Tag: UFC 177

The UFC 177 Salaries Prove How Wrong We All Were About UFC 177?s Stacked Lineup


(Unfortunately, the catcalls directed towards Ms. Baker could not be heard that night, as they were drowned out by the deafening chirps of a thousand crickets. Photo via Getty.)

By Jared Jones (channeling Dana White’s inner rage) 

‘Sup, fuckers. D-White here.

You know, there was a lot of disgusting, f*cking despicable things being said about the quality of UFC 177 and its lineup by you f*cking asshole media members in the weeks leading up to it. Jonathan Snowdick said he wasn’t buying it, and that everyone should send a message to me about the continually dwindling quality of our product by doing the same. Those CagePotato bastards couldn’t even be bothered to liveblog it, and Dave Meltzer said some nasty things too, because Dave Meltzer is a f*cking scumbag asshole.

Sure, maybe the card lost an Olympian, it’s original co-main event, and it’s main event at the last minute. And yeah, UFC 177 as a whole only contained two fighters ranked in the top 15 in their division, and only two of the 144 ranked fighters in all 9 divisions, but this card was worth every penny of the $54.99 it cost, you unappreciative fucks! CRITICIZING SOMETHING MEANS YOU HATE IT.

Let me ask you this, you insatiable, armchair expert, dickhead media members: If UFC 177 was so shitty, then surely the fighters salaries would reflect it, right? Well, read ’em and weep!

T.J. Dillashaw: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
def. Joe Soto: $20,000

Tony Ferguson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Danny Castillo: $36,000

Bethe Correia: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Shayna Baszler: $8,000


(Unfortunately, the catcalls directed towards Ms. Baker could not be heard that night, as they were drowned out by the deafening chirps of a thousand crickets. Photo via Getty.)

By Jared Jones (channeling Dana White’s inner rage) 

‘Sup, fuckers. D-White here.

You know, there was a lot of disgusting, f*cking despicable things being said about the quality of UFC 177 and its lineup by you f*cking asshole media members in the weeks leading up to it. Jonathan Snowdick said he wasn’t buying it, and that everyone should send a message to me about the continually dwindling quality of our product by doing the same. Those CagePotato bastards couldn’t even be bothered to liveblog it, and Dave Meltzer said some nasty things too, because Dave Meltzer is a f*cking scumbag asshole.

Sure, maybe the card lost an Olympian, it’s original co-main event, and it’s main event at the last minute. And yeah, UFC 177 as a whole only contained two fighters ranked in the top 15 in their division, and only two of the 144 ranked fighters in all 9 divisions, but this card was worth every penny of the $54.99 it cost, you unappreciative fucks! CRITICIZING SOMETHING MEANS YOU HATE IT.

Let me ask you this, you insatiable, armchair expert, dickhead media members: If UFC 177 was so shitty, then surely the fighters salaries would reflect it, right? Well, read ‘em and weep!

T.J. Dillashaw: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
def. Joe Soto: $20,000

Tony Ferguson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Danny Castillo: $36,000

Bethe Correia: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Shayna Baszler: $8,000

Carlos Diego Ferreira: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Ramsey Nijem: $18,000

Yancy Medeiros: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Damon Jackson: $8,000

Derek Brunson: $44,000 (includes $22,000 win bonus)
def. Lorenz Larkin: $28,000

Anthony Hamilton: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Ruan Potts: $10,000

Chris Wade: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Cain Carrizosa: $8,000

CHECKMATE, FUCKERS!

You see that? Three — count ‘em, three — fighters on the card cleared over $40,000*! In one night! Shayna Baszler made nearly 10K, for Christ’s sake, and she fought in the co-co-main event! Do you know what you can do with ten thousand dollars? That’s enough to almost tip the dealer after a typical night at one of the casinos you *aren’t* banned from! Enough to purchase a black market kidney to replace the one you lost at Scores during that poker game with Michael Jordan! I bet you feel foolish now, MMA media dickheads, for saying that UFC 177 was a TUF Finale-level card comprised of C and D-level fighters at best.

Not that your opinions even matter, because if you had opinions, you wouldn’t be credentialed in the first place! It’s a perfect system!!

In conclusion: Anyone who bashes our product is a f*cking idiot or jealous of our success. There’s no such thing as oversaturation. PPV numbers are at an all time high. Tito Ortiz never existed.

Dana f*cking White out.

*Renan Barao didn’t make shit, though, because we’re trying to send a message that if you don’t fight, you don’t get paid. Unless you’re Stefan Struve. 

In Praise of TJ Dillashaw, Whose Championship Mettle Elevated UFC 177

From inside the eye of the hurricane swirling around UFC 177, TJ Dillashaw put on a command performance.
Dillashaw had been UFC bantamweight champion for all of 98 days on Saturday, when he was forced into the no-win situation of defending his title ag…

From inside the eye of the hurricane swirling around UFC 177, TJ Dillashaw put on a command performance.

