Johny Hendricks’ face told the story after his clash with Robbie Lawler at UFC 171. Bloody and bruised, Hendricks took punches from Lawler that would’ve dropped an ordinary man. Following the fight, Hendricks handed out some major props to Lawler&mdash…
Johny Hendricks’ face told the story after his clash with Robbie Lawler at UFC 171. Bloody and bruised, Hendricks took punches from Lawler that would’ve dropped an ordinary man. Following the fight, Hendricks handed out some major props to Lawler—and a slight to former champion Georges St-Pierre.
Speaking to UFC Tonight (h/t Bleacher Report MMA), the newly crowned UFC welterweight champ said that Lawler was a tougher fight than GSP. Hendricks cited Lawler‘s punching power as the biggest difference between the two competitors.
Lawler has always been known for his punching power and this GIF courtesy of Bloody Elbow shows that Hendricks found out firsthand just how hard “Ruthless” can punch.
GSP was considered not only the best welterweight while competing, but also the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA. Hendricks saying Lawler was a tougher fight than one of the all-time greats is tough to comprehend at first, but it only takes one look at Hendricks’ face after the fight to know it’s true.
Hendricks didn’t face much adversity in terms of power shots from St-Pierre in their clash, as GSP used a technical game plan to out-point Hendricks on the scorecards.
That wasn’t the case with Hendricks-Lawler, as MMA Junkie indicates that the two men set a record for the most significant strikes landed in a UFC title match.
The fight came down to the fifth and final round for many fans, as it seemed both men had won two rounds apiece. Hendricks controlled the first two rounds and Lawler made a comeback in the third and fourth rounds.
It appeared as though Hendricks’ early leg kicks did their job, as Lawler‘s pace slowed in the final round. Hendricks was able to capitalize and scored an unanimous decision victory to take the vacant UFC welterweight strap.
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a partially torn meniscus during his Saturday UFC 171 loss in Dallas to Tyron Woodley.
Condit’s manager Malki Kawa confirmed the news with Bleacher Re…
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a partially torn meniscus during his Saturday UFC 171 loss in Dallas to Tyron Woodley.
Condit’s manager Malki Kawa confirmed the news with Bleacher Report on Wednesday. Kawa also noted that no timetable is currently available for Condit’s return.
On Sunday, Condit told Bleacher Report at the Albuquerque, N.M. airport that he believed the injury occurred during a second-round takedown from Woodley. He was able to stand back up, but Woodley immediately kicked his other leg. When Condit tried to plant his injured leg, the knee gave out and he fell to the ground, which stopped the fight. Woodley was awarded the win via injury TKO.
Condit was walking with a slight limp and said that walking in straight lines was no problem. But he said that anything involving lateral movement or twisting of the knee was impossible.
Kawa told Yahoo! Sports that Condit was optimistic about a return to the Octagon:
Carlos is a fighter and it hurts not to be able to fight for a while, but he’s in great spirits and he’s looking forward to having the surgery and then working as hard as possible on his rehab. He loves to fight and he loves to compete and he’s going to miss that while he’s out. But he is optimistic he’ll be as good as ever and is looking forward to getting back to doing what he does best, fighting.
Condit has mostly been injury-free for the majority of his career. The loss to Woodley was his third in his last four fights, but all have come against the UFC’s top welterweights. It was just the eighth loss of his career, which dates back to 2002.
Joe Rogan often wins the unofficial “MMA announcer of the year” award each year. One guy who won’t be voting for him in 2014 is Tyron Woodley.
Speaking to MMA Mental (h/t MMA Fighting), Woodley slammed Rogan for his “horrendous commentary” at UFC …
Joe Rogan often wins the unofficial “MMA announcer of the year” award each year. One guy who won’t be voting for him in 2014 is TyronWoodley.
“It’s almost like they’re punishing you for training hard,” Woodley said. “They’re punishing you for being physically fit. I think Joe Rogan is horrendous for his commentary that he did for that fight.”
MMA Fighting did a great job pointing out the discussions between Rogan and Mike Goldberg during the UFC 171 clash between Woodley and Carlos Condit (highlights here).
