Tag: Recap

UFC on FOX 9 Salaries: The Year of The Rhino “The California Kid” Continues

(UFC on FOX 9 Phantom Cam highlights via Fox Sports.)

Before snuffing out Joseph Benavidez at UFC on FOX 9 last weekend, flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson proclaimed that he wasn’t fighting to be the best, but rather so “when I’m done fighting, I never have to work again.” Johnson doesn’t want Anderson Silva‘s record, he wants Anderson Silva money, one could say. “I want my son and my wife to have a good life and never have to worry about anything,” he continued. Ever the heel, that Mighty Mouse is.

Now that the UFC on FOX 9 salaries have been made available, it’d be hard to declare that Johnson isn’t well on his way to achieving the financial security he so desires. The flyweight champ might not be making “Anderson Silva money,” but he managed to bank $175,000 for just two minutes work on Saturday, which makes for a nice chunk of change when combined with that X-box One money he is surely making.

Now 4-0 in 2013 with three submission victories to his credit, Urijah Faber topped the $1,007,000 payroll, banking a cool $200,000 for his second round, SOTN-earning win over Michael McDonald. Dude is looking more and more like Vitor Belfort by the day, so let the year of the Rhino “The California Kid” continue. Join us after the jump for the full list of disclosed salaries, as well as our thoughts on the payout.


(UFC on FOX 9 Phantom Cam highlights via Fox Sports.)

Before snuffing out Joseph Benavidez at UFC on FOX 9 last weekend, flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson proclaimed that he wasn’t fighting to be the best, but rather so “when I’m done fighting, I never have to work again.” Johnson doesn’t want Anderson Silva‘s record, he wants Anderson Silva money, one could say. “I want my son and my wife to have a good life and never have to worry about anything,” he continued. Ever the heel, that Mighty Mouse is.

Now that the UFC on FOX 9 salaries have been made available, it’d be hard to declare that Johnson isn’t well on his way to achieving the financial security he so desires. The flyweight champ might not be making “Anderson Silva money,” but he managed to bank $175,000 for just two minutes work on Saturday, which makes for a nice chunk of change when combined with that X-box One money he is surely making.

Now 4-0 in 2013 with three submission victories to his credit, Urijah Faber topped the $1,007,000 payroll, banking a cool $200,000 for his second round, SOTN-earning win over Michael McDonald. Dude is looking more and more like Vitor Belfort by the day, so let the year of the Rhino ”The California Kid” continue. Join us after the jump for the full list of disclosed salaries, as well as our thoughts on the payout.

Demetrious Johnson: $175,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
vs. Joseph Benavidez: $42,000

Urijah Faber: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
vs. Michael McDonald: $17,000

Chad Mendes: $90,000 (includes $45,000 win bonus)
vs. Nick Lentz: $29,000

Joe Lauzon: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
vs. Mac Danzig: $32,000

Ryan LaFlare: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
vs. Court McGee: $20,000)

Edson Barboza: $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus)
vs. Danny Castillo: $31,000

Bobby Green: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win bonus)
vs. Pat Healy: $25,000

Zach Makovsky: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
vs. Scott Jorgensen: $26,000

Sam Stout: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
vs. Cody McKenzie: $12,000

Abel Trujillo: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
vs. Roger Bowling: $12,000

Alptekin Ozkilic: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
vs. Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000

Of course, these figures are absent of any undisclosed bonuses, training fees, blah blah blah.

Overpaid: You kidding me, brah? I pay your mother better when I’m renting her out for the night.

Underpaid: Seven fights and five victories into his UFC career, Michael McDonald is barely making more than the average TUF grad.

Contrary to the Al Bundy gif I just posted, I do not approve of this. My concern for “Mayday,” however, is only overshadowed by my lack of surprise. Look, it’s hard to deny that McDonald is severely underpaid for his skill level (that he always puts on entertaining fights is another issue entirely), but at the same time, he’s a young kid with a bright future ahead of him. While a loss to Faber will halt his momentum a little bit, he’s got plenty of time to increase his value in the UFC. Or sign with One FC. Either or.

And we know he didn’t look great in his last bout with Michael Johnson, but how is Joe “Mr. Fight Night” Lauzon making less than Mac Danzig to show? Un-be-lie-va-ble.

So, Nation, do any of these salaries strike a chord with you? Give us a shout in the comments section. 

–J. Jones

UFC on FOX 9 Results: Johnson Devastates Benavidez via Brutal KO, Faber Dominates and Submits McDonald


(And that’s the end of that chapter. Photo via Getty)

For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.

The notable happenings on the prelims.

