For the most part, UFC weigh-ins go down without a hitch. A bunch of almost naked fighters step on the scale, flex, mean mug each other during the staredown, and then walk off the stage. Sometimes there is pushing and shoving and brief trash-talk and g…
For the most part, UFC weigh-ins go down without a hitch. A bunch of almost naked fighters step on the scale, flex, mean mug each other during the staredown, and then walk off the stage. Sometimes there is pushing and shoving and brief trash-talk and gesticulating. It’s rare that the truly bizarre happens.
Friday’s UFC 162 weigh-ins was one of those bizarre occasions.
The first 20 fighters that weighed in on Friday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center got through the event with little more than a push or two. Then main event fighters Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman took their spots for their staredown.
The two took the nose-to-nose staredown to a different level when they pretty much went lip to lip before being separated by UFC president Dana White.
There was also some words exchanged, words that were audible to White, who took to Twitter to relay what was said:
People keep asking me what Anderson and Chris said… Chris said I’m not afraid of u like everyone else & Anderson said we will see 2 morrow
Jon Jones is growing tired of the media bombarding Anderson Silva with superfight talk.The UFC light heavyweight champ knows a thing or two about the importance of remaining focused on the task at hand and not looking too far ahead.At UFC 162, Silva wi…
Jon Jones is growing tired of the media bombarding Anderson Silva with superfight talk.
The UFC light heavyweight champ knows a thing or two about the importance of remaining focused on the task at hand and not looking too far ahead.
At UFC 162, Silva will defend his middleweight title for an 11th time against undefeated contender Chris Weidman. There has never been a more dangerous matchup for Silva on paper, and a sizable chunk of the MMA community is banking on a historic upset.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of fans consider this bout a transitional fight that will ultimately pave the way for a dream match between Silva and Jones. The public’s infatuation with super fights has pushed the media to follow suit and ask redundant questions.
At a media luncheon on Monday, Silva attempted to bypass the superfight talk by flat out admitting he didn’t believe he could defeat Jones at light heavyweight. Unfortunately, his comments only fueled the media’s interest in the bout, and questions have since been pouring in about whether or not Silva is afraid of Jones.
On Wednesday, Jones hopped on Twitter in defense of Silva.
Jones has always been open about the overwhelming respect he has for Silva as a fighter and a person. In an interview with ESPN Radio, he called a fight with Silva a “lose-lose situation.”
He doesn’t want to be the guy to end Silva’s run, but he also doesn’t want to lose to Silva either.
As Jones bluntly puts it in the interview, “Some things were just not meant to be seen.”
Win, lose or draw, Anderson Silva will go home from his next fight at UFC 162 a rather happy man, at least financially. On Friday, Bleacher Report received the reported salary information for the main event and co-main event fighters for the upcoming U…
Win, lose or draw, Anderson Silva will go home from his next fight at UFC 162 a rather happy man, at least financially.
On Friday, Bleacher Report received the reported salary information for the main event and co-main event fighters for the upcoming UFC 162 card from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
According to the report, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will make $600,000 for his show money, and if he wins, he will pocket an additional $200,000.
Silva just recently renegotiated a new 10-fight deal with the UFC that is obviously paying him substantially higher than his last contract.
When Silva fought ChaelSonnen in the main event of UFC 148 in July 2012, the Brazilian took home $200,000 with no win bonus for his performance.Silva did fight one more time in 2012 at UFC 153, but the card was in Brazil and no salary information was released for that show.
Now with his new fight deal in place, Silva stands to make almost a million dollars should he beat Weidman on Saturday, and he will likely take home an even larger paycheck based on pay-per-view bonuses he receives that are not disclosed publicly.
As for Silva’s opponent, Weidman will pocket $24,000 for his show money at UFC 162 with a chance to win an additional $24,000 if he wins.
In the co-main event of the evening, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will take home $120,000 for his show money, and if he wins, he will get an additional $120,000.
His opponent, Charles Oliveira, will get paid $21,000 for his show money and $21,000 if he pulls the upset and beats Edgar on Saturday night.
Now, the payouts reported by the commission are only what is listed as contractual salaries on the bout agreements signed by the fighters and the promotion. Any additional bonuses paid out, such as discretionary locker-room bonuses paid by the UFC or the aforementioned pay-per-view bonuses, are not disclosed.
The full list of the UFC 162 salaries will be released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission next week, most likely on Monday following the event.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
This Saturday, July 6, at UFC 162, middleweight champion and pound-for-pound deity Anderson Silva will look to build on his legend by stopping up-and-comer Chris Weidman in his tracks. The title fight will headline a deep card consisting of 11 total co…
This Saturday, July 6, at UFC 162, middleweight champion and pound-for-pound deity Anderson Silva will look to build on his legend by stopping up-and-comer Chris Weidman in his tracks. The title fight will headline a deep card consisting of 11 total contests.
On the whole, UFC 162 is very deep. From fight No. 1 to fight No. 11, the action looks to be competitive, and it seems that there are several finishes just waiting to happen.
