in Muay Thai and decent boxing. Couture has always been a solid striker, but never stood out as a great standup guy.
The deciding factors for me in this matchup will be Brandon Vera’s conditioning and Vera’s groundwork. If Vera can keep the fight standing he should be in a good spot. When Couture is able to bring the fight to the ground as he inevitably will, Vera’s BJJ and defensive grappling will need to be strong.
While it’s clear that Vera will never fulfill the promise his early heavyweight career foreshadowed, a win over Couture would give him a big shot in the arm and perhaps bring back a bit of his confidence and swagger.
Winner: Brandon Vera
Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang – The UFC is hoping to do all they can to build up Michael Bisping in the general public’s eye after his complete embarrassment against Dan Henderson at UFC 100.
Bisping returns to his nest as he once again is fighting on home soil in England; I don’t expect him to fight outside the UK or Europe again any time soon. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of Bisping and I think he has been coddled and pushed through his career in the UFC and has never done anything to show he is a top-level fighter.
Denis Kang, on the other hand, has all the tools and talent needed to be a top-level guy, but has never been able to put it all together consistently. This will be Kang’s third fight in the UFC and I really think he’ll show his true colors in this fight against Bisping as he should finally begin to find his grove inside the Octagon.
I don’t expect much in the way of fireworks in this fight, but I think Kang should easily dominate the fight en route to a decision victory.
Winner: Denis Kang
Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy – Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy has all the making of what should be fight of the night. However, as we have seen plenty of times in the past, all the pre-fight trash talking in the world doesn’t always equate to a good fight.
Mike Swick seems to have finally found his comfort zone since dropping to the welterweight division and has won his last two fights via TKO. Swick has always been known for his quickness and handspeed, and he does have the power to end fights.
Dan Hardy is a gutsy fighter who has proven resilient and hard to finish. Like Swick, Hardy’s strength lies in his striking, but with Hardy it’s less about quickness and more about power.
I expect a standup battle from these two, but have a feeling it will be one of those slow “tactical” battles that doesn’t do much to win the audience over. I’m going with Swick via decision here.
Winner: Mike Swick
James Wilks vs. Matt Brown – This fight between James Wilks and Matt Brown seems to have snuck onto the main card by a matter of default. Wilks is a TUF winner and there aren’t any other solid undercard fights (outside of the Kelly vs. Siver fight).
I don’t have much commentary on this matchup as I don’t think either fighter is really that special. I’ve got Wilks winning via decision in round 1.
Winner: James Wilks
Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley – Another true pick-em fight that the UFC hopes showcases Ross Pearson and pleases the hometown British crowd. Pearson is a stronger striker and brawler while Riley has the edge on the ground. If Riley can take Pearson down and keep him there, he should be able to pull off a submission. If the fight stays standing, I expect Pearson to bulldog his way to a decision victory.
Winner: Aaron Riley
Paul Taylor vs. John Hathaway – Winner: John Mathaway
Terry Etim vs. Shannon Gugerty – Winner: Shannon Gugerty
Nick Osipczak vs. Matthew Riddle – Winner: Matthew Riddle
Paul Kelly vs. Dennis Siver – Winner: Paul Kelly
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jared Hamman – Winner: Jared Hamman
Andre Winner vs. Rolando Delgado – Winner: Andre Winner
Strikeforce returns to action this Saturday night and will finally be able to utilize the most valuable asset they acquired when they purchased ProElite’s assets – the CBS Saturday Night Fights contract.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers – Um, do we really even need to discuss this fight at all?
Outside of calling himself “The Grim” and having a tough-guy mohawk, what exactly does Brett Rogers have going for himself in this fight?
A win over James Thompson? Wow, stellar. A victory over Ron Humphries? Well tickle me pink. A victory over Andrei Arlovski? Impressive, but not that impressive considering it was against the 2009 version of Arlovski and not the 2004-05 version.
