UFC 141 sold 10,091 tickets for a live gate of $3,101,000, the Nevada athletic commission said Wednesday.
According to the commission, a total of 13,793 were in attendance Dec. 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to watch Alistair Overeem defeat Brock Lesnar. 3,702 tickets were comped and 137 were left unsold.
Here’s how UFC 141 stacked up against the other UFC events in Las Vegas in 2011.
Jan. 1 – UFC 125 (6,978 tickets sold / $2,174,780 gate)
Feb. 5 – UFC 126 (9,667 tickets sold / $3,605,725 gate)
May 28 – UFC 130 (7,470 tickets sold / $2,577,250 gate)
June 4 – TUF 13 Finale (1,601 tickets sold / $440,150 gate)
July 2 – UFC 132 (8,103 tickets sold / $2,304,500 gate)
Oct. 29 – UFC 137 (8,179 tickets sold / $3,900,650 gate)
Dec. 3 – TUF 14 Finale (1,348 tickets sold / $452,700 gate)
Dec. 30 – UFC 141 (10,091 tickets sold / $3,101,000 gate)
UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann was on his way to coach wrestling practice at White Bear Lake High School in Minnesota last week when the school’s athletic director called him in for an impromptu meeting. If he didn’t know where this was headed based on past experience, he probably should have.
Following his most recent bout — a unanimous decision win over Efrain Escudero at UFC 141 in December — he again veered into political commentary in his post-fight remarks, this time telling UFC color commentator Joe Rogan that he wanted Obama to call him about scheduling a “glass-ectomy,” which, according to Volkmann, “is when you cut your belly button out and put a piece of glass in there so when you have your head up your butt you can see where you’re going.”
Once again, White Bear Lake High administrators were not amused. And once again, Volkmann was placed on paid administrative leave. But this time, he told MMA Fighting, he thought he had followed the rules that school officials had given him, thanks to some intentionally clever wording.
“They gave me four rules to follow, and I thought I followed them,” said Volkmann. “The first was, you’ve got to be respectful of people when you do your interviews, which is very vague. The second was, no interviews on school property. The third was, no White Bear Lake clothes during interviews, which is easy to follow. And the fourth was, I can’t tell people to go attack the [White Bear Lake High School Athletic Director] or the human resources lady, which is kind of a foolish rule.”
The way Volkmann saw it, the athletic director was wrong to accuse him of offering to give Obama a glass-ectomy.
“I said ‘Call me so we can schedule a glass-ectomy.’ Not saying for him, not saying for who. …I was trying to cover my butt. I purposely did that,” he said.
It apparently made little difference to school officials, who told Volkmann he’d be placed on administrative leave while they investigated the matter and decided what to do next.
For Volkmann, it’s just the latest chapter in the strange pseudo-political tale that’s come to define the last year of his MMA career. He’s become the guy fans know not so much for his fights, but for his statements afterward. The clip of his initial callout of Obama landed on “The Tonight Show,” and he was even visited by the Secret Service. He’s chosen to run with the attention, wearing a “Volkmann for President” t-shirt down to the cage and carving out time in his post-fight interviews to take shots at President Obama. And for those who don’t like politics mixed in with their sports?
“Too bad,” Volkmann said. “This is working, so I’m going to stick with it.”
But yet again Volkmann is finding that what works as an attention-getting routine in the UFC doesn’t always go over so well with his employers at a public high school, even if the two are entirely separate in his mind.
“The thing with my coaching job is, I don’t teach the kids politics; I teach them wrestling,” he said. “I do my best to teach them what I can with wrestling. And they don’t understand, I need to do and say what I can to get fans. Sometimes you have to say some kind of weird stuff to get people to notice you. Because you only have, what, 30 seconds out there with Joe Rogan? I have to say what I can in that 30 seconds to try and get people interested so they’ll look me up afterwards to figure out why I was saying it.”
Once you actually sit down and talk to him, however, it becomes clear that Volkmann’s anti-Obama routine isn’t just schtick. Ask him what, exactly, he dislikes about our current president, and he gives a heavy sigh before asking, “You ready?”
The tone itself tells you that you might as well get comfortable.