Sam Stout out-pointed Cody McKenzie, tenderizing the grappler’s liver and body throughout the 15-minute contest. The bashing of McKenzie’s body wasn’t the most interesting part though. No, the most interesting highlight from the fight was McKenzie wearing sponsor-less shorts with the price tag still hanging off them. Apparently, he showed up without shorts or even a mouthpiece. Pretty sad.

Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?

Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.

In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.

Get the main card recap after the jump.


(And that’s the end of that chapter. / Photo via Getty)

For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.

The notable happenings on the prelims:

Sam Stout out-pointed Cody McKenzie, tenderizing the grappler’s liver and body throughout the 15-minute contest. The bashing of McKenzie’s body wasn’t the most interesting part though. No, the most interesting highlight from the fight was McKenzie wearing sponsor-less shorts with the price tag still hanging off them. Apparently, he showed up without shorts or even a mouthpiece. Pretty sad.

Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?

Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.

In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.

The once-much-better main card began with a mismatch (though it was fun to watch). Joe Lauzon brutalized the hopelessly outmatched Mac Danzig for 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision victory. It was a bloody affair. Lauzon tempered his intensity with caution, not over-pursuing any finishes. Instead, he remained content with control and moderate amounts of damage that snowballed into the end result: Danzig’s face looking like it had gone through a wood chipper.

Chad Mendes and Nik Lentz faced off next. Mendes was his normal studly self early on, but succumbed to the fight’s pace. He won the fight via UD. It wasn’t the prettiest performance though. During a post-fight news blurb on FOX, Ariel Helwani claimed Mendes had a sinus infection (I think that’s the first time we’ve heard that excuse), so maybe that explains it.

The co-main event of the evening pitted Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald. The 22-year-old McDonald was out of his depth. Faber took the first round easily enough. In the second, “The California Kid” stunned McDonald and swarmed him. After a few punches against the staggered McDonald, Faber scored a guillotine finish. It was an excellent display of killer instinct. Faber became an animal when he saw McDonald was hurt.

The main event ended in unbelievable fashion. Demetrious Johnson landed a right hook that lawnchair’d Joseph Benavidez in the first round. It’s undoubtedly the most incredible KO in flyweight history and will likely stay that way for quite some time.

TL;DR – UFC on FOX 9 was supposed to be an incredible free card that demanded our attention. It was still fun due to the performances on the main card, but it could’ve been so much more had the plague of injuries never happened.

Complete Results:

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez via KO (punch), 2:08 of Round 1
Urijah Faber def. Michael McDonald via submission (guillotine), 3:22 of Round 2
Chad Mendes def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Joe Lauzon def. Mac Danzig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Edson Barboza def. Danny Castillo via majority decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Bobby Green def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling via TKO (strikes), 1:35 of Round 2
Alptekin Ozkilic def. Daren Uyenoyama via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Mark Hunt, Ryan Bader Post Photos of Broken Hands Suffered at Fight Night 33


(Photo via Hunt’s Facebook. A few alternate angles of the break can be seen here.)

I believe it was sometime between the fourth and fifth round of his epic slugfest with Antonio Silva last Friday that Mark Hunt resorted to an all elbows strategy of offensive attack. While I figured that it was simply another case of Hunt running out of shits to give, many fans began to speculate that Hunt had broken his hand on Silva’s Tango & Cash-sized jaw earlier in the fight. Well, consider the above photo further proof that “The Super Somoan” is a goddamned warrior in every sense of the word.

As it turns out, Hunt isn’t the only fighter who will be learning to wipe his ass with the other hand in the coming weeks (Author’s note: That is the last time I will steal that joke. I swear). TUF 8 alum Ryan Bader also walked away from Fight Night 33 with a shattered hand on account of Anthony Perosh punching it with his face so often, so join us after the jump for a couple photos of the damage via Bader’s instagram.


(Photo via Hunt’s Facebook. A few alternate angles of the break can be seen here.)

I believe it was sometime between the fourth and fifth round of his epic slugfest with Antonio Silva last Friday that Mark Hunt resorted to an all elbows strategy of offensive attack. While I figured that it was simply another case of Hunt running out of shits to give, many fans began to speculate that Hunt had broken his hand on Silva’s Tango & Cash-sized jaw earlier in the fight. Well, consider the above photo further proof that “The Super Somoan” is a goddamned warrior in every sense of the word.

As it turns out, Hunt isn’t the only fighter who will be learning to wipe his ass with the other hand in the coming weeks (Author’s note: That is the last time I will steal that joke. I swear). TUF 8 alum Ryan Bader also walked away from Fight Night 33 with a shattered hand on account of Anthony Perosh punching it with his face so often, so check out a couple photos of the damage below.

Bader, who outstruck Perosh 156 to 11 (!) in his unanimous decision victory over the weekend, posted the above photos to his instagram with the caption “I think that’s bad.” I’m no doctor, but I’m inclined to agree with him. We will have updates on the length of Bader’s suspension, as well as Hunt’s, as soon as the information becomes available.

