Tag: Demetrious Johnson

John Lineker Ready to Be Next Flyweight Title Challenger Should He Get by McCall

In recent weeks the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been quick to announce No.1 contenders for their stable of champions. Rory MacDonald is poised to face the winner of the bout between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler at UFC 181 (via ESPN), w…

In recent weeks the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been quick to announce No.1 contenders for their stable of champions. Rory MacDonald is poised to face the winner of the bout between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler at UFC 181 (via ESPN), while Conor McGregor seems to be the next in line for a shot at the featherweight title against the man carrying the belt after UFC 179 (via MMA Fighting). This should excite John Lineker as he prepares to face Ian McCall in a few weeks. Another big win and “Hands of Stone” may find himself tapped as the No. 1 contender to the UFC flyweight title.

Demetrious Johnson is reigning like a true king over the 125-pound division. His win over Chris Cariaso at UFC 178 gave him his fifth title defense in less than two years. While “Mighty Mouse” seems to be improving each time he steps into the Octagon, he has shown a weakness against men who can catch him with a hard shot. John Dodson was able to drop the champion in their title bout at UFC on Fox 6. Since then, Johnson has been a dynamo when he steps into the cage.

Enter John Lineker. The Brazilian native has shown an ability to land with power at any moment. At 24 years of age he’s a very experienced fighter with 12 of his 24 wins coming via knockout. His last victory against Alptekin Ozkilic was perhaps his most impressive when he finished his opponent with nine seconds left in the fight.

Back in 2013 UFC President Dana White even went on record to say that Lineker was in line for a title shot if he could get his weight issues in order.

“He’s so good that if he had made weight on the three times he’s missed, he’d probably have a title shot right now,” White said in a piece by Matthew Roth of MMA Mania. 

With his recent win it seems that he has grabbed control of that struggle. His reward is a fight that has been dubbed a title eliminator against McCall (via MMA Mania). “Uncle Creepy” has already faced Johnson twice so a victory for Lineker would give the organization a chance to promote a new challenger for a dominant champion.

As mentioned, Lineker has shown the ability to present a question to Johnson that he’s struggled with in the past. If John has learned how to better pace himself in a fight and lands a big shot, the UFC may end the night with a new flyweight champion. When Dodson had the champion hurt, he was unable to capitalize and struggled to keep the pace through the remaining rounds. Johnson will have the advantage when it comes to five-round experience but, that will not keep him completely safe from Lineker‘s power.

The weight issues that threatened John Lineker‘s run at flyweight seem to be behind him. When he steps into the cage opposite of Ian McCall at UFC Fight Night: Rua versus Manuwa on November 8, he will be fighting for an opportunity to face Demetrious Johnson for his title. A position that seemed so far out of his reach just a year ago is now within the grasps of the fighter known as “Hands of Stone.”

 

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4 Fighters Who Could Challenge Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson has been extremely dominant as the UFC’s first and only flyweight champion.
Since his 2012 rematch with Ian McCall, he has reigned supreme over every 125-pound fighter the UFC has put in front of him….

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson has been extremely dominant as the UFC’s first and only flyweight champion.

Since his 2012 rematch with Ian McCall, he has reigned supreme over every 125-pound fighter the UFC has put in front of him. Despite many people thinking that Johnson has essentially cleaned out the top of the flyweight division, a few worthy adversaries remain.

Johnson was one of the top fighters at 135 pounds when the UFC first introduced that weight class prior to flyweight. He defeated Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Miguel Torres to earn a shot at then-bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz but came up short, losing by unanimous decision to Cruz in October 2011.

If Johnson ever truly clears out the 125-pound ranks and needs some competition, he can do what former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva did from time to time—move up in weight for occasional showcase fights against intriguing opponents.

There are more than a few intriguing bouts for Mighty Mouse at his old stomping ground of 135 pounds, including a “superfight” with the champ T.J. Dillashaw.

Johnson really doesn’t need to look beyond his current weight class for formidable opposition. Not yet, anyway. An upcoming matchup between sixth-ranked flyweight Jon Lineker and third-ranked Ian McCall on November 8 could likely determine the next challenger for Johnson’s title.

Here are four fighters who could challenge UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.

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UFC 178 Salaries: Demetrious Johnson ($183K), Conor McGregor ($150K) Make Bank

Some fight fans say UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is one of the most overlooked fighters in the promotion, but his check from UFC 178 says otherwise. 
Mighty Mouse walked home with a cool $183,000 after his second-round submission vict…

Some fight fans say UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is one of the most overlooked fighters in the promotion, but his check from UFC 178 says otherwise. 