From the Obama administration’s mortgage refinancing policy to health care reform to government grants for green energy, Volkmann can hold court on any number of political topics, and he can even tell you how he was personally affected by many of those issues as a homeowner, a chiropractor, and Minnesotan. His political views aren’t limited to just jokes and quips, in other words, so why not make those the centerpiece of his public persona, rather than vaguely threatening statements that only earn him visits from the Secret Service and headaches at his coaching job?
Because, Volkmann explained, substantive political statements aren’t known for captivating the attention of the average sports fan. And that is, after all, the goal.
“I think I did it the right way, because who cares if I have a problem with a policy? That would have never made any news.”
You have to admit that he has a point. Clever sound bytes always get more airtime than policy discussion, and his way has generated its share of headlines so far. Of course, it’s also generated some problems, as his current predicament demonstrates.
The last time he was put on administrative leave from his coaching job, he said, it was over in a couple of weeks. This time he hopes to be back in the wrestling room even sooner, but school officials have given him no timeframe for a decision. In the meantime, he can’t have any contact with the wrestlers he coaches — not even to explain to them in his own words why he can’t be at practice. Sure, he still gets paid, but with a yearly assistant coach’s salary of $1,800, the job was never about money to begin with.
“I don’t make very much,” said Volkmann. “I do it more to give back to wrestling. I had so many coaches who helped me out, so I figured maybe this is a good way for me to give back and help some other kids out.”
Only now that he can’t do that — and now that his political views are threatening to overshadow his fighting ability in the eyes of many fans — even Volkmann thinks it might be time to give it a rest.
“To be honest, I’m probably not going to bring it up again unless Joe Rogan does, because it’s kind of like beating a dead horse at this point. I kind of made a comedy thing of it…and it’s kind of getting old.”
Then again, if someone puts a political question to him directly, Volkmann admitted, “I’m going to be honest, no matter what.”
UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann was on his way to coach wrestling practice at White Bear Lake High School in Minnesota last week when the school’s athletic director called him in for an impromptu meeting. If he didn’t know where this was headed based on past experience, he probably should have.
Following his most recent bout — a unanimous decision win over Efrain Escudero at UFC 141 in December — he again veered into political commentary in his post-fight remarks, this time telling UFC color commentator Joe Rogan that he wanted Obama to call him about scheduling a “glass-ectomy,” which, according to Volkmann, “is when you cut your belly button out and put a piece of glass in there so when you have your head up your butt you can see where you’re going.”
Once again, White Bear Lake High administrators were not amused. And once again, Volkmann was placed on paid administrative leave. But this time, he told MMA Fighting, he thought he had followed the rules that school officials had given him, thanks to some intentionally clever wording.
“They gave me four rules to follow, and I thought I followed them,” said Volkmann. “The first was, you’ve got to be respectful of people when you do your interviews, which is very vague. The second was, no interviews on school property. The third was, no White Bear Lake clothes during interviews, which is easy to follow. And the fourth was, I can’t tell people to go attack the [White Bear Lake High School Athletic Director] or the human resources lady, which is kind of a foolish rule.”
The way Volkmann saw it, the athletic director was wrong to accuse him of offering to give Obama a glass-ectomy.
“I said ‘Call me so we can schedule a glass-ectomy.’ Not saying for him, not saying for who. …I was trying to cover my butt. I purposely did that,” he said.
It apparently made little difference to school officials, who told Volkmann he’d be placed on administrative leave while they investigated the matter and decided what to do next.
For Volkmann, it’s just the latest chapter in the strange pseudo-political tale that’s come to define the last year of his MMA career. He’s become the guy fans know not so much for his fights, but for his statements afterward. The clip of his initial callout of Obama landed on “The Tonight Show,” and he was even visited by the Secret Service. He’s chosen to run with the attention, wearing a “Volkmann for President” t-shirt down to the cage and carving out time in his post-fight interviews to take shots at President Obama. And for those who don’t like politics mixed in with their sports?
“Too bad,” Volkmann said. “This is working, so I’m going to stick with it.”
But yet again Volkmann is finding that what works as an attention-getting routine in the UFC doesn’t always go over so well with his employers at a public high school, even if the two are entirely separate in his mind.