Dillashaw had been UFC bantamweight champion for all of 98 days on Saturday, when he was forced into the no-win situation of defending his title against little-known replacement opponent Joe Soto. As anyone reading this story likely already knows, his scheduled rematch with former champ Renan Barao was scrapped a day earlier, when Barao failed to make weight.

In essence, what was already a bad situation for Dillashaw became much worse. Even before Barao’s ouster, UFC 177 was not considered a strong card—what with its relative lack of star power and the fact that the two main eventers had just fought at UFC 173.

Without the 27-year-old Brazilian, many wondered aloud how even diehard fans could be expected to buy it. Still, the fight company trudged forward, with no option but to doggedly insist the show must go on. Dana White railed against “disgusting, despicable” media coverage, even as the UFC itself trotted out Barao for an on-air interview that felt more like punishment than an honest quest for the truth.

Amid all the chaos and bad feelings, perhaps the biggest accomplishment of all was that Dillashaw made UFC 177 feel like it actually meant something.

Three months ago, he took Barao’s title.

This weekend, he took his rightful spot as the face of the bantamweight division.

We still didn’t know that much about Dillashaw heading into this fight. The only real interesting thing about watching him fight Barao again so soon would’ve been finding out if he could manage to look as dominating the second time around.

Instead, we learned a lot more than that.

Dillashaw took on what shaped up as a dangerous, thankless fight against Soto and turned it into a statement victory of sorts. We can’t chalk a whole lot up to the level of competition, but Soto turned out to be game and in shape, and Dillashaw largely walked circles around him.

Utilizing the same mobile and frustrating striking style he’d used to beat Barao, Dillashaw took every round from his overmatched foe. More important than that, he reintroduced himself to the UFC audience, or at least that percentage that found it in their hearts to tune in.

On a night when Barao was nowhere to be found, Dillashaw proved his UFC 173 win was no fluke. As he outmaneuvered and outfought Soto, we realized: This is Dillashaw. This is what he does. And you know what? It’s pretty fun to watch.

Then in the fifth round, he added an exclamation point with a highlight-reel TKO victory. Not too shabby, considering he’d already spent the entire weekend acting like a champion.

Of all the short straws handed out prior to UFC 177, Dillashaw arguably got the shortest of all. Due to the UFC’s ever-increasing live schedule, he’d already been forced into an immediate rematch with Barao during a time when most new champions would still be out buying jewelry and designer bed sheets.

For two straight training camps he’d focused solely on Barao, only to have the carpet pulled out from under him at the last possible moment. Kind of a tough assignment for a relatively unheralded product of The Ultimate Fighter, whose championship victory on May 23 was one of the most surprising upsets of the year so far.

Thrust in as Barao’s emergency understudy, Soto possessed the worst possible qualities for a late-notice challenger—being virtually anonymous and also a pretty good fighter.

Dillashaw would’ve been well within his rights to refuse a new opponent on such short notice. He could’ve insisted this fight be a non-title affair—after all, Soto was only meant to make his Octagon debut on this card and had done nothing to earn a shot at UFC gold.

But the champion did none of those things.

“I’m a company man,” he said instead, on stage at Friday’s weigh-in. “I’ve got to fight whoever they put in front of me. I’m the champion of the world.”

It was an admirable position from the man who had the most to lose. Advocates for fighters’ rights probably weren’t crazy about Dillashaw’s choice of words. We could go back and forth all day on the merits of proclaiming yourself a “company man” when you are, in fact, paid as an independent contractor—but that seems like another story for another day.

Part of his bluster was certainly motivated by dollars and cents. Stuck on the last fight of his Ultimate Fighter contract, Dillashaw reportedly made $36,000 to defeat Barao the first time ($18,000 to show, $18,000 to win). He was scheduled to make a reported $50,000/$50,000 on Saturday night, and that kind of pay hike would be tough to walk away from, regardless of all the outside noise.

I’d like to think, though, that part of Dillashaw’s composure was forged of sheer confidence. I’d like to think it was a sign he possesses the self-control and single-mindedness necessary to be a star in mixed martial arts’ unsteady and unforgiving landscape.

With Barao in limbo and Dominick Cruz still a few weeks away from his first fight since 2011, God knows the 135-pound division needs one right now.

Turns out, the future of bantamweight may not be the Brazilian with the 30-fight win streak the UFC spent months trying to prop up as a pound-for-pound great. It might just be this blond kid from California who lost out in the finals of TUF 14 but has been quietly doing pretty great things ever since.

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Renan Barao’s Return: 3 Potential Opponents for Embattled Ex-Champion

The UFC might have absolutely adored Renan Barao a couple of months ago, but he now finds himself on “the list.” Not the good list, either. By withdrawing from UFC 177 following complications related to his weight cut, he has landed in Dana White’s dog…

The UFC might have absolutely adored Renan Barao a couple of months ago, but he now finds himself on “the list.” Not the good list, either. By withdrawing from UFC 177 following complications related to his weight cut, he has landed in Dana White‘s doghouse and out of title contention.

Still, Barao remains one of the best fighters in the UFC’s lower weight classes, and there is no reason to believe he won’t be back with a vengeance in the near future. With a title rematch opposite T.J. Dillashaw off the table, the question now is, who could be next for Renan Barao?