Mighty Mouse walked home with a cool $183,000 after his second-round submission victory over Chris Cariaso in UFC 178’s headliner Saturday night, as Sherdog reported. 

Johnson earned $129,000 to show up and was awarded an additional $54,000 for the win. 

Meanwhile, featherweight contender Conor McGregor wasn’t far behind, taking home a hefty $150,000, receiving $75,000 to show up and $75,000 more to win. 

McGregor, whom UFC President Dana White called a bigger star than Brock Lesnar or Georges St-Pierre (h/t MMA Fighting), defeated perennial contender Dustin Poirier via first-round knockout at the pay-per-view event. 

Donald Cerrone, a 15-fight UFC veteran, took home a handsome $126,000 ($63,000 to show and $63,000 to win) for his impressive decision win over ex-Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez.

The full salaries of the card once again come courtesy of Sherdog. Bear in mind that the salaries do not include any “Performance of the Night,” “Fight of the Night” or “locker room” bonuses.

Money from sponsors, as well as deductions from insurance or taxes, are not included, either. 

Demetrious Johnson: $183,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus)
Chris Cariaso: $24,000

Donald Cerrone: $126,000 (includes $63,000 win bonus)
Eddie Alvarez: $100,000

Conor McGregor: $150,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus)
Dustin Poirier: $34,000

Yoel Romero: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus)
Tim Kennedy: $70,000

Cat Zingano: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus)
Amanda Nunes: $15,000

Dominick Cruz: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
Takeya Mizugaki: $32,000

Jorge Masvidal: $90,000 (includes $45,000 win bonus)
James Krause: $15,000

Stephen Thompson: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
Patrick Cote: $33,000

Brian Ebersole: $42,000 (includes $21,000 win bonus)
John Howard: $21,000

Kevin Lee: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Jon Tuck: $10,000

Manny Gamburyan: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
Cody Gibson: $10,000

Also making a pretty penny from UFC 178 is former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who obliterated contender Takeya Mizugaki in the final contest on the preliminary card—good enough for $100,000. 

That’s not including his “Performance of the Night” bonus, which gives Cruz the same payout as McGregor. 

Alvarez also joins the six-figure club, making an even $100,000, despite losing a hard-fought decision to the always-tough Cerrone in his long-awaited UFC debut. 

Lightweight Jon Tuck and bantamweight Cody Gibson were on the opposite ends of the payroll spectrum this time around, taking home a measly $10,000 for losing efforts against Kevin Lee and Manny Gamburyan, respectively. 

 

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.

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VIDEO: CagePotato.com Appears on TYT Sports to Discuss Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso Fight at UFC 178

The classy dudes at TYT Sports were kind enough to have me on their show this morning to discuss the top three fights at UFC 178. First up, this breakdown of the main event, Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso.

I haven’t watched the video yet because I don’t like looking at my own face or hearing the sound of my own voice, but I definitely remember what we talked about. Basically, I ran down the lopsided two-round beating that Johnson gave Cariaso, why Mighty Mouse’s performance was impressive and not impressive at the same time, and why staying in the flyweight division might not be in Johnson’s best interest, career-wise.

Give it a look, and please subscribe to TYT Sports on YouTube for more UFC 178 analysis videos from yours truly, which will be posted by this evening.

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The classy dudes at TYT Sports were kind enough to have me on their show this morning to discuss the top three fights at UFC 178. First up, this breakdown of the main event, Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso.

I haven’t watched the video yet because I don’t like looking at my own face or hearing the sound of my own voice, but I definitely remember what we talked about. Basically, I ran down the lopsided two-round beating that Johnson gave Cariaso, why Mighty Mouse’s performance was impressive and not impressive at the same time, and why staying in the flyweight division might not be in Johnson’s best interest, career-wise.

Give it a look, and please subscribe to TYT Sports on YouTube for more UFC 178 analysis videos from yours truly, which will be posted by this evening.

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UFC 178 Salaries: McGregor, Johnson, Cruz Are Well-Compensated for Their Time


(Dominick Cruz made $2,459.02 per second for his 61-second destruction of Takeya Mizugaki. / Photo via Getty)

The UFC paid out $1,433,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 22 fighters who competed at UFC 178, with seven of those fighters comfortably landing in six-figure territory. Leading the list is — you guessed it — Conor McGregor, who tacked on $125,000 in bonuses to his already respectable show-money, for a grand total of 200 large. The second-biggest check went to UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who gets paid under a quirky “$129k to show, $54k to win” arrangement.

The full list of disclosed payouts is below, along with our usual underpaid/overpaid picks. Note that these figures do not include additional revenue from sponsorships, undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” or percentages of pay-per-view revenue that certain UFC stars are entitled to.

