Tag: Demetrious Johnson

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.

UFC 178 Results: Dispelling the “Lighter Weight Classes Can’t Draw” Myth


(Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

The notion that lighter weight fighters have drawing power as little as their size is among the most oft-touted truisms in MMA.

When given a cursory glance, it appears true. Demetrious Johnson is responsible for one of the worst UFC PPV buyrates of all time at UFC 174. People were so disinterested they literally walked out of the arena during Johnson’s world title fight against Ali Bagautinov.

Johnson (and perhaps flyweight in general) lacking buzz isn’t new. He headlined UFC on Fox 8 in Seattle and drew a paltry live gate of $735,000. When the UFC ran the city the year prior, the live gate and attendance were twice as high. And the ratings for UFC on Fox 8? It was 40% lower than UFC on Fox 7 at 2.04 million–a record low at the time.

Flyweights debuted in the UFC in March 2012. When flyweights–to use a loaded cliche– failed to move the needle, proponents of the division said to just give it time. Fans would be wowed by the action and speed in flyweight fights. It’s September 2014 now and the weight class is just as devoid of interest as it ever was.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean lighter weight classes can’t draw. It just means Demetrious Johnson (and much of the current stable of lighter weight fighters) can’t draw.


(Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

The notion that lighter weight fighters have drawing power as little as their size is among the most oft-touted truisms in MMA.

When given a cursory glance, it appears true. Demetrious Johnson is responsible for one of the worst UFC PPV buyrates of all time at UFC 174. People were so disinterested they literally walked out of the arena during Johnson’s world title fight against Ali Bagautinov.

Johnson (and perhaps flyweight in general) lacking buzz isn’t new. He headlined UFC on Fox 8 in Seattle and drew a paltry live gate of $735,000. When the UFC ran the city the year prior, the live gate and attendance were twice as high. And the ratings for UFC on Fox 8? It was 40% lower than UFC on Fox 7 at 2.04 million–a record low at the time.

Flyweights debuted in the UFC in March 2012. When flyweights–to use a loaded cliche– failed to move the needle, proponents of the division said to just give it time. Fans would be wowed by the action and speed in flyweight fights. It’s September 2014 now and the weight class is just as devoid of interest as it ever was.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean lighter weight classes can’t draw. It just means Demetrious Johnson (and much of the current stable of lighter weight fighters) can’t draw.

There is no doubt some percentage of viewers who disregard flyweights based on their physical proportions. “Who’s the toughest 125-pound man? Isn’t that a trick question.” Hell, when we were watching the fights last night, someone came by during the tale of the tape. He said “unless these guys are fighting Tyrion Lannister, I don’t care.” These same people are likely put off by the high pace of flyweight fights typically featuring technique above raw power.

The typical insult used to write off people like this is to call them fake MMA fans, but fake fans have real money. Thus, a fighter has two primary responsibilities: Win and sell.

Demetrious Johnson fails at the former as much as he excels at the latter. He’s an incredible fighter and a pleasure to watch for people who appreciate the technical aspects of the sport. Unfortunately, that kind of fan is in the minority.

MMA is pro wrestling. While people claim they cherish talent rather than theatrics, numbers indicate the opposite. Fans crave story lines and rivalries–not just in MMA but in all sports. Any physical prowess displayed is just an added bonus.

Conor McGregor was also on the UFC 178 fight card last night. As a featherweight, he’s part of the doomed-to-sub-250k buys lighter weight classes. From the sheer amount of atmosphere around him, you wouldn’t know that. McGregor is such a personality he had his own media scrum after the UFC 178 post-fight press conference. He’s reached such a level of popularity in his homeland that allegedly 10 percent of UFC 178′s ticket sales came from Ireland. McGregor broke ratings records when he fought Diego Brandao at UFC Fight Night 46.

Conor McGregor is proof the lighter weight classes can produce fighters with charisma and magnetism enough to be stars. Meanwhile, Demetrious Johnson is proof of the unfortunate reality of prize fighting: You’re only as good as your ability to draw money.

Many people are interested in seeing Conor McGregor. Not many people are interested in seeing Demetrious Johnson. Johnson’s small size might play a minuscule part in that, but the real reason is self promotion. Conor McGregor makes you care about him (either because you think he’s awesome or you want to see him get humbled). Even Dominick Cruz scored some extra attention last night when he called out Team Alpha Mail in his post-fight interview by saying he was ready to beat up more “alpha fails.”

That’s what fighters need to do.

There is no budo. There is no honor. There is no respect. After you win, you have 20 seconds to make sure fans remember who you are. You have 20 seconds to make them care about you and your next fight. If you don’t, you’re poisoning your future. You’re sealing your fate as one out of millions of generic UFC Fighters™ with a shaved head, shitty tattoos, and Dynamic Fastener emblazoned across your ass. Talent is rarely enough. You need to stand out. It’s great if you can do that with your performance in the cage, but it’s even better to do it with your words.

 

UFC 178 Results: 3 Fights to Make for Demetrious Johnson

Can Demetrious Johnson actually get any better? His bout with Chris Cariaso at UFC 178 was certainly a mismatch, but his victory was arguably even more emphatic than most expected.
No longer content to simply outpoint his foes, Johnson is now either fl…

Can Demetrious Johnson actually get any better? His bout with Chris Cariaso at UFC 178 was certainly a mismatch, but his victory was arguably even more emphatic than most expected.

