When it comes to sustaining a comfortable living, you can assure that the UFC financially takes care of its employees. After Nick Diaz complained about not recieving fair compensation for his bout against BJ Penn, UFC President Dana White refuted …
When it comes to sustaining a comfortable living, you can assure that the UFC financially takes care of its employees.
“Believe me, guys make money in this sport,” White said during UFC 138 post-fight press conference last weekend. “There are guys that make lots of money, guys that make good money and there are guys that are working their way up.”
The idea of paying UFC fighters the same amount of income as professional boxers has always been on the boss’s radar, but he said it won’t necessarily happen anytime soon. White said the progress that the UFC has achieved in such a small amount of time is remarkable and only likely to become bigger in the future.
“From 2006-2011, I can’t remember what the number is, but it’s like 40-something millionaires. 40-something millionaires, 20-something multi-multimillionaires and the list goes on and on,” he said. “What we’ve been able to do, in that much time, is pretty phenomenal.”
There has always been a big distinction between the amount of income both boxing and the UFC provide, and while the UFC might not be in the same financial situation, they are certainly taking a big step in the right direction.
Are people putting significantly too much stock into Chris Leben’s announcement?It certainly seems as such, and not so much for the right reasons.Permit this writer to first submit this disclaimer: Not only did I not see anything wrong with Leben at th…
It certainly seems as such, and not so much for the right reasons.
Permit this writer to first submit this disclaimer: Not only did I not see anything wrong with Leben at the weigh-ins, but I also thought that the fight was an easy 19-19 standoff at the end of the second round.
Leben stole the first round, which was close in my eyes, but highlighted by Leben’s signature forward offense and heavy-handed shots on the stand-up.
Munoz definitely showed us more effective usage of the “Donkey Kong Beatdown” style of ground-and-pound in the second round than he did in the first round, but let’s not take anything away from Leben or Munoz, even though we’re currently past UFC 138 and looking forward to UFC on FOX 1.
Munoz damaged Leben’s eye about as much as anyone has ever hurt Leben’s eye, but the truth is that while Leben might have at first admitted to not being able to see out of that damaged eye, he didn’t want to quit.
Why else would he want to finish out that second round?
See the result of the fight as you wish, but don’t take too much of what you’re being given as far as the whole “Leben cut 21 pounds on weigh-in day” thing.
If he really did, he really did, but for a guy that supposedly was not in good shape last weekend, he held his own well.
This whole case could be something similar to what we see at UFC on FOX 1 this Saturday, as Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos are both heavy-handed fighters who deliver damage when they throw bombs from any direction.
All but Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin have been knocked out by Dos Santos, but Velasquez is as much responsible for the nasty laceration on Brock Lesnar‘s cheek as he was responsible for taking the UFC heavyweight title away from Lesnar.
If Cain can inflict some petrifying damage to Dos Santos, something not unlike what Leben received from Munoz’s fists, will we be giving Cain his due for beating a credible opponent, or are we going to take a victory away from another wrestler and blame it on an allegedly bad “weight cut” during a training camp that likely was not a bad one at all?
I don’t know, but I don’t see the logic in saying anything aside from “one guy whooped the other guy’s a**”…do you?
Renen Barao is the real deal.This past Saturday at UFC 138, Barao faced his toughest challenge yet. With his resounding defeat of Brad Pickett, Barao notched his 27th straight win—and 13th by submission.Both fighters came out swinging, and while …
Renen Barao is the real deal.
This past Saturday at UFC 138, Barao faced his toughest challenge yet. With his resounding defeat of Brad Pickett, Barao notched his 27th straight win—and 13th by submission.
Both fighters came out swinging, and while Barao got the better of most exchanges, Pickett held his own in the opening minutes. After catching Pickett square in the face with a knee, Barao threw a barrage of punches, knocked Pickett down, and wasted no time taking his back.
Sinking in a body triangle to control Pickett, Barao eventually worked in a deep rear-naked choke, giving Pickett no choice but to tap.
For those who questioned Barao’s legitimacy in the bantamweight division, this was a compelling performance. Barao steamrolled his toughest opponent to date, in front of a hostile crowd to boot. Defeating Pickett, ranked No. 8 by USA Today/MMA Nation, should certainly land Barao firmly in the Top 10 rankings.