Demetrious Johnson: $183,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus)
Chris Cariaso: $24,000

Donald Cerrone: $126,000 (includes $63,000 win bonus)
Eddie Alvarez: $100,000

Conor McGregor: $200,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.)
Dustin Poirier: $34,000

Yoel Romero: $108,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Tim Kennedy: $120,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)


(Dominick Cruz made $2,459.02 per second for his 61-second destruction of Takeya Mizugaki. / Photo via Getty)

The UFC paid out $1,433,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 22 fighters who competed at UFC 178, with seven of those fighters comfortably landing in six-figure territory. Leading the list is — you guessed it — Conor McGregor, who tacked on $125,000 in bonuses to his already respectable show-money, for a grand total of 200 large. The second-biggest check went to UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who gets paid under a quirky “$129k to show, $54k to win” arrangement.

The full list of disclosed payouts is below, along with our usual underpaid/overpaid picks. Note that these figures do not include additional revenue from sponsorships, undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” or percentages of pay-per-view revenue that certain UFC stars are entitled to.

Demetrious Johnson: $183,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus)
Chris Cariaso: $24,000

Donald Cerrone: $126,000 (includes $63,000 win bonus)
Eddie Alvarez: $100,000

Conor McGregor: $200,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.)
Dustin Poirier: $34,000

Yoel Romero: $108,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Tim Kennedy: $120,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Cat Zingano: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus)
Amanda Nunes: $15,000

Dominick Cruz: $150,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus)
Takeya Mizugaki: $32,000

Jorge Masvidal: $90,000 (includes $45,000 win bonus)
James Krause: $15,000

Stephen Thompson: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
Patrick Cote: $33,000

Brian Ebersole: $42,000 (includes $21,000 win bonus)
John Howard: $21,000

Kevin Lee: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Jon Tuck: $10,000

Manny Gamburyan: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
Cody Gibson: $10,000

Underpaid: If you made a list of the most impressive performances at UFC 178, Cat Zingano elbowing Amanda Nunes’s face off would probably round out the top 5. And yet, the women’s bantamweight #1 contender didn’t even crack $20,000 in the official payouts. Conor McGregor and Demetrious Johnson made over ten times the disclosed money that Zingano did on Saturday. Granted, Cat Zingano is neither an “international superstar” nor a UFC champion, but still, you’d expect a PPV main-carder to get more guaranteed cash than Kevin friggin’ Lee. Don’t worry, we’ve already sent a very strongly-worded letter to NOW.

Overpaid: I still feel salty about Yoel Romero cheating his way to $79,000 in bonuses. (Yeah, yeah, it’s not his fault, blame the officiating, if you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin’, etc.) Also, Brian Ebersole and John Howard collectively made $63,000 for their prelim fight, when they should have instead been given a can of Porn ‘n’ Beans to share and bus tickets back home. That fight sucked, is what I’m saying.

Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier: Actual Full Fight Video Highlights

Remember last week when we went apeshit over MMA sites purporting to have full-fight video highlights but not actually delivering?

In case you don’t remember, loads of site posted “full fight video highlights” of the fight between Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson. The only problem was the highlights were missing the most important part: The knockout.

The highlight video above is much better. While it cuts away right before the fight is stopped, it shows just enough of Conor McGregor‘s first-round KO of Dustin Poirier for you to get the idea of how it went down.

And do you know what else is awesome? Pretty much all the other “full fight video highlights” from UFC 178 are the same. They actually show the parts you want to see. Chalk up another victory for the Potato Nation. It seems our irreverence is finally starting to make a difference in the world of MMA SEO clickbaiting.

Watch the other highlights after the jump, and be sure to enjoy your 40-seconds of violence and anodyne commentary!

Remember last week when we went apeshit over MMA sites purporting to have full-fight video highlights but not actually delivering?

In case you don’t remember, loads of sites posted “full fight video highlights” of the fight between Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson. The only problem was the highlights were missing the most important part: The knockout.

The highlight video above is much better. While it cuts away right before the fight is stopped, it shows just enough of Conor McGregor‘s first-round KO of Dustin Poirier for you to get the idea of how it went down.

And do you know what else is awesome? Pretty much all the other “full fight video highlights” from UFC 178 are the same. They actually show the parts you want to see. Chalk up another victory for the Potato Nation. It seems our irreverence is finally starting to make a difference in the world of MMA SEO clickbaiting.

Here are some of the other highlights. Enjoy your 40-seconds of violence and anodyne commentary!

And the UFC was even kind enough to put the entire Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki fight on YouTube.