Author: Shaun Al-Shatti

Nine fighters received potential six-month medical suspensions in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 71, including lightweights Tony Ferguson and Josh Thomson, according to information released Monday by the California State Athletic Commission.

Ferguson handily defeated Thomson in the event’s co-featured bout, nearly finishing the Strikeforce veteran multiple times over the course of a lopsided unanimous decision. Thomson will now be required to receive medical clearance on a list of injuries that includes his right elbow, right knee, right forearm, and facial lacerations, or be forced to the sidelines for 180 days.

Ferguson, likewise, will be required to receive medical clearance for a possible fracture to his right orbital or be forced out for 180 days.

Seven other fighters were handed similar sentences by CSAC officials for their performances at UFC Fight Night 71. The suspension list reads as follows: Marion Reneau (right ribs), Scott Jorgensen (left knee), Sam Sicilia (left lower leg), Jessica Andrade (left thumb), Rani Yahya (CT scan), Masanori Kanehara (right elbow), and Sean Strickland (right knuckle).

UFC Fight Night 71 took place July 15 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, CA. The event’s main card aired lived on FOX Sports 1.

A complete list of UFC Fight Night 71’s medical suspension report can be seen below.

• Tony Ferguson: Suspended 180 days or must have possible right orbital fracture cleared by physician
• Josh Thomson: Suspended 45 days, no contact 30 days due to hard bout; suspended 60 days or must have facial lacerations cleared by a physician; suspended 180 days or must have right elbow, right knee, and right forearm cleared by physician
• Marion Reneau: Suspended 180 days or must have possible right rib fracture cleared by physician
• Scott Jorgensen: Suspended 180 days or must have possible left knee fracture cleared by physician
• Sam Sicilia: Suspended 180 days or must have possible left lower leg injury cleared by orthopedic physician
• Jessica Andrade: Suspended 180 days or must have possible left thumb fracture cleared by physician
• Rani Yahya: Suspended 180 days or must have CT scan cleared by physician
• Masanori Kanehara: Suspended 180 days or must have possible right elbow fracture cleared by orthopedic physician
• Sean Strickland: Suspended 180 days or must have right third knuckle cleared by physician
• Matt Dwyer: Suspended 45 days, no contact 30 days due to hard bout; suspended 60 days or must have left eye laceration cleared by physician
• Lyman Good: Suspended 60 days or must have right ear laceration cleared by physician
• Todd Duffee: Suspended for 45 days, no contact 30 days due to KO
• Sarah Moras: Suspended 45 days, no contact 30 days due to hard bout
• Igor Araujo: Suspended 45 days, no contact 30 days due to hard bout
• Andrew Craig: Suspended for 45 days, no contact 30 days due to TKO

If nothing else, Frank Mir’s revival tour certainty hasn’t hurt his bank account. The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion handily led the disclosed payroll at UFC Fight Night 71, pocketing an event-high $200,000 purse for his knockout victory over Todd Duffee, according to figures released Monday by the California State Athletic Commission.

Despite being better known as a grappler, Mir, 36, engaged in wild back-and-forth slugfest with Duffee in the night’s main event, which took place July 15 at the Valley View Casino Center. The bout ended in dramatic fashion just 73 seconds into its opening round, as Mir laid Duffee out cold with a looping left hand for his second straight knockout win. Duffee earned $12,000 in the losing effort.

Mir was the only fighter on the card to clear the six-figure mark with his purse. Aside from him, former Strikeforce title contender Josh Thomson came the closest, earning $85,000 for his game performance against the victorious Tony Ferguson in the night’s co-main event.

UFC Fight Night 71 took place in San Diego, CA. The event’s main card aired lived on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to the CSAC’s reported salaries, Mir, Ferguson, Alan Jouban, and Matt Dwyer each scored $50,000 fight night bonuses.

A complete list of the UFC Fight Night 71 salaries can be seen below. As always, these figures do not represent a fighter’s total earnings, as sponsorship money, pay-per-view income, and discretionary post-fight bonuses are not publicly disclosed.