No longer content to simply outpoint his foes, Johnson is now either flattening his challengers or making them cry “uncle.”

His casual dominance has given UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby a bit of a headache. Is there anyone left for the diminutive champion to beat? That’s a tough one, but I have the unenviable task of taking a crack at it.

Read on for some potential future challengers to Johnson’s throne.

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UFC 178 Video Highlights: Champ Demetrious Johnson Handles Underdog Cariaso

As the main event of UFC 178 got underway, it was eerily quiet inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Las Vegas faithful seemed drained of their energy even as the card was supposed to be hitting its culmination. 
After Conor McGregor and then Don…

As the main event of UFC 178 got underway, it was eerily quiet inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Las Vegas faithful seemed drained of their energy even as the card was supposed to be hitting its culmination. 

After Conor McGregor and then Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez, who could blame them? 

Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was a minus-2000 favorite in some quarters when he stepped inside the cage Saturday night. And the fight unfolded along those lines. Johnson was quicker, stronger and all-around better than Chris Cariaso, a talented but overmatched challenger who has never beaten a fighter of consequence in the UFC flyweight division.

The evening began with Johnson dancing circles around Cariaso. The first big offense happened when Johnson moved in for a double-leg takedown, landing it with ease. Mighty Mouse spent much of the rest of the round in top control, pounding Cariaso. A knee-punch combination at the very end of the frame put Cariaso on weird street, and a spinning high kick nearly put the challenger out just as the horn sounded.

The second round unfolded much like the first. Johnson gained top control and worked for a kimura. He secured the hold and bent Cariaso‘s shoulder and arm into a very difficult angle. The challenger held out as long as he could, gnashing his teeth in pain but then finally was forced to tap, lest the champion break his arm.

The official end came at 2:29 of Round 2.

It is difficult to know what might come next for Johnson. He has said he wants to take some time off. Perhaps if John Lineker can defeat Ian McCall (and stay on weight) this November, he could have an inside track at the title. As it is, especially with John Dodson still recovering from injury, it is hard to see a challenger who could actually, you know, challenge the champ.

Cariaso still has a future in the UFC but not in main events. He’ll head back to the pack now and do just fine lighting it up on undercards.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Demetrious Johnson Is the UFC’s Most Dominant Champion and No One Cares

There was a weird vibe in Las Vegas as Demetrious Johnson (21–2–1), the UFC’s most dominant champion, made his way to the Octagon to defend his flyweight championship.
There is no fighter in the world with the same combination of crisp stri…

There was a weird vibe in Las Vegas as Demetrious Johnson (21–2–1), the UFC’s most dominant champion, made his way to the Octagon to defend his flyweight championship.

There is no fighter in the world with the same combination of crisp striking, stellar wrestling and dangerous submissions. When it comes to pure talent, Johnson sits on the very top of the mountain, side-by-side with fighters such as Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey.

And yet, as he walked to the cage for his fifth title defense, this one against Chris Cariaso, the crowd was heading the opposite direction, about a fifth of them streaming toward the exits and the rest of their night. The champ was in the building—but no one could be bothered to care. Andreas Hale shared what he saw as people were departing:

What’s wrong is not entirely clear. There were a lot of factors leading to this mass exodus. First, and perhaps foremost, there is Cariaso, so unknown that many MMA fans literally couldn’t pick him out of a lineup when challenged by my Bleacher Report colleague Chad Dundas.

But the blame can’t be laid entirely at his feet, even after Johnson steamrolled him, finishing the bout with a vicious Kimura arm lock in the second round. 

Yes, Cariaso was a particularly weak challenger, never looking even remotely dangerous. But this wasn’t Johnson’s first box-office failure. His last headlining appearance at UFC 174 set a modern record for pay-per-view futility by drawing barely 100,000 buys, according to Jason Cruz of MMA Payout (via Thomas Myers of MMA Mania).

Before moving to pay-per-view in his last two bouts, Johnson had fought on network television on three consecutive occasions. He was exposed to millions of fans. It didn’t seem to make a difference in growing his miniscule fanbase.

His reputation as a headliner is so tarnished and the interest in his fights is so low, the UFC didn’t even include the champion on a Las Vegas billboard promoting the fight card he supposedly topped.

In the past you could point a finger at Johnson’s cautious style. Over a two-year period each of his fights went the distance. But even that criticism rings hollow these days. Johnson has finished three of his last four bouts, making even the best opponents look hopelessly outclassed. But the acclaim he probably deserves is slow coming.

 

“I think a lot of people can get discouraged watching us because they don’t understand. People get lost in what’s actually going on,” Johnson told me last year. “A lot of the skill sets flyweights bring to the UFC can be lost in translation. Everyone is so evenly matched, and we have a lot of skills that heavyweights or light heavyweights don’t get to use. There’s a lot more moving around, cardio and constant motion.”

It may be that fans just aren’t interested in determining who the toughest 125-pound man in the world is. Johnson stands just 5’3″. Physically he’s the furthest thing from intimidating. In a sport built on the promise of big-time violence, there just is no place for a little man to shine.

In a perfect world a win like this would be a another step on Johnson’s journey toward true stardom. Instead, it’s more compelling evidence for the prosecution in the case against him as a pay-per-view fighter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com