After easily winning a decision over Jorge Masvidal at last weekend’s Strikeforce event, Gilbert Melendez called for the UFC to bring him a worthy opponent. While Melendez later commented saying it was mostly post-fight adrenaline that fueled the comme…
After easily winning a decision over Jorge Masvidal at last weekend’s Strikeforce event, Gilbert Melendez called for the UFC to bring him a worthy opponent.
While Melendez later commented saying it was mostly post-fight adrenaline that fueled the comments, one look at the Strikeforce lightweight roster shows that he has a reason to gripe.
There is literally no one left to give Melendez a decent fight, and if the UFC wants their sister promotion to be taken seriously, they need to share a little bit of talent.
The fighters on this list are all established UFC winners, but for some reason or another none of them are currently in line for a UFC title shot anytime soon, and their presence would be huge in Strikeforce.
All of these guys would give Melendez a decent fight, and whether they won or lost, Strikeforce would have a decent champion for the future.
The Mixed Martial Arts Expo rolled into the Pearson International Center in Mississauga this past Saturday, December 3, and many UFC fighters and stars were on hand to thrill Ontario fans. UFC fighters Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard, Carlos Condit, Sam St…
The Mixed Martial Arts Expo rolled into the Pearson International Center in Mississauga this past Saturday, December 3, and many UFC fighters and stars were on hand to thrill Ontario fans.
UFC fighters Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard, Carlos Condit, Sam Stout, Matt Mitrione, Stefan Struve and Jake Shields made appearances and signed autographs for the fans.
Bleacher Report MMA was on the scene to get some video footage and talk to UFC stars such as Mac Danzig, Ryan Ford, Carlos Newton and Brittney Palmer (See the video for all interviews and fighter appearances).
Thousands of fans were in attendance for the MMA Expo, which is in its sixth year of existence. The event proved a great opportunity for fans to mix and mingle with their favorite UFC stars and personalities.
The Expo also hosted the NAGA Toronto grappling and jiu jitsu championships in the same hall, featuring all ages and all levels of grappling from beginner to expert.
MMA Expo president Gerald Chopik deemed the event a success due to the strong turnout, and the atmosphere was clearly electric and felt by all.
“Thank you for helping making it the best show ever. Every fighter/celebrity I spoke with said it was an awesome time and they love the Toronto fans and atmosphere best of all,” Chopik posted on facebook.
The action and fun doesn’t stop there for MMA fans in the Greater Toronto Area, as UFC 140 takes place this Saturday, December 10.
Please check in here all week for all of my UFC 140 event week coverage
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
There are many great fighters in the UFC today. What separates those that are great and those that are just good, though, is winning UFC gold. Many fighters have had a chance to win a UFC title. Some have had multiple chances. But getting clo…
What separates those that are great and those that are just good, though, is winning UFC gold. Many fighters have had a chance to win a UFC title. Some have had multiple chances.
But getting close to a title just doesn’t cut it.
Here’s a look at current UFC fighters who may never have UFC gold.
Whether or not the UFC is going to make a restaurant one day, it’s fun to speculate about ideas—be they realistic or absurd—that could be implemented.A UFC restaurant would not likely be successful as most sports-themed restaurants aren’t (…
Whether or not the UFC is going to make a restaurant one day, it’s fun to speculate about ideas—be they realistic or absurd—that could be implemented.
A UFC restaurant would not likely be successful as most sports-themed restaurants aren’t (read: poor food, and lame memorabilia on the walls) but perhaps with these ideas the UFC Restaurant could become the exception to the rule of sports restaurants being terrible.
So what specific ideas could be fun in a UFC restaurant? Read and find out!
Filed under: UFC, Bellator, Rankings, LightweightsMichael Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez in what may have been the best MMA fight of the year, winning the Bellator lightweight title. Does that make Chandler a Top 10 lightweight?
Michael Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez in what may have been the best MMA fight of the year, winning the Bellator lightweight title. Does that make Chandler a Top 10 lightweight?
Not on my list.
I loved the Chandler-Alvarez fight, and I like the 9-0 Chandler a lot. I think he’s one of the most talented young lightweights in the sport, and I think it speaks well for Bellator’s ability to spot talent that they signed him for their lightweight division. (Chandler fought twice for Strikeforce before Bellator scooped him up, and it was obviously a big mistake for Strikeforce to let him get away.) But while Chandler would be in my Top 20, I just can’t put him in my Top 10 yet.
So what could Chandler do to move into the Top 10? I’d love to see Bellator match Chandler up with Shinya Aoki. The previous plan had been to book an Alvarez-Aoki fight, but now that Chandler is the champ in Bellator, Chandler-Aoki would be more appealing. I’d also like to see Chandler take on Kurt Pellegrino, a lightweight who had a winning record in the UFC and is now set to make his Bellator debut against Patricky Freire. Putting Chandler in the cage with a UFC veteran would give us all a good idea how he stacks up against UFC lightweights.
Chandler’s win against Alvarez was obviously the biggest of his career so far. I want to see him get another big win before I put him in the Top 10.
The fighters who are in the Top 10 at 155 pounds are below.
1. Frankie Edgar (1): If there was any doubt after Edgar’s two decision victories over B.J. Penn and his draw with Gray Maynard, there’s no doubt anymore: Edgar’s TKO win over Gray Maynard makes him the top lightweight in the world. He’ll have his hands full, however, when he takes on Ben Henderson in February.
2. Gilbert Melendez (3): Melendez, the Strikeforce lightweight champion, should be fighting one of the top lightweights in the UFC. Instead, he’ll defend his belt against Jorge Masvidal, who’s not in my Top 10 or — as far as I know — anyone else’s.