… just two minutes into Round 1 by comparing Woodley to a muscle car, saying, ‘It’s fun to hit that gas, but you’re not going to make it to Vegas.’ Rogan reinforced that notion a minute later, saying, ‘Woodley’s slowing down already.’ Rogan‘s counterpart, Mike Goldberg, opened Round 2 saying, ‘Let’s keep an eye on the cardio of TyronWoodley and the technique of Carlos Condit. You can see his stomach moving. He’s taking some deep breaths. It’s certainly not the TyronWoodley that came out in the first round, fresh.’
It’s not the first time Rogan has gotten on Woodley‘s case about his physique. Watch any of Woodley‘s fights with Rogan on the mic and I can guarantee with nearly 100-percent certainty that Rogan will make a comment about Woodley‘s physique.
Maybe it’s some sort of man-crush on Rogan‘s part? Woodley is among the most intimidating fighters from a physical aspect, often times looking like a light heavyweight against some of the smaller welterweights.
Woodley would then go on to describe how Rogan‘s play-by-play took everything Woodley did and turned it into a positive for Condit.
“Everything was, ‘Oh, Tyron threw a hard bomb but Carlos took it. He’s got such a great chin. Oh, Tyron has a takedown. Look at Carlos. He’s doing the mission impossible guard [mission control].’ Everything that I did he was leaning it towards the credit of Carlos Condit,” Woodley said.
Rogan‘s commentary is always under the microscope of MMA fans, and it leads to Rogan having a pretty clear bias in certain fights. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson seemed to think Rogan was for anyone who’s good at jiu-jitsu. Eddie Yagin wasn’t a fan ofRogan‘s commentary at UFC 145 during his contest with Mark Hominick.
It’s a safe bet that Woodley wasn’t a fan of Rogan pushing Rory MacDonald in the post-fight interview after Johny Hendricks was named the new UFC welterweight champ, either.
(“I’m only making HOW MUCH for this?!” Photo via Getty.)
MMAManifesto released the complete list of disclosed salaries for UFC 171 earlier today, and the biggest takeaway seems to be that former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard continues to make six times more money to show with a 3-2 octagon record than current welterweight champion Johny Hendricks does with an 11-2 record. But hey, at least his decision win over Jake Shields last weekend was a goddamn barnburner, amiright?
Of course, being that the Texas Boxing and Wrestling Authority has decided against releasing the actual salary figures for UFC 171 (a choice typically left up to the discretion of the presiding athletic commission), the numbers you will see after the jump are more an estimate based on the fighters past earnings more than anything else. These figures are also likely to change when the TBWA informs us that a handful of these fighters were high as shit at UFC 171 three months from now.
Hector Lombard: $300,000 Johny Hendricks: $150,000 ($50,000 to show, $50,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus) Robbie Lawler: $133,000 ($83,000 to show, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus) Tyron Woodley: $104,000 ($52,000 to show, $52,000 win bonus)
(“I’m only making HOW MUCH for this?!” Photo via Getty.)
MMAManifesto released the complete list of disclosed salaries for UFC 171 earlier today, and the biggest takeaway seems to be that former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard continues to make six times more money to show with a 3-2 octagon record than current welterweight champion Johny Hendricks does with an 11-2 record. But hey, at least his decision win over Jake Shields last weekend was a goddamn barnburner, amiright?
Of course, being that the Texas Boxing and Wrestling Authority has decided against releasing the actual salary figures for UFC 171 (a choice typically left up to the discretion of the presiding athletic commission), the numbers you will see after the jump are more an estimate based on the fighters past earnings more than anything else. These figures are also likely to change when the TBWA informs us that a handful of these fighters were high as shit at UFC 171 three months from now.