So…what’s next for Barao?
Given the relatively shallow bantamweight ranks, it’s easy to make a case for Barao to get the next title shot against champ Dominick Cruz. Top contenders Brian Bowles, Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavides have all already faced Cruz and lost. The UFC needs new blood at 135 lbs, and Barao offers exactly that.
However, while a title shot shouldn’t be completely out of the question, it makes more sense to put him in a title eliminator fight against the winner of Bowles vs. Faber at UFC 139.
Not only does Cruz need time to recover from hand surgery before facing his next opponent, a fight against either Bowles or Faber would allow fans to become more familiar with Barao and help build his brand. On the flip side, defeating Barao would also legitimize a second shot at Cruz for either Bowles or Faber.
Bowles and Faber face one another on Nov. 19, and barring any injuries, a fight against Barao should be possible for early 2012. By that point, Cruz should be ready to begin training again, with a mid to late 2012 title fight well within reason.
Mark Munoz‘s fast ascension to UFC title contention has been remarkable, but that same rapid progress could put him in a position where he has to face friend and former training partner Anderson Silva.
Munoz, who began fighting MMA professionally just over four years ago, previously trained with Silva with the understanding that they were unlikely to meet in the future.
“When we’ve had talks about it before, I don’t know if I talked to him directly or Ed [Soares], but they said he was going to be gone by the time I would be able to fight for a world championship.” Munoz said Monday on The MMA Hour.
In 2008, Silva said he would like to retire the following year. Soares then said Silva would retire at 35 instead. Silva turns 37 next April.
“I pay my dues in this weight class and I think I deserve a title shot,” Munoz said last Saturday inside the cage. “Anderson Silva is by far the best pound-for-pound fighter. I give him all the respect and honor, but I think I deserve a title shot right now. I consider him a friend, but right now I’d love to get a title shot.”
During the UFC 138 meeting with the fighters after the weigh-ins, fighters were encouraged by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and president Dana White to ask for a particular fight if such fight compels them. Munoz said the meeting “sparked” something in him to ask for the Silva fight.
Munoz explained his respectful callout, saying he didn’t want Silva to think he was calling him out even though that was what he was doing. Nothing personal, only personal aspirations.
“I’m here to be the best, I’m not here to be a mediocre fighter, [Silva] knows that,” Munoz said. “He knew that from the beginning. From me, I just wanted him to know I honor him as a friend, as a training partners, as a teacher — I told the media about my Bruce Lee moment with him — I give him all the respect but at the same time I’m here to be a world champion.”
Standing in Munoz’s way of a title shot though, is the likelihood of Sonnen receiving a title shot first. Munoz listed off his four-fight win streak and valuable wins over Demian Maia and Leben, while Sonnen only won one fight since his return as the reasons why Munoz should be the No. 1 contender.
“I feel that I have a valid argument to fight for the title. I feel that it’s my time,” Munoz said. “I haven’t talked to Anderson, I haven’t seen him. There’s no disrespect to him, I still consider him a friend, but at the same time I want to be a world champ too.”
Munoz says he can be friends with someone and still fight them. He’s fought close friend Aaron Simpson already in the UFC and says he would be willing to fight current teammate Jason “Mayhem” Miller if need be. A fight against Miller could be the first instance of UFC Primetime where the two competitors are training inside the same gym, Munoz joked.
Although Munoz wants to be Silva’s next opponent, he also understands that the UFC makes fights people want to see most.
“Chael is lobbying very well and he’s garnering a lot of interest for that fight,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of [people that want to watch that fight] and that there’s a lot of coin attached to that fight.”
He’ll be fine to wait in line as long as he stays on track fighting people that will continue to prove he’s ready for a title shot.
“Whoever they want to put in front of me I’m going to look to mow down on the way to a world title.”
Mark Munoz‘s fast ascension to UFC title contention has been remarkable, but that same rapid progress could put him in a position where he has to face friend and former training partner Anderson Silva.
Munoz, who began fighting MMA professionally just over four years ago, previously trained with Silva with the understanding that they were unlikely to meet in the future.
