(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!)
A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.
(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!)
A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.
After original opponent Eric Koch was forced to withdraw from their bout citing an unknown injury, featherweight wrecking machine Dustin Poirier was in need of an opponent to continue the four fight win streak he had built up starting back at WEC 52, which had included brilliant wins over Pablo Garza and Josh Grispi. It has been reported that fellow UFC on FOX victor Ricardo Lamas has stepped up to the challenge and will meet Poirier at UFC 143, which goes down February 4th from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and features an interim welterweight championship bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.
Lamas has built up a two fight streak of his own in his time under the Zuffa banner, following up a head kick TKO over Matt Grice with the aforementioned UFC on FOX win over Cub Swanson via second round arm triangle.
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, NewsAs Zuffa moves forward on its plans to fold Strikeforce’s heavyweight division into the UFC, the company announced Tuesday that Lavar Johnson will be the next Strikeforce heavyweight to set foot in the Octagon.
As Zuffa moves forward on its plans to fold Strikeforce‘s heavyweight division into the UFC, the company announced Tuesday that Lavar Johnson will be the next Strikeforce heavyweight to set foot in the Octagon.
Johnson will fight Joey Beltran at UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago.
The hard-punching Johnson won three straight fights on Strikeforce Challengers cards in 2009 and 2010, but this year he lost to Shane Del Rosario in an alternate bout in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, then bounced back down to Challengers and lost to Shawn Jordan. He’s in a must-win situation at UFC on Fox 2, and so is Beltran, who has lost three of his last four.
The UFC also made a few other fight announcements on Tuesday afternoon:
— Featherweight Erik Koch has suffered an injury and is out of his planned UFC 143 fight against Dustin Poirier. Koch and Poirier are two of the best young featherweights in the sport, and that fight should have been a big one. The UFC will seek a replacement to fight Poirier.
— The 5-0 Brazilian prospect Caio Magalhaes has been signed and will make his Octagon debut in his home country against Fabio Maldonado at UFC 142. Maldonado had previously been scheduled to face Stansislav Nedkov, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight.
— John Albert, a bantamweight who competed on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and beat Dustin Pague in the Finale, will return and take a step up in quality of competition when he takes on Ivan Menjivar at the February 15 UFC on Fuel TV card in Omaha.
(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.
Fresh off his upset Submission of the Night victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, Joe Lauzon was quick to call out former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who scored a decision victory over Jeremy Stephens at the same event. Well it looks like he’ll be getting his wish, as the two have been booked to lock horns at UFC 144, in what could easily be a Fight of the Night match-up. Prior to their 136 victories, Lauzon scored a quick and nasty kimura victory over Kurt Warburton at UFC Live 4 whereas Pettis was wrestlefucked into oblivion by Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June. This is the point where I’d normally say that a victory here would rocket either man near the top of the lightweight ladder, but considering that the division is currently more crowded than a So-Cal Quinceanera, let’s just say that a victory here will keep either man…from losing.
(A classic battle of style vs. SUBstance.)
Fresh off his upset Submission of the Night victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, Joe Lauzon was quick to call out former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who scored a decision victory over Jeremy Stephens at the same event. Well it looks like he’ll be getting his wish, as the two have been booked to lock horns at UFC 144, in what could easily be a Fight of the Night match-up. Prior to their 136 victories, Lauzon scored a quick and nasty kimura victory over Kurt Warburton at UFC Live 4 whereas Pettis was wrestlefucked into oblivion by Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale in June. This is the point where I’d normally say that a victory here would rocket either man near the top of the lightweight ladder, but considering that the division is currently more crowded than a So-Cal Quinceanera, let’s just say that a victory here will keep either man…from losing.
In other fight booking news, a battle between top featherweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Eric Koch has been set for UFC 143 in February, which also features the probable welterweight number 1 contender match between Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit. Poirier most recently scored a brilliant submission via D’arce over Pablo Garza at the inaugural UFC on FOX card. Koch, on the other hand, is coming off a gritty decision victory over TUF 13 winner/existential caveman Jonathan Brookins in Brookins’ featherweight debut at UFC Fight Night 25. Depending on the outcome of the upcoming Aldo/Mendes clash at UFC 142, we could easily be looking at the next challenger to the title right here.
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXTwo years ago, in the hours after UFC 103 in Dallas, I spoke to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira about one of the night’s big stars. Deep in the bowels of the American Airlines Center, the longtime MMA veteran had the look of a prou…
Two years ago, in the hours after UFC 103 in Dallas, I spoke to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira about one of the night’s big stars. Deep in the bowels of the American Airlines Center, the longtime MMA veteran had the look of a proud father of his face. That was the night when his student Junior dos Santos officially joined the “in the mix” category that signifies contention status.
That was also the night that Nogueira made a prediction that would come true.