Hector Lombard: $300,000 Johny Hendricks: $150,000 ($50,000 to show, $50,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus) Robbie Lawler: $133,000 ($83,000 to show, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus) Tyron Woodley: $104,000 ($52,000 to show, $52,000 win bonus) Ovince St. Preux: $96,000 ($23,000 to show, $23,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus) Dennis Bermudez: $78,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus) Jake Shields: $75,000 Diego Sanchez: $60,000 Carlos Condit: $55,000 Rick Story: $27,000 Frank Trevino: $17,600 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus, $1,600 from Forte for missing weight) Myles Jury: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Kelvin Gastelum: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Jessica Andrade: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Alex Garcia: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Justin Scoggins: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Sean Strickland: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Robert Whiteford: $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) Daniel Pineda: $15,000 Will Campuzano: $10,000 Nikita Krylov: $8,000 Raquel Pennington: $8,000 Jimy Hettes: $8,000 Sean Spencer: $8,000 Robert McDaniel: $8,000 Renee Forte: $6,400 ($8,000 to show, $1,600 to Trevino for missing weight)
Overpaid: Given the current pay-scale of today’s top MMA fighters, it would be hard to argue that Hector Lombard is *not* the most overpaid fighter in the UFC, and possibly all of MMA. He seems to have found his groove at welterweight, sure, and made a statement in his own right by coasting to victory over a former (Strikeforce) champion in Jake Shields last weekend. But for a guy who made $700,000 for his first underwhelming fight in the UFC and continues to make 300K per fight to date, Lombard has yet to truly put in three decent rounds of fighting. Consecutively, at least.
Underpaid: I could just take the easy route here and say “everyone below Diego Sanchez,” but I’m going to focus on one guy in particular: Dennis Bermudez. The former is currently riding a six-fight win streak over solid competition, and hasn’t dropped a fight since coming up short in the TUF 14 Finale, but he’s still making just a 14K/14K split? Then again, maybe that’s the point of these new “Performance Bonuses” — you pay each guy so little that they have no option but to fight like their life is on the line. Because it is. Touche, UFC. Touche.
Oh yeah, and Carlos Condit at $55,000 to show seems downright criminal considering how exciting and consistent a fighter he is (his past few losses aside), but we’d like to imagine that the former WEC champ is really making his bank in undisclosed, locker room bonuses and dose sweet HEADRUSH monies. We have to believe that to get out of bed each morning and continue writing about this crazy, crazy sport, really.
(“OH MY GOD CONDIT’S GOT THE PRESSURE-POINT VICE GRIPS! CAN HE FINISH FROM HERE, JOE? JOE!? PULL YOUR PANTS UP AND ANSWER ME!!!” / Photo via Getty)
Joe Rogan performs the job of MMA color-commentator better than virtually anybody else in the world. From his ability to explain complex grappling concepts on the fly, to his honest criticism of fighters, cornermen, officials, and ice-buckets when they deserve it, Rogan does a lot behind the broadcast booth that’s admirable. And for a guy who makes his living as a comedian, he shows remarkable restraint in not turning his commentary gigs into a constant yuk-fest.
UFC 171 gave us a pretty good example of this during the Carlos Condit vs. Tyron Woodley fight, which Condit was a clear favorite going into — in terms of betting odds as well as the UFC’s future plans. But even as Woodley dominated the majority of the match, it seemed like Joe Rogan was instead doing a play-by-play about how Woodley was gassing out because he’s too muscular. Woodley, as you can imagine, wasn’t too impressed afterwards. Here’s what he said about Rogan’s commentary in an interview with mmamental (via MMAFighting):
“It’s almost like they’re punishing you for training hard. They’re punishing you for being physically fit. I think Joe Rogan is horrendous for his commentary that he did for that fight. Everything was, ‘Oh, Tyron threw a hard bomb but Carlos took it. He’s got such a great chin. Oh, Tyron has a takedown. Look at Carlos. He’s doing the mission impossible guard [mission control].’ Everything that I did he was leaning it towards the credit of Carlos Condit.
(“OH MY GOD CONDIT’S GOT THE PRESSURE-POINT VICE GRIPS! CAN HE FINISH FROM HERE, JOE? JOE!? PULL YOUR PANTS UP AND ANSWER ME!!!” / Photo via Getty)
Joe Rogan performs the job of MMA color-commentator better than virtually anybody else in the world. From his ability to explain complex grappling concepts on the fly, to his honest criticism of fighters, cornermen, officials, and ice-buckets when they deserve it, Rogan does a lot behind the broadcast booth that’s admirable. And for a guy who makes his living as a comedian, he shows remarkable restraint in not turning his commentary gigs into a constant yuk-fest.