“When we’ve had talks about it before, I don’t know if I talked to him directly or Ed [Soares], but they said he was going to be gone by the time I would be able to fight for a world championship.” Munoz said Monday on The MMA Hour.
In 2008, Silva said he would like to retire the following year. Soares then said Silva would retire at 35 instead. Silva turns 37 next April.
“I pay my dues in this weight class and I think I deserve a title shot,” Munoz said last Saturday inside the cage. “Anderson Silva is by far the best pound-for-pound fighter. I give him all the respect and honor, but I think I deserve a title shot right now. I consider him a friend, but right now I’d love to get a title shot.”
During the UFC 138 meeting with the fighters after the weigh-ins, fighters were encouraged by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and president Dana White to ask for a particular fight if such fight compels them. Munoz said the meeting “sparked” something in him to ask for the Silva fight.
Munoz explained his respectful callout, saying he didn’t want Silva to think he was calling him out even though that was what he was doing. Nothing personal, only personal aspirations.
“I’m here to be the best, I’m not here to be a mediocre fighter, [Silva] knows that,” Munoz said. “He knew that from the beginning. From me, I just wanted him to know I honor him as a friend, as a training partners, as a teacher — I told the media about my Bruce Lee moment with him — I give him all the respect but at the same time I’m here to be a world champion.”
Standing in Munoz’s way of a title shot though, is the likelihood of Sonnen receiving a title shot first. Munoz listed off his four-fight win streak and valuable wins over Demian Maia and Leben, while Sonnen only won one fight since his return as the reasons why Munoz should be the No. 1 contender.
“I feel that I have a valid argument to fight for the title. I feel that it’s my time,” Munoz said. “I haven’t talked to Anderson, I haven’t seen him. There’s no disrespect to him, I still consider him a friend, but at the same time I want to be a world champ too.”
Munoz says he can be friends with someone and still fight them. He’s fought close friend Aaron Simpson already in the UFC and says he would be willing to fight current teammate Jason “Mayhem” Miller if need be. A fight against Miller could be the first instance of UFC Primetime where the two competitors are training inside the same gym, Munoz joked.
Although Munoz wants to be Silva’s next opponent, he also understands that the UFC makes fights people want to see most.
“Chael is lobbying very well and he’s garnering a lot of interest for that fight,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of [people that want to watch that fight] and that there’s a lot of coin attached to that fight.”
He’ll be fine to wait in line as long as he stays on track fighting people that will continue to prove he’s ready for a title shot.
“Whoever they want to put in front of me I’m going to look to mow down on the way to a world title.”
Filed under: UFCEven in the frantic excitement of victory, Mark Munoz held true to his gentlemanly reputation. The rapidly improving middleweight who fights under the beastly nickname of “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” beat Chris Leben up at UFC 138, t…
Even in the frantic excitement of victory, Mark Munoz held true to his gentlemanly reputation. The rapidly improving middleweight who fights under the beastly nickname of “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” beat Chris Leben up at UFC 138, then toned things down with a polite request to cut the line and face champion Anderson Silva.
With a potential big-money Silva vs. Chael Sonnen rematch already in discussions, Munoz’s wish seems unlikely to be granted, but at least he’s planted the bug in people’s minds that he’s title-worthy. Munoz has won seven of his last eight, brings a go-for-broke style and has surrounded himself with an excellent team from which to learn. After some troubles during the early stages of his UFC fight career, things seem to have clicked for him.
Munoz certainly deserves credit for his improvement and his willingness to fight Silva, who is a former training partner. His “call-out” though, could use some work. Calling Silva “by far” the best pound-for-pound fighter alive, Munoz politely requested the honor of Silva’s presence at a title bout. The well-mannered plea was completely contradictory from the fighter who ran over Leben moments before. The saying is that nice guys finish last. Munoz certainly has the chance to prove that wrong.
Mark Munoz
It simply wouldn’t make sense for the UFC to scuttle the Silva-Sonnen rematch, particularly with all the buildup Sonnen’s already produced for it. Munoz and the rest of the division need to bide their time until that plays out. Unfortunately for Munoz, that means at least one more fight before he can compete for the belt.
On December 3, Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller are fighting. If Bisping wins, a Munoz-Bisping matchup should be signed as a No. 1 contenders fight. If he loses, well, then, we’re in a bit of a pickle.