3. Gray Maynard (2): No two fighters have ever met inside the Octagon four times, but if Maynard wins another couple of fights, he’ll have a good case that he deserves to get a fourth shot at Edgar. Maynard is 1-1-1 in his three career fights against Edgar so far.
4. Ben Henderson (6): The former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion, Henderson is now 3-0 in the UFC, with unanimous decision wins over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. He’ll get a chance to make his case for being the best in the world when he fights Edgar in Japan.
5. Clay Guida (4): Guida’s four-fight winning streak was snapped by Henderson, but he’ll be back. One thing we can always count on from Guida is that he’s going to stay active, win most of the time, and put on a good show when he loses. Guida has won the Fight of the Night award in four of his last five losses.
6. Anthony Pettis (5): Pettis already has a win over Henderson on his record, and that win was supposed to earn him a shot at the UFC belt. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way for Pettis, and when he lost to Guida he lost his chance to fight for the title. But Pettis looked good in beating Jeremy Stephens in October, and if he beats Joe Lauzon at UFC 144, he’ll have to be considered a strong contender for a lightweight title shot.
7. Jim Miller (9): Miller’s loss to Henderson in August may have cost him a title shot. The good news is that his next opponent, Melvin Guillard, is tailor-made for Miller to take down and submit.
8. Shinya Aoki (7): Aoki’s submission victories over Lyle Beerbohm, Rich Clementi and Rob McCullough have been impressive enough, but none of those three is even close to a Top 10 lightweight. Aoki’s level of competition leaves a lot to be desired.
9. Donald Cerrone (NR): Cerrone is 4-0 in the UFC this year and still has one more fight to go in 2011, against Nate Diaz at UFC 141. He could become the first fighter to go 5-0 in the UFC in one calendar year since Roger Huerta in 2007.
10. Nate Diaz (NR): It’s great to see Diaz back at lightweight and looking good in his win over Takanori Gomi. Diaz is too lanky for welterweight, but at lightweight he looks great, and his fight with Cerrone should be tremendous.
(It is a little known myth that if you tickle a Shrexican behind the ear, he will fall under your spell forever.)
The California State Athletic Commission released the official fighter salaries for UFC on FOX earlier today, and if you were a follower of June White’s theory that Dana sold his soul to the Devil for the Fox deal, then this is all the evidence you’ll need. The total (disclosed) fighter payroll came out to exactly $666,000. The proof is in the pudding, folks. Start drafting up your PowerPoint conspiracy reports now.
Snatching up nearly half of that payroll, newly crowned heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos not only walked away with the gold and the glory, but the cash and the girl(Props, Boo) as well. Earning 3,437 dollars per second, Dos Santos collected a $220,000 paycheck that took less effort than a supporting role in an animated kids movie.
The only other fighter even close to Dos Santos in terms of salary was that of his victim, Cain Velasquez, who took home an even $100,000 for his efforts. Check out the full salary list below. Keep in mind, these figures are void of any locker room bonuses, fight bonuses, sponsorships, or any other nonsense.
(It is a little known myth that if you tickle a Shrexican behind the ear, he will fall under your spell forever.)
The California State Athletic Commission released the official fighter salaries for UFC on FOX earlier today, and if you were a follower of June White’s theory that Dana sold his soul to the Devil for the Fox deal, then this is all the evidence you’ll need. The total (disclosed) fighter payroll came out to exactly $666,000. The proof is in the pudding, folks. Start drafting up your PowerPoint conspiracy reports now.
Snatching up nearly half of that payroll, newly crowned heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos not only walked away with the gold and the glory, but the cash and the girl(Props, Boo) as well. Earning 3,437 dollars per second, Dos Santos collected a $220,000 paycheck that took less effort than a supporting role in an animated kids movie.
The only other fighter even close to Dos Santos in terms of salary was that of his victim, Cain Velasquez, who took home an even $100,000 for his efforts. Check out the full salary list below. Keep in mind, these figures are void of any locker room bonuses, fight bonuses, sponsorships, or any other nonsense.
Junior dos Santos: $220,000 ($110,000 to show, $110,000 to win)
def. Cain Velasquez: $100,000
Dustin Poirier: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
def. Pablo Garza: $8,000
Ricardo Lamas: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
def. Cub Swanson: $15,000
DaMarques Johnson: $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
def. Clay Harvison: $8,000
Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)
def. Norifumi Yamamoto: $15,000
Robert Peralta: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
def. Mackens Semerzier: $8,000
Alex Caceres: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
def. Cole Escovedo: $6,000
Mike Pierce: $36,000 ($18,000 to show, $18,000 to win)
def. Paul Bradley: $8,000
Aaron Rosa: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)
def. Matt Lucas: $6,000
Underpaid: Damn near everybody. Look, I understand that this card wasn’t exactly stacked with high rollers or anything, but for being damn near the only player in town, the UFC needs to start showing it a little more. Giving someone six thousand dollars to cover training camps, hospital bills, and personal expenses is ridiculous for the sport’s highest promotion. Except in Matt Lucas’ case. His cut was juuust right.
Overpaid: Cub Swanson, I guess? It’s not that he’s overpaid, per se, it’s just that there is no way he deserves to make more than Pablo Garza and nearly as much as Dustin Poirier, especially considering who his Zuffa record and how this fight ended.
The Mixed Martial Arts Expo rolled into the Pearson International Center in Mississauga this past Saturday, December 3, and many UFC fighters and stars were on hand to thrill Ontario fans.
Michael Chandler defeated 