“The thing with my coaching job is, I don’t teach the kids politics; I teach them wrestling,” he said. “I do my best to teach them what I can with wrestling. And they don’t understand, I need to do and say what I can to get fans. Sometimes you have to say some kind of weird stuff to get people to notice you. Because you only have, what, 30 seconds out there with Joe Rogan? I have to say what I can in that 30 seconds to try and get people interested so they’ll look me up afterwards to figure out why I was saying it.”
Once you actually sit down and talk to him, however, it becomes clear that Volkmann’s anti-Obama routine isn’t just schtick. Ask him what, exactly, he dislikes about our current president, and he gives a heavy sigh before asking, “You ready?”
The tone itself tells you that you might as well get comfortable.
From the Obama administration’s mortgage refinancing policy to health care reform to government grants for green energy, Volkmann can hold court on any number of political topics, and he can even tell you how he was personally affected by many of those issues as a homeowner, a chiropractor, and Minnesotan. His political views aren’t limited to just jokes and quips, in other words, so why not make those the centerpiece of his public persona, rather than vaguely threatening statements that only earn him visits from the Secret Service and headaches at his coaching job?
Because, Volkmann explained, substantive political statements aren’t known for captivating the attention of the average sports fan. And that is, after all, the goal.
“I think I did it the right way, because who cares if I have a problem with a policy? That would have never made any news.”
You have to admit that he has a point. Clever sound bytes always get more airtime than policy discussion, and his way has generated its share of headlines so far. Of course, it’s also generated some problems, as his current predicament demonstrates.
The last time he was put on administrative leave from his coaching job, he said, it was over in a couple of weeks. This time he hopes to be back in the wrestling room even sooner, but school officials have given him no timeframe for a decision. In the meantime, he can’t have any contact with the wrestlers he coaches — not even to explain to them in his own words why he can’t be at practice. Sure, he still gets paid, but with a yearly assistant coach’s salary of $1,800, the job was never about money to begin with.
“I don’t make very much,” said Volkmann. “I do it more to give back to wrestling. I had so many coaches who helped me out, so I figured maybe this is a good way for me to give back and help some other kids out.”
Only now that he can’t do that — and now that his political views are threatening to overshadow his fighting ability in the eyes of many fans — even Volkmann thinks it might be time to give it a rest.
“To be honest, I’m probably not going to bring it up again unless Joe Rogan does, because it’s kind of like beating a dead horse at this point. I kind of made a comedy thing of it…and it’s kind of getting old.”
Then again, if someone puts a political question to him directly, Volkmann admitted, “I’m going to be honest, no matter what.”
Dana White is a polarizing figure. Some love him, some hate him, and those in the MMA blogosphere that have never even met him, take every opportunity they have to crucify his every move.I read the blogs daily and always read the comments section…
Dana White is a polarizing figure. Some love him, some hate him, and those in the MMA blogosphere that have never even met him, take every opportunity they have to crucify his every move.
I read the blogs daily and always read the comments sections where keyboard warriors can tell you an event sucks before it takes place, why B.J. Penn has no motivation, or how Cain Velasquez could have beaten Junior Dos Santos. The scenarios are endless and the accountability is non-existent.
When a UFC story breaks about a separation or contract talk breakdown, the answer is always the same. “It is Dana White’s fault,” they say, not caring that they know nothing of the details or facts (see: Fedor contract negotiations, Brittany Palmer leaving UFC, and Golden Glory fighters released).
As a lifelong New York Yankees fan, Dana’s “character” reminds me very much of George Steinbrenner (though others might say WWE star Vince McMahon). He takes care of business and makes no apologies for his style, his opinion, or his success.
I am convinced that even if he were to find a cure for cancer, the comments sections would still be overflowing with reasons to hate him.
Although I realize this opinion will not win me any fans, I feel it is time to defend Dana White on a few topics.
At UFC 141, there was something noticeably wrong with Brock Lesnar; it could of been the long layoff or his recovery from diverticulitis, but the former UFC heavyweight champion certainly did not show up to his fight with Alistair Overeem ready to comp…
At UFC 141, there was something noticeably wrong with Brock Lesnar; it could of been the long layoff or his recovery from diverticulitis, but the former UFC heavyweight champion certainly did not show up to his fight with Alistair Overeem ready to compete.
As a result, Overeem was able to easily break down the 265-pound Lesnar and pick up the victory.