–J. Jones

UFC Fight Night 33 Recap: Hunt and Bigfoot Battle to a Legendary Draw, Shogun Relives Pride Days with Devastating KO


(Mark Hunt is an artist…who only paints in red. / Photo via Getty)

UFC Fight Night 33 was far better than UFC Fight Night 32—even though the main event ended in a draw.

Though the main card was high-quality in terms of entertainment value, the prelims were a dull affair. The two highlights: Ben Wall walking out dressed like a furry before getting KO’d in under a minute, and a great scrap between Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki that saw the latter’s hand raised via unanimous decision.

The main card started with one of the most technical, evenly matched women’s fights the UFC has ever had. Longtime fighter Julie Kedzie met newcomer Bethe Correia. Too bad that FOX Sports 1 blacked out for many viewers, cutting off the first half of the contest. Furthermore, Greg Jackson’s Matt Serra-level shouting eclipsed some of the action. It’s hard to appreciate what’s going on when all you can hear is Jackson screaming about how amazing a mediocre combo was in order to sway the inept judges.

Dylan Andrews and Clint Hester met next. It looked like they weren’t going to continue the card’s momentum, but they pulled through. The bout had spurts of inactivity, but for every dragged-out clinch or half-guard hangout session, there was at least one fiery exchange or big hit. The fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds on account of a shoulder injury, giving Hester the victory.

Check out the results of the co-main event, main event, and for the TL;DR rundown of the card after the jump.


(Mark Hunt is an artist…who only paints in red. / Photo via Getty)

UFC Fight Night 33 was far better than UFC Fight Night 32—even though the main event ended in a draw.

Though the main card was high-quality in terms of entertainment value, the prelims were a dull affair. The two highlights: Ben Wall walking out dressed like a furry before getting KO’d in under a minute, and a great scrap between Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki that saw the latter’s hand raised via unanimous decision.

The main card started with one of the most technical, evenly matched women’s fights the UFC has ever had. Longtime fighter Julie Kedzie met newcomer Bethe Correia. Too bad that FOX Sports 1 blacked out for many viewers, cutting off an early portion of the contest. Furthermore, Greg Jackson’s Matt Serra-level shouting eclipsed some of the action. It’s hard to appreciate what’s going on when all you can hear is Jackson screaming about how amazing a mediocre combo was in order to sway the inept judges. It didn’t work though; Correia took home a split decision victory.

Dylan Andrews and Clint Hester met next. It looked like they weren’t going to continue the card’s momentum, but they pulled through. The bout had spurts of inactivity, but for every dragged-out clinch or half-guard hangout session, there was at least one fiery exchange or big hit. The fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds on account of an Andrews shoulder injury, giving Hester the victory.

The next fight was short and sweet; Soa Palelei came, saw, and conquered Pat Barry‘s consciousness. After shrugging off Palelei’s first takedown, Barry couldn’t duplicate his success. The Australian threw Barry to the mat, passed into mount, and turned off Barry’s brain with a barrage of punches. It was all over in 2:09.

Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh was the first lackluster fight of the night. What was expected to be a squash match for Bader turned into a 15-minute grind fest. Bader earned a unanimous decision victory. There’s not much else to say about it. The fight happened and will be forgotten by tomorrow morning. Let’s move on.

Next up was the co-main event: James Te Huna vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The “Pride never die” slogan proved true in this fight. Rua lawn chair’d him. The knockout was so impressive Dana White called it “KO of the century” (though Chris Weidman might disagree with that assessment).

Mark Hunt vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva met in the night’s main event and produced the magic that the UFC has been lacking for some time. “Warriors” is thrown around way too much, but the two were warriors. By the end of the 25-minutes, both men were lathered in each other’s blood. Hunt-Silva was a fight were martial artistry erupted into bar-brawling and then reverted back again. Even though it ended in a draw—typically a result that pleases nobody—it wasn’t a mood-killer. We get to see that fight happen again, and we’re pumped for it. There aren’t enough hyperboles to explain how great it was. Watch it. You won’t regret it.

TL;DR: The card was worth the time it took to watch. The fights were competitive and the fighters involved mattered—two traits that are becoming rarer as the UFC holds more and more shows.