Fedor is Fedor. Period. Nothing else needs to be said.
Fedor is Fedor.
Rogers has no chance.
Fedor is Fedor.
Fedor is Fedor.
Fedor is Fedor.
Fedor is Fedor.
Winner: Fedor EmelianenkoJake Shields vs. Jason Miller – Jake Shields insists he is still on a machine to get the “respect” that he deserves as a fighter. Personally, I don’t think anyone is sleeping on Jake Shields anymore and that he has all the respect he deserves. Nevertheless, Shields is now trying his hand at middleweight in an attempt to prove his worth and mettle as a competitor.
To me, Jason Miller seems like a perfect opponent for Shield’s debut before a national audience on CBS. While Jason Miller is more known for his flamboyant speech and mannerisms, behind that facade is a truly talented fighter. Miller also brings some huge national name recognition with the younger audience to this fight after his two successful season’s hosting a show on MTV.
Miller has looked strong in his recent battles with Ronaldo Souza, and his grappling in their first matchup was solid. However, I have a strong suspicion that his grappling just isn’t anywhere near good enough to compete with Jake Shields. Shields has turned into something of a submission savant in recent months.
While Miller should put on a good show as always and give Shields a decent test, I fully expect the night to end with Shields holding both the middleweight and welterweight Strikeforce belts above his head.
Winner: Jake Shields
Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Sokoudjou – I don’t really think much analysis needs to be given to the Mousasi vs. Sokoudjou fight. This is a matchup of two fighters headed in completely different directions in their respective careers.
Sokoudjou enjoyed quick notoriety when he quickly dispatched Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in PrideFC back in 2007, but quickly fizzled out and was never able to capitalize on the hype he had created. Losses to Lyoto Machida, Luiz Cane, and Renato Sobral have left the Team Quest member languishing in the DREAM “Super Hulk” tournament, MMA’s version of a circus side show.
Gegard Mousasi, on the other hand, continues to climb to new heights in his career and is now attacking the light heavyweight division. With a 26-2 record, Mousasi rolled through the Japanese middleweight scene losing only to Akihiro Gono in 2006 before winning the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix in 2008.
Mousasi has won his last 13 fights using all many of stoppages to get it done. I see Mousasi defeating Sokou anyway he pleases; by strikes, submission or total humiliation.
Winner: Gegard Mousasi
Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Silva – Conventional wisdom probably dictates that the more experience Fabricio Werdum should take this fight easily. Werdum has fought vastly superior fighters over his career and is the much better grappler.
However, I’ve watched both these men fight multiple times over the past few years, and I’m going to go against “conventional wisdom” here.
Antonio Silva is really an enigma of a fighter. Silva is surprising quick on his feet for a fighter of his size, and has, what may be a surprise to some, a decent ground game as well.
In my opinion, Werdum simply hasn’t looked impressive at all in his recent fights (save the victory over Gabriel Gonzaga) and I think Silva’s size and striking will give him a run for his money in this fight.
If Werdum show’s up in good shape and with a good game plane (i.e. taking the fight to the ground for a submission) he could very easily win this fight quickly; if not, I look for Silva to win via decision.
Winner: Antonio Silva
Here are the official fight salaries for UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun as released by the California State Athletic Commission.
The UFC also awarded $60,000 Fight Night bonuses to the following fighters: Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk for Fight of the Night; Pat Barry for Knock of the Night, and Stefan Struve for Submission of the Night.
The total disclosed fighter payout was $922,000.
* Anthony Johnson forfeited 20% of his $15,000 “show money” ($3,000) to his opponent, Yoshiyuki Yoshida for failing to make the contracted weight.
After the festivities of UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun wrap up Saturday night in Las Vegas, NV, the fireworks in Osaka, Japan will just be beginning as DREAM.12 kicks off debuting the first use of a “caged” environment for the DREAM promotion.
Here are the official weigh-in results for DREAM.12.