Main card (FOX Sports 1)
Frank Mir ($200,000 + no win bonus = $200,000) def. Todd Duffee ($12,000)
Tony Ferguson ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Josh Thomson ($85,000)
Holly Holm ($25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000) def. Marion Reneau ($12,000)
Manny Gamburyan ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Scott Jorgensen ($33,000)
Kevin Lee ($18,000 + $18,000 = $36,000) def. James Moontastri ($10,000)
Alan Jouban ($15,000 + $15,000 = $30,000) def. Matt Dwyer ($10,000)

Preliminary card (FOX Sports 1)
Sam Sicilia ($18,000 + $18,000 = $36,000) def. Yaotzin Meza ($16,000)
Jessica Andrade ($16,000 + $16,000 = $32,000) def. Sarah Moras ($10,000)
Rani Yahya ($27,000 + $27,000 = $52,000) def. Masanori Kanehara ($14,000)
Sean Strickland ($17,000 + $17,000 = $34,000) def. Igor Araujo ($15,000)

Preliminary card (UFC Fight Pass)
Kevin Casey ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Ildemar Alcantara ($20,000)
Lyman Good ($10,000 + $10,000 = $20,000) def. Andrew Craig ($17,000)

Nick Diaz will serve one day in jail for the pair of DUI-related offenses he picked up in Nov. 2013 and Sept. 2014, MMAFighting.com confirmed Monday following an initial report by TMZ Sports.

Diaz struck a plea deal with California prosecutors that will see the popular UFC welterweight plead no contest to one count of DUI with an alcohol or drug level above .08, in exchange for the state dropping three additional charges from the incidents, including the second potential DUI.

Diaz was sentenced to two days in jail as a result of the deal, with one day credited to time already served.

Diaz, 31, was first arrested on Nov. 20, 2013 in California for driving under the influence. Diaz missed several court dates following the initial arrest, until ultimately surrendering in court in Aug. 2014 after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Diaz was subsequently released on $25,000 bail, and a date for his arraignment was then scheduled for the following month.

Before that arraignment could happen, though, Diaz was arrested a second time in Lodi, Calif. for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, among other charges, in the early morning hours of Sept. 6, 2014. Once under police custody, Diaz attempted to induce himself to vomit several times against the commands of officers as a means to circumvent a breath sobriety test. Diaz was ultimately released from Lodi City Jail later that day.

Diaz is scheduled to report to San Joaquin court for a hearing on his plea deal on July 23 at 8:00 a.m., after which he will serve his one day in jail.

A former Strikeforce champion, Diaz (26-10, 1 NC) last fought in January at UFC 183, where he lost a unanimous decision to ex-UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva. Both Diaz and Silva failed drug tests in relation to the bout, with Diaz testing positive for marijuana metabolites and Silva testing positive for anabolic steroids.

The marijuana violation was Diaz’s third in the state of Nevada, as the welterweight previously failed tests in 2007 and 2012. The latter incident drew Diaz a one-year suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

Diaz is currently awaiting a hearing before the NAC to determine a potential punishment for his UFC 183 testing results. That hearing is expected take place in either August or September.

Nick Diaz will serve one day in jail for the pair of DUI-related offenses he picked up in Nov. 2013 and Sept. 2014, MMAFighting.com confirmed Monday following an initial report by TMZ Sports.

Diaz struck a plea deal with California prosecutors that will see the popular UFC welterweight plead no contest to one count of DUI with an alcohol or drug level above .08, in exchange for the state dropping three additional charges from the incidents, including the second potential DUI.

Diaz was sentenced to two days in jail as a result of the deal, with one day credited to time already served.

Diaz, 31, was first arrested on Nov. 20, 2013 in California for driving under the influence. Diaz missed several court dates following the initial arrest, until ultimately surrendering in court in Aug. 2014 after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Diaz was subsequently released on $25,000 bail, and a date for his arraignment was then scheduled for the following month.

Before that arraignment could happen, though, Diaz was arrested a second time in Lodi, Calif. for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, among other charges, in the early morning hours of Sept. 6, 2014. Once under police custody, Diaz attempted to induce himself to vomit several times against the commands of officers as a means to circumvent a breath sobriety test. Diaz was ultimately released from Lodi City Jail later that day.