Prediction: Munoz eventually faces Bisping with a title shot on the line.
Chris Leben
The loss had to sting for Leben, who sees himself as one of the UFC’s toughest fighters but could not survive Munoz’s offensive onslaught. Fighters can often reason away a knockout in their minds by rationalizing that they simply got caught; it’s not so easy when things go the way they did on Saturday, and you’re brought to admit you got beat up by a better fighter.
Given Leben’s exciting style, there is certainly still a place for him in the UFC, it’s just not among the top five, at least not right now. At 31 years old and with a series of wars behind him, that possibility is certainly beginning to fade. Regardless of that, he’ll certainly always be remembered as a warrior in the cage, and given his style, you almost wonder if that reputation is as welcome to him as the description of champion might be.
Prediction:Ed Herman has won two straight since returning. Leben might be a good test in determining what level he’s at.
Renan Barao
Barao’s performance should have served as an eye-opener for those who hadn’t seem him fight before. He looked aggressive on his feet, continued his reputation as a killer on the ground, and closed out the durable Brad Pickett inside of one round despite being on enemy territory.
That win was great news for the UFC, who needs someone, anyone to make a statement at bantamweight and present themselves as a fresh, credible challenge to champion Dominick Cruz. With his win, Barao fit that bill. Will he be immediately thrust into the title picture? It really wouldn’t be hard to sell him as a legitimate threat coming off this win and highlighting his 28-fight unbeaten streak. But my guess is that he’ll need one more victory before he gets to Cruz.
Prediction: He faces Scott Jorgensen
Thiago Alves
The former No. 1 welterweight contender faced a must-win against Papy Abedi, and delivered with a first-round rear naked choke submission, his first finish since a TKO victory against Matt Hughes in June 2008. Given the fact that he was facing a relatively unknown opponent and was one of the best-known fighters on the card, anything else would have been a major disaster for Alves.
He faces a lengthy climb to return to contention, but at 28 years old, it’s not an impossible mission. There are also plenty of good opponents to match him up against.
Anthony Perosh
It’s two straight wins for the Aussie since returning to his natural home at light-heavyweight. At 39 years old, though, it’s hard to believe Perosh has any realistic shot at climbing the ladder towards the top of an extremely deep division. Even worse for his future prospects is that division is cluttered by wrestlers. Given Perosh’s jiu-jitsu based style, those types of matchups will be tough to navigate.
That said, he deserves plenty of credit for these recent wins, as well as the chance to try his skills against an opponent with a different type of skill set next time out.
Terry Etim
Etim spent 19 months on the sidelines injured and then spent 17 seconds in the cage upon his return with a lightning-fast submission against the overmatched Eddie Faaloloto. While the speed of the victory was unexpected, Etim was the biggest favorite on the entire card, so it was a fight he was supposed to win impressively. Things shouldn’t be quite so easy for him next time around.
Prediction: Thiago Tavares is still waiting for a matchup after his August win over Spencer Fisher. That sounds interesting. The UFC though went a different route, matching him up with Edson Barboza at UFC 142.
Che Mills
Mills debuted to some high marks after knocking out Chris Cope in a 40-second clinic of standup violence. UFC commentator Joe Rogan quickly anointed Mills as a fresh new welterweight star and he certainly looked the part, but we’ll need to see more of him before we can put him on the must-watch prospect list. Until then, how about we match him up with another striking star?
Prediction: Mills vs. Duane Ludwig sounds like fireworks to me.
Mariah Yeater [pictured above] gave her first televised interview (which airs tonight) to tabloid talk show, The Insider. Yeater stands by her allegations that Justin Bieber had sex with her in a public bathroom following.
Mariah Yeater [pictured above] gave her first televised interview (which airs tonight) to tabloid talk show, The Insider. Yeater stands by her allegations that Justin Bieber had sex with her in a public bathroom following his performance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, then after skirting around giving her his phone number, Bieber told her to just tell him her number; he would memorize it. Needless to say, she never received a call or even a late night “what’s up?” text.
Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck is set for UFC 143.
When it comes to sustaining a comfortable living, you can assure that the UFC financially takes care of its employees. 
Mark Munoz
Even in the frantic excitement of victory, 