Highlighting the night’s complementary action is a featherweight tussle between former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliveira. Edgar will be looking for his first win in four outings while Oliveira will attempt to finally grasp a signature victory inside the Octagon.
Also of tremendous importance is a pair of middleweight bouts between Mark Munoz and Tim Boetschand Strikeforce imports Tim Kennedy and Roger Gracie.
With so many promising pairings and one of the most exciting main events of 2013, UFC 162 is not an event you’ll want to miss.
Luckily, Bleacher Report has got you covered with a guide to all of Saturday night’s happenings.
Facebook Prelims
UFC 162 gets started with a couple of welterweight bouts. The social network is usually reserved for the promotion’s lesser-known talent, but this Saturday, it will host some noteworthy and highly regarded stock.
Fights on the Facebook portion of UFC 162 include:
Seth Baczynski vs. Brian Melancon
Mike Pierce vs. Davis Mitchell
The Facebook prelims are scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET.
FX Prelims
The second portion of Saturday’s action will air on FX and will feature four fights. In Canada, you can catch the action by tuning to Sportsnet 360.
Fights on the FX portion of UFC 162 include:
Chris Leben vs. Andrew Craig
Norman Parke vs. KazukiTokudome
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Dave Herman
EdsonBarboza vs. Rafaello Oliveira
The FX prelims will get underway at 8 p.m. ET.
UFC 162 Main Card
The pay-per-view component of the event consists of the promotion’s standard five-pack, which features three middleweight bouts and a pair of featherweight contests. The night’s main attraction is one of the year’s most anticipated showdowns.
Fights on the UFC 162 main card include:
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman (middleweight title fight)
Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
Roger Gracie vs. Tim Kennedy
Tim Boetsch vs. Mark Munoz
Dennis Siver vs. Cub Swanson
The Start time for the UFC 162 main card is 10 p.m. ET.
Now that you know when and where to catch this weekend’s UFC action, don’t forget to check in with us at Bleacher Report for coverage of the event, including live results and post-fight analysis.
It’s safe to say UFC middleweight contender Vitor Belfort was near a computer this week because he certainly saw the comments from UFC president Dana White about his chances of getting another shot at Anderson Silva.Belfort was knocked out by Silva at …
It’s safe to say UFC middleweight contender VitorBelfort was near a computer this week because he certainly saw the comments from UFC president Dana White about his chances of getting another shot at Anderson Silva.
Belfort was knocked out by Silva at UFC 126 in one of the most spectacular finishes in MMA history.
Since that loss, Belfort has racked up a 4-1 record, with his only loss coming to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in a fight he took on short notice. His other four fights have all been finishes inside the first two rounds.
So when White was asked about Belfort receiving another shot at Silva on Thursday, the UFC president didn’t seem too enthusiastic about the idea, and he believes that the long-reigning champion would have similar thoughts on the rematch.
“I’m not saying that Vitor couldn’t get the next shot, or couldn’t get a shot soon, but if you’re Anderson Silva, you’re looking for another challenge,” White said on Thursday. “It would be a hard argument. You could make a better argument that Dan Henderson should get the next shot. Yeah, he hasn’t looked impressively and he hasn’t won, but (Anderson) didn’t beat him as bad as he did Vitor.”
Needless to say, Belfort was not happy at all to read those comments.
So on Friday, Belforttook to Twitter with a rather long message in response to the claim that Silva would not likely be interested in a rematch with him, nor would the UFC push for it much based on White’s comments.
Belfort first took aim at the idea that his knockout loss to Silva was any different than the recent heavyweight fights that took place between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.
It’s incredible how it seems as though Silva is the one picking his opponents. Think about this: Cain got knocked out in a devastating loss to Cigano, and after one fight he gets another title shot. Then after being massacred by Velasquez for 5 rounds, now Cigano gets another chance for the title. In order for a rematch to take place, the champion must accept a challenge. Both Cigano and Velasquez accepted. But I, on the other hand, crushed all the contenders that were put in front of me, and it seems that I have earned nothing, not even the respect I deserve for all I have done for the sport. My spot is the highest of any division contender in the UFC, and it is only logical and fair for me to be given a shot at the title.
Belfort scoffed at the idea that just because Silva knocked him out means that he can’t ever get a chance to earn a victory back against the reigning middleweight champion.
Why is it that I don’t have a title shot? Just because one time, Anderson happened to land a kick?! I can assure you that given a second chance, that would never happen again. I have proven myself over and over.
Belfort also reacted to the idea of Silva being involved in superfights that have been teased for years. White has stated on several occasions that if Silva is victorious in his bout on Saturday against Chris Weidman, then they may soon start looking at putting together fights against either UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre or light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
There is even the opening to do a superfight with former boxing champion Roy Jones Jr., who will be in attendance at UFC 162. None of the names mentioned, however, were Belfort‘s, and he’s not happy about it one bit.