“He’s going to be a future champ for sure,” he told me at the time. “Without a doubt. He’s strong, fast, athletic. He has good wrestling, good ground game. He’s a complete fighter.”
dos Santos’ march through the UFC has been incredibly impressive to watch. In eight UFC fights, he’s unbeaten and has yet to lose even a single round among the 14 rounds he’s fought. That’s far short of the record (33) held by Georges St-Pierre, but with his well-rounded game, the 27-year-old Brazilian’s performances have shown no signs of slowing.
Since this column is designed as a look forward for the recent event’s participants, and we already know that dos Santos will take on the winner of December’s Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem fight, it’s fair game to project how he’d do against either.
Given dos Santos’ proven success in stopping takedowns, the Lesnar fight would likely be a more favorable matchup for him. He’s stopped 85 percent of takedowns, according to FightMetric, and Lesnar does not have the comfort level or arsenal to match him in a striking contest.
Overeem would be a more intriguing style matchup. As one of the most decorated strikers in MMA, he might be the only heavyweight with the firepower to bang with dos Santos.
Prediction: Overeem handles Lesnar’s wrestling and keeps things upright long enough to win, setting up a strikers’ delight against dos Santos
Cain Velasquez
It was a rough night for Velasquez, who never got his motor started before the ref was calling a halt to the action. He also faced post-fight criticism from UFC president Dana White regarding his game plan, but it’s never wise for a fighter to move in for a takedown without a setup. Velasquez likely felt he had five rounds to implement what he wanted, so there was no reason to rush. But apparently there was. It seems that he brought injuries into the fight that deserve some time to heal. Velasquez deserves the time to address his injuries and come back strong, maybe in the summer of 2012.
Prediction: Velasquez faces Shane Carwin in the summertime.
Ben Henderson
dos Santos vs. the Overeem-Lesnar winner wasn’t the only guaranteed fight we got out of UFC on FOX. We also learned that Ben Henderson would get a chance to face Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title in February.
Henderson’s improvement has been rapid since joining the UFC, as he’s learned how to seamlessly combine striking/wrestling transitions. That will be a great skill to bring in against Edgar, who has spent his last four fights competing against fighters who became quite reliant on throwing their hands. Henderson mixes up his game in a way that will make him a tougher matchup for Edgar than either BJ Penn or Gray Maynard, and that’s saying a lot.
Clay Guida
UFC’s Energizer bunny fought a spirited bout, responding from some early trouble to give Henderson a real fight, but saw his wildness exploited by Henderson’s technique. Guida remains a very popular fighter so there’s definitely still space for him on an upcoming main card against a relevant opponent.
Dustin Poirier
Since losing his Zuffa debut while in the WEC in August 2010, Poirier has turned heads with four straight wins. The featherweight captured his third straight bout since moving over to the UFC, defeating the tough Pablo Garza with a D’arce choke submission. At 22 years old, Poirier is one of those talents you hope the UFC moves up in a careful manner, matching him up with fighters of similar experience level. That leads me to this …
Ricardo Lamas
Since moving to featherweight, Lamas has won both of his fights, and finished his opponents in both fights. Lamas is 11-2 and Poirier is 11-1. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you?
Prediction: Poirier faces Lamas
Kid Yamamoto
Yamamoto was soundly out-grappled by Darren Uyenoyama in a three-round decision loss that marked a fourth loss in his last five fights. While Yamamoto was once one of the top lower-weight fighters in MMA, it appears that time has passed. In the past, his wrestling would have been enough to keep the fight upright where he enjoyed a sizable striking advantage, but he never came close to implementing that type of game plan against Uyenoyama. The only question now is whether Yamamoto gets cut, or gets one more chance.
Prediction: Yamamoto gets kept around, and faces an organizational newcomer at UFC 144 in Japan
Alex Caceres
In his first two UFC fights, Caceres looked out of his depth in the organization, getting outclassed in a pair of submission losses. After dropping to bantamweight, he looked recharged and refreshed, outworking Cole Escovedo in a strong decision win. The victory gives Caceres new life on a career that seemed like it could be destined to head back to the indies.
It’s not everyday that we’re treated to “the biggest fight in the history of the sport”, and even rarer that a single gif covers the pre-fight warm up, the bout, the post-fight celebration, and the after party at Ghost Bar. That calls for a GIF party. Though the sole focus of last night’s UFC on FOX event yielded precious little in terms of motion-picture awesomeness, the fighters relegated to the dark corners of social media came through in spades.
Join us after the jump for an incredible collection of throws, slams, submissions, knock outs, spinning everythings, and even some good old fashioned mid-fight showboating.
It’s not everyday that we’re treated to “the biggest fight in the history of the sport”, and even rarer that a single gif covers the pre-fight warm up, the bout, the post-fight celebration, and the after party at Ghost Bar. That calls for a GIF party. Though the sole focus of last night’s UFC on FOX event yielded precious little in terms of motion-picture awesomeness, the fighters relegated to the dark corners of social media came through in spades.
Join us after the jump for an incredible collection of throws, slams, submissions, knock outs, spinning everythings, and even some good old fashioned mid-fight showboating.
Two years ago, in the hours after 