As Lesnar walked back to his corner following the bout, there had to have been a sense of uncertainty with some fans regarding his future in mixed martial arts.
And during the post-fight interview, Lesnar would announce his retirement from the sport, ending one of the most interesting and successful careers in UFC history.
There is no doubt that Lesnar will go down as one of the most popular and polarizing figures in the company’s history, and while there will always been critics questioning his credibility as a legitimate heavyweight contender, he did make an impact on the sport.
But at UFC 141, Lesnar was not the same fighter he once was against competitors like Frank Mir and Randy Couture, despite his best attempts to claim he was healthy and motivated, he simply looked mentally defeated.
Perhaps already knowing what lied ahead in the future led him to question his skills and longevity in the sport altogether, leading to one of the most disappointing performances in recent memory. Or maybe he was healthy and Overeem was just the superior fighter.
However fans want to look at Lesnar’s bout, they cannot deny his talent, even if it was only for a short period of time. But one has to wonder if Lesnar would have put on a much better performance against Overeem had he remained healthy throughout his career.
Regardless, Lesnar’s bout at UFC 141 will likely be remembered more for his post-fight retirement rather than the fight itself. However, it is unfortunate to learn that his last bout came with little motivation to continue on in MMA.
Only Jon Fitch managed to avoid a post-fight drug test at UFC 141. The only explanation that NSAC executive director Keith Kizer gave for this omission was that “he lost” Which begs the question — why were those nine other losers tested, then? Do you think Brock Lesnar and Nam Phan felt like pissing into cups after the beatings they took?
Only Jon Fitch managed to avoid a post-fight drug test at UFC 141. The only explanation that NSAC executive director Keith Kizer gave for this omission was that “he lost” Which begs the question — why were those nine other losers tested, then? Do you think Brock Lesnar and Nam Phan felt like pissing into cups after the beatings they took?
Following his first round decimation at UFC 141, courtesy of Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar subsequently pronounced his retirement from mixed martial arts and the Zuffa-based promotion.
“I’ve had a really difficult couple of years with my diseas…
Following his first round decimation at UFC 141, courtesy of Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar subsequently pronounced his retirement from mixed martial arts and the Zuffa-based promotion.
“I’ve had a really difficult couple of years with my disease, and I’m going to officially say tonight is the last time,” Lesnar said.
“I promised my wife and my kids if I won this fight, I would get a title shot, and that would be my last fight,” Lesnar said. “But if I lost tonight … you’ve been great.”
Those were the final parting words of the man who took the UFC to the next level when he first made his foray into the Octagon back in February of 2008.
And even though he lost the matchup with Frank Mir, the next couple of years would turn out to be a resounding success, both personally and pecuniary-wise for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
With that said, the catalyst in his retirement, Overeem, was sympathetic towards Lesnar’s plight.
“I think he shouldn’t walk away. Because, love him or hate him, but it’s always something when Brock’s fighting, like Dana said. I mean, he’s a guy who goes for it. I think he achieved a lot in a short span and yeah, it would be a shame if he stops now. I think there’s still more to gain for him,” Overeem said.
Still, I doubt those words of advice will hide the embarrassment and disappointment Lesnar feels and I suspect is still feeling following his second consecutive defeat.
Add to the equation that his title aspirations went up in smoke as well, then that can only make matters worse for the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Lesnar alluded to the fact that his decision to retire was impacted by both a promise to his family and his stints with the disease diverticulitis.
It was great advice by the Dutch heavyweight to placate his fellow behemoth, however, Lesnar will not be taking any more steps towards the Octagon in the near future or any other time for that matter.
The former NCAA Division-I standout is more than financially secure, and it’s also quite obvious that he doesn’t possess the mental resolve to compete in such a harsh environment any more.
Finally, with regards to his pain threshold, Lesnar isn’t made from the same cloth akin to most MMA fighters.
And as that is the case, why venture back into a sport that’s brutal, unforgiving and could jeopardize his health even more, especially when you’ve got the whole world and everything in it?
He won’t, his decision is final, the next time we see Lesnar, it’ll be doing something that he does best—performing in his natural habit—the WWE.
For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.
UFC 141 sold 10,091 tickets for a live gate of $3,101,000, the Nevada athletic commission said Wednesday.
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