Complete Results:

Main Card

Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva, majority draw (48-47, 47-47, 47-47)
Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via KO (punches), 1:03 of Round 1
Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via KO (punches), 2:09 of Round 1
Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (doctor stoppage), 5:00 of Round 2
Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Takeya Mizugaki def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-28)
Caio Magalhaes def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Justin Scoggins def. Richie Vaculik via TKO (punches), 4:59 of Round 1
Krzysztof Jotko def. Bruno Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Alex Garcia def. Ben Wall via KO (punches), 0:43 of Round 1

TUF 18 Episode 13 Results and Recap: Injuries Jeopardize Women’s Finals

The Ultimate Fighter concluded its 18th season Wednesday evening with a boring, noncommittal effort from both Team Rousey‘s Jessica Rakoczy and Team Tate’s Raquel Pennington.  Yippie.  After the women’s fights stole the spotlight for the majority of the season (mostly because, you know, they actually made weight and fought), episode 13 churned out to be […]

The Ultimate Fighter concluded its 18th season Wednesday evening with a boring, noncommittal effort from both Team Rousey‘s Jessica Rakoczy and Team Tate’s Raquel Pennington.  Yippie.  After the women’s fights stole the spotlight for the majority of the season (mostly because, you know, they actually made weight and fought), episode 13 churned out to be […]

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So Some Pretty Incredible Shit Went Down at Glory 12 This Past Weekend [VIDEO]

(The Ristie vs. Petrosyan KO, set to some appropriately foreboding music.)

Heading into Saturday night’s Glory 12 lightweight tournament, two-time K-1 champion Giorgio Petrosyan was being heralded as “The Floyd Mayweather of Kickboxing.” The comparison was not without merit; Petrosyan was a dynamic, seemingly untouchable striker who was carrying a six year unbeaten streak into his semifinal contest with +650 underdog, Andy Ristie. As a casual kickboxing fan at best, even I was quick to chastise my roommates for having the gall to pick Ristie to win. “I’m here to tell you, that’s not going to happen,” I said, echoing Frank Trigg’s epic assessment of the Fedor vs. Zuluzinho fight, “Giorgio will dispatch this man very quickly.”

Less than ten minutes later, I was dining on a heaping plate of crow.

Giorgio Petrosyan, the Floyd Mayweather of kickboxing, had been knocked out cold in the third round. Even to casual fans of the sport like myself, this was a big deal. In 81 fights, this was the first time the Italian-Armenian had been stopped. The result was just one of many shocking upsets to punctuate the Glory 12: New York card, which also saw former rugby star Ben Edwards score a last-second KO over a gassed Jamal Ben Saddik and Mirko Cro Cop training partner Igor Jurkovic suffer a first round TKO at the hands of relative unknown Jhonata Diniz.

While Ristie was no slouch, to put it bluntly, the savage knockout was the last thing fans were expecting and provided Ristie with a clear edge in the momentum department heading into the finals against #2 ranked Robin Van Roosmalen. A gif of that fight’s finish is after the jump, along with complete GLORY 12 results.


(The Ristie vs. Petrosyan KO, set to some appropriately foreboding music.)

Heading into Saturday night’s Glory 12 lightweight tournament, two-time K-1 champion Giorgio Petrosyan was being heralded as “The Floyd Mayweather of Kickboxing.” The comparison was not without merit; Petrosyan was a dynamic, seemingly untouchable striker who was carrying a six year unbeaten streak into his semifinal contest with +650 underdog, Andy Ristie. As a casual kickboxing fan at best, even I was quick to chastise my roommates for having the gall to pick Ristie to win. “I’m here to tell you, that’s not going to happen,” I said, echoing Frank Trigg’s epic assessment of the Fedor vs. Zuluzinho fight, “Giorgio will dispatch this man very quickly.”

Less than ten minutes later, I was dining on a heaping plate of crow.

Giorgio Petrosyan, the Floyd Mayweather of kickboxing, had been knocked out cold in the third round. Even to casual fans of the sport like myself, this was a big deal. In 81 fights, this was the first time the Italian-Armenian had been stopped. The result was just one of many shocking upsets to punctuate the Glory 12: New York card, which also saw former rugby star Ben Edwards score a last-second KO over a gassed Jamal Ben Saddik and Mirko Cro Cop training partner Igor Jurkovic suffer a first round TKO at the hands of relative unknown Jhonata Diniz.

While Ristie was no slouch, to put it bluntly, the savage knockout was the last thing fans were expecting and provided Ristie with a clear edge in the momentum department heading into the finals against #2 ranked Robin Van Roosmalen. A gif of that fight’s finish is after the jump, along with complete GLORY 12 results.

Andy Ristie. Remember the name.

Glory 12 main card results:
Robin Van Roosmalen def. Davit Kiria via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)
Andy Ristie def. Giorgio Petrosyan via KO (Left Hook) :43 of Round 3
Ky Hollenbeck def. Shemsi Beqiri via Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3)
Ben Edwards def. Jamal Ben Saddik via KO (Punches) 2:52 of Round 3
Wayne Barrett def. Joe Schilling via Unanimous Decision (28-26 x3)
Andy Ristie def. Robin Van Roosmalen via KO (Punch) 1:44 of Round 3

–J. Jones