UFC 171 gave us a pretty good example of this during the Carlos Condit vs. Tyron Woodley fight, which Condit was a clear favorite going into — in terms of betting odds as well as the UFC’s future plans. But even as Woodley dominated the majority of the match, it seemed like Joe Rogan was instead doing a play-by-play about how Woodley was gassing out because he’s too muscular. Woodley, as you can imagine, wasn’t too impressed afterwards. Here’s what he said about Rogan’s commentary in an interview with mmamental (via MMAFighting):
“It’s almost like they’re punishing you for training hard. They’re punishing you for being physically fit. I think Joe Rogan is horrendous for his commentary that he did for that fight. Everything was, ‘Oh, Tyron threw a hard bomb but Carlos took it. He’s got such a great chin. Oh, Tyron has a takedown. Look at Carlos. He’s doing the mission impossible guard [mission control].’ Everything that I did he was leaning it towards the credit of Carlos Condit.
“I think sometimes when you watch a fight and you listen to the commentary you can kind of veer the spectators, and hopefully not the UFC, in directions it shouldn’t be going…
“I was not wincing,” says Woodley. “I was not in any harm or any danger at any point in the fight. My cardio felt great and it was even in my gameplan to increase the level in the third round. I wasn’t even at full speed. People say, ‘He started off hard! He started off in a full sprint!’ I didn’t even start off in a full sprint. If they think that’s a full sprint for me, then I’m happy with it because they haven’t seen a full sprint yet.”
1) If you’re calling a match between two fighters, it’s natural to focus attention on the one who is more famous. On Saturday night, that was Condit. This isn’t necessarily a flaw in Joe Rogan’s performance, it’s a byproduct of all broadcast news-delivery: You lead with the person/thing that viewers are tuning in for.
2) If a fighter is dominating a match, it’s also natural to suggest ways in which the fight might actually be more competitive than it looks. Blowouts aren’t dramatic; fans don’t like them. Woodley kicked ass in round one, so in order to hold viewers’ attention, Rogan created a narrative in which Condit was staging a comeback. That might seem like bias — especially if you’re Tyron Woodley — but it’s also what a good storyteller does. Joe Rogan is simply doing his job.
Do you agree with that justification? Or does Rogan need to be more fair and balanced, no matter who’s fighting or winning?
And although Sanchez did drop a one-sided unanimous decision to Jury last Saturday, it was his in-ring candor that once again captured our hearts and imagination. For the majority of the contest, Sanchez’s offensive output consisted of wild haymakers and Diaz-esque “Come at me, bro” poses like the one snapped above, and whenever there’s an MMA moment in need of mockery, the UG usually steps in to save the day.
A thread entitled “Romo this Diego Sanchez” recently popped up on the popular mixed martial arts forum, asking fans to work their magic with the above photo of Sanchez in action. The results have been brilliant to say the least, so join us after the jump for a gallery of the 10 best entries so far.
And although Sanchez did drop a one-sided unanimous decision to Jury last Saturday, it was his in-ring candor that once again captured our hearts and imagination. For the majority of the contest, Sanchez’s offensive output consisted of wild haymakers and Diaz-esque “Come at me, bro” poses like the one snapped above, and whenever there’s an MMA moment in need of mockery, the UG usually steps in to save the day.
A thread entitled “Romo this Diego Sanchez” recently popped up on the popular mixed martial arts forum, asking fans to work their magic with this photo of Sanchez in action. The results have been brilliant to say the least, so join us after the jump for a gallery of the 10 best entries so far.
Johny Hendricks’ face told the story after his clash with Robbie Lawler at UFC 171. Bloody and bruised, Hendricks took punches from Lawler that would’ve dropped an ordinary man. Following the fight, Hendricks handed out some major props to Lawler—and a slight to former champion Georges St-Pierre.