It seems that Anderson wants to go on and do super fights or whatever. How can he think of doing a super fight right now when he has a contender of my caliber waiting to compete for the belt. I have no problem with super fights, as long as they don’t tie up the belt from other great contenders who deserve a chance to accomplish the greatest moments of their career. Nobody should be able to strip me of the dreams that God gave me and that I have worked so hard to achieve! It doesn’t matter who is the champion or how many title defenses they have, they should fight who is the number 1 contender in the sport, and that person is me! I really can’t understand any reason why Anderson would refuse to fight me, unless he was scared that the result would be different this time.
Belfort then took aim at the current contender who will face Silva on Saturday night in the main event. The bout will pit Chris Weidman—a fighter with five total fights in the UFC—against Silva with the middleweight title on the line.
Belfort believes his track record speaks for itself, not to mention the list of contenders he’s knocked off lately, including former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold and top-five middleweight Michael Bisping.
Mind you, I have no personal beef against Anderson or any other fighter. I’m just talking about every fighter’s dream to win the belt – to fight for the world championship! That’s what this business is all about. If Chris Weidman can get a title shot just by defeating Munoz, imagine how much I deserve this after devastating everyone they put in front of me, not to mention all that I have contributed to the history of the sport. I deserve more respect for what I have done, am still doing, and am about to do.
Belfort also took great exception to the mention of Dan Henderson as a possible opponent for Silva ahead of him. Silva dispatched of Henderson as well, but it took until the second round to do so, whereas he knocked out Belfort in the first round of their fight in a fairly one-sided affair.
“Come on – they even say that it makes more sense for Silva to fight Hendo??? What a joke!” Belfort stated.
His hope remains that if Silva is victorious on Saturday night, the UFC will come to its senses and offer him a shot at the title again. For his part, Silva has never really said much about Belfort getting a rematch, although the question has rarely come up since his win over him in 2011.
After Belfort‘s latest Twitter rant, it’s safe to say that should Silva win at UFC 162, the question will come up now.
I trust that if Anderson keeps the belt on Saturday night or if Chris Weidman wins, they will accept the challenge to fight me next, because I earned the spot. Dana White, MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Belfort will obviously be a very interested viewer to see what happens on Saturday night. It remains to be seen if his impassioned plea will make a difference to White or Silva if he wins at UFC 162.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Before Ronda Rousey was snapping arms in the UFC, she was cutting her teeth alongside a large group of amateur fighters who all got their start by way of a Tuff-N-Uff, a top-rated promotion run out of Las Vegas. Tuff-N-Uff is widely considered the top …
Before Ronda Rousey was snapping arms in the UFC, she was cutting her teeth alongside a large group of amateur fighters who all got their start by way of a Tuff-N-Uff, a top-rated promotion run out of Las Vegas.
Tuff-N-Uff is widely considered the top amateur promotion in MMA, but this Friday, its latest show will go under an entirely different kind of spotlight.
The card taking place at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas has been promoted as part of the UFC 162 International Fight Week festivities, which means more fans that ever will pour into the show to watch the future stars of MMA compete.
“It’s pretty crazy, but we’re fully equipped to handle the craziness.We look really forward to impressing the UFC and all of our fans that will be in attendance,” Jeff Meyer, founder and president of Tuff-N-Uff told Bleacher Report.“Obviously, a lot of the UFC brass will be coming.”
It’s pretty routine to see some of the UFC’s top stars flanking a Tuff-N-Uff show on all sides, whether they attend as fans or to corner up-and-coming fighters who are appearing on the shows.
This time around, with the UFC helping to promote the event, Meyer expects the intensity to be ratcheted up even more than usual.
“We expect that this show will be our biggest attended event, so it puts pressure on us to put on a really quality show. And it gives the fighters the extra drive in training and their personal lives to give their best,” Meyer said.“This is going to be our biggest show, and fighters can definitely feel that too.The pressure’s on.”
The UFC support helps Tuff-N-Uff exponentially with exposure and also with acceptance by fans that its show really is the top place for amateurs to compete.With MMADraft holding its first ever amateur combine at the UFC Fan Expo, along with the show on Friday night, the young fighters of the world will take center stage for much of this fight weekend.
“To be perfectly honest, it’s a dream come true to be associated with the UFC.Let’s call it their stamp of approval with their logo all over our collateral,” Meyer stated.“It’s an amazing experience for us to be a part of, and we think there will be just a regular who’s who there from the MMA world. But because we have the pleasure of being promoted by the UFC for this Friday, we expect the list of VIPs will be through the roof.”
The talent showcased at the Tuff-N-Uff card will be a collection of fighters who probably all hope to one day make it to the UFC. This is prime time for them to show off to the executives and other veterans watching on Friday night.
Meyer expects big things from his fighters because they put together one of their most stacked cards ever to ensure that all the people in attendance—including the UFC fighters, managers and executives—all get their money’s worth.
“I’m expecting this will be probably be one of our best cards ever,” Meyer stated.“This one eclipses all the others—we’ve got five title fights, two female bouts on the card, and the level of talent that you’ll see has grown so fast.The athletes competing, it’s hard to tell sometimes whether they are still amateurs or pros.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Jon Jones is growing tired of the media bombarding