Diaz is scheduled to report to San Joaquin court for a hearing on his plea deal on July 23 at 8:00 a.m., after which he will serve his one day in jail.

A former Strikeforce champion, Diaz (26-10, 1 NC) last fought in January at UFC 183, where he lost a unanimous decision to ex-UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva. Both Diaz and Silva failed drug tests in relation to the bout, with Diaz testing positive for marijuana metabolites and Silva testing positive for anabolic steroids.

The marijuana violation was Diaz’s third in the state of Nevada, as the welterweight previously failed tests in 2007 and 2012. The latter incident drew Diaz a one-year suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

Diaz is currently awaiting a hearing before the NAC to determine a potential punishment for his UFC 183 testing results. That hearing is expected take place in either August or September.

Pull up any early WEC event on UFC Fight Pass and it’s likely you’ll hear a familiar voice in the broadcast booth. That’s because up until mid-2010, the distinctive timbre of two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was synonymous with the WEC’s blue cage and gloves.

Mir served as the WEC’s full-time color commentator throughout the majority of the promotion’s lifespan, soundtracking the rise of lighter weight greats like Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz with heaps of analysis and in-cage experience, often to great acclaim. Mir ultimately relinquished his post following WEC 46, but now that he’s had some time away, the 36-year-old is once again looking for an opportunity to pick up where he left off.

“I actually just talked to Dana (White) the other day about it,” Mir told MMAFighting.com. “When there’s a spot that opens up, I’d like to jump back in there and start broadcasting again.”

Mir (18-9) lost his cageside role to Stephan Bonnar amid controversy in 2010, after publicly stating that he wanted his then-rival, Brock Lesnar, “to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries.” Bonnar ended up commentating several of the final seven WEC events before the promotion merged with the UFC, while Mir compiled another run at the heavyweight title before falling in a four-fight slump that left many pondering whether retirement was his best option.

All of those questions have been long forgotten now, though. Mir has enjoyed a late-career resurgence in 2015, unexpectedly reviving his status as a UFC heavyweight contender with back-to-back knockouts over Antonio Silva and Todd Duffee in a combined time of 2:53.

With the FOX deal continuing to provide new opportunities for well-spoken fighters, he sees the broadcast booth as an obvious next step.

“I’m doing it every time when I sit at home and break down film, so it’s pretty easy to pick back up,” Mir said.

“I miss it. I think the more that people appreciate the sport, the more they’re a fan of it. I love martial arts, so why wouldn’t I want to help people understand it more?”

Over his time in the WEC, Mir commentated the early fights of many men who ultimately went on to become UFC stars.

From names like Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone, to Anthony Pettis and Chad Mendes, the WEC’s coffers were absurdly rich in retrospect. But the debut of one Brazilian, in particular, left an impression on Mir like no other: UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

“Different level,” Mir reflected. “That guy was on a different level. I saw that the first time he started moving around.”

Mir commentated a majority of Aldo’s first six fights inside the WEC, and right away he saw greatness in the unknown 21-year-old from Manaus.

“I remember one time watching Jose Aldo fight Jonathan Brookins, and he just chopped him up,” Mir said. “And I remember sitting there and they’re like, ‘well, you know what, don’t send an interpreter in there. It takes too much time.’

“We’re down in Florida and they’re sitting there, and I grabbed one of the powers that be and went, ‘That’s your future champ. I think we should interview him regardless of how difficult it is.’ I called that the first time I’d ever saw him move.”

Watch Joanne Calderwood vs. Cortney Casey full fight video highlights from UFC Fight Night 72’s main card above, courtesy of FOX Sports.

UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites took place July 18, 2015 at the The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. UFC strawweight contender Joanne Calderwood (10-1) took on short-notice replacement Cortney Casey (4-2) in a wild fight on the night’s main card, which aired live on FOX Sports 1. Catch the video highlights above.

For more on Calderwood vs. Casey, catch the recap by MMAFighting.com’s own Marc Raimondi.