So let’s take a quick look at some of the potential opponents for the former champ’s return, shall we?

 

Winner of Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki

The winner of Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki is the logical next opponent for T.J. Dillashaw without a doubt. However, depending on how things pan out with the champ’s health (and depending on how the fight itself plays out), we could see Cruz or Mizugaki asked to face Barao in a likely top-contender match.

If Cruz wins in decisive fashion and is anywhere near as good as he was before his knee injuries, he will almost certainly be booked to face Dillashaw. However, if he isn’t quite as nimble as he used to be, or if his cardio fails him, a match with Barao both buys him more time to prepare for a title shot and gives the UFC time to reacquaint fans with Cruz.

On the other hand, if Mizugaki wins with anything short of a savage knockout of Cruz, he will almost certainly be tasked with facing Barao rather than moving on to a title shot.

In spite of the fact that Mizugaki is an accomplished veteran and on an impressive 5-0 run, he is a near-anonymous figure in the UFC at this point. The promotion has little financial incentive to move him to a title shot, and as such, a fight with Barao would make sense to further build him up or give Barao a logical fight before facing Dillashaw again.

Matchmaking logic aside, both of these fights are dreams for the technically minded fan and would make for a solid pay-per-view co-main event or UFC on Fox headline.

 

Winner of Raphael Assuncao vs. Bryan Caraway

A lot of the top bantamweights are booked right now, it seems…but anyway, Raphael Assuncao vs. Bryan Caraway is slated to go down in the co-main event spot at UFC Fight Night 54 (headlined by Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine). Whoever happens to win that bout, as with Cruz vs. Mizugaki, is a strong candidate to face Barao.

Obviously, the appeal of this fight is largely rooted in Assuncao being the logical top contender at 135 pounds courtesy of his 2013 win over Dillashaw (and his overall 6-0 record as a bantamweight). It’s silly that Assuncao has to restake his claim for this spot, but the UFC hasn’t been kind to him and the scheduling certainly hasn’t helped.

Caraway, meanwhile, is an unproven commodity but has long looked the part of an upper-level bantamweight.

While Barao vs. Cruz or Mizugaki would be a strong top-contender bout, Assuncao and Caraway largely serve as tuneup opponents for Barao. Caraway is pedestrian off the mat, and while Assuncao is solid all over the cage, Barao owns superior striking and wrestling. For the UFC, who would prefer Barao to be champion over Dillashaw, that makes this a solid option.

 

Cub Swanson

While Dana White didn’t harp on it too much, one of the many things he said while discussing Barao‘s withdrawal from the fight was that he believed that Barao should consider a move to featherweight (and his teammate and friend, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, should mull over a move to lightweight).

While it’s unknown if Barao‘s cut is a particularly difficult one or if this was a one-time incident, Barao moving to 145 pounds is a fun mental exercise.

There are plenty of potential opponents for him in the stacked 145-pound division. Chan-Sung Jung, Jeremy Stephens and Dennis Bermudez all come to mind. The most interesting potential matchup (short of a title fight with Aldo) would be against high-flying striker Cub Swanson.

Swanson essentially exists on a separate plane from other fighters when it comes to trading leather. He has reached that point where he can basically do whatever he feels like, from front-leg body kicks to all manners of spinning s–t, and it works more often than not.

Now…can you imagine what kind of fireworks he could put on against Renan Barao? Man, that would be fun.

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UFC 177 Results: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card

In accepting a bout with Joe Soto on the shortest notice possible, T.J. Dillashaw risked his bantamweight championship—not a huge risk against a UFC newcomer but a risk nonetheless.
As expected, though, Dillashaw took care of business a…

In accepting a bout with Joe Soto on the shortest notice possible, T.J. Dillashaw risked his bantamweight championship—not a huge risk against a UFC newcomer but a risk nonetheless.

As expected, though, Dillashaw took care of business against Soto. In the UFC 177 main attraction, Dillashaw threw a tremendous volume of strikes and wore Soto down before finishing the unlikely challenger with a head kick and follow-up punches in the fifth round.

Now, Soto can look forward to a more reasonable climb up the 135-pound ladder. Dillashaw, meanwhile, should have tougher challenges coming his way.

Here are the matchups that should be next for Dillashaw, Soto and the rest of the UFC 177 competitors.

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UFC 177 Results: What’s Next for Henry Cejudo?

Henry Cejudo is a former Olympic gold medalist. He won gold in 2008 in Beijing for wrestling in the freestyle 55kg division. He went back for the Olympic trials in 2012 but didn’t make it. He retired on the mat by removing his shoes and tossing them to…

Henry Cejudo is a former Olympic gold medalist. He won gold in 2008 in Beijing for wrestling in the freestyle 55kg division. He went back for the Olympic trials in 2012 but didn’t make it. He retired on the mat by removing his shoes and tossing them to the crowd.

In early 2013, he announced plans to begin training for MMA, and he made his debut in March 2013 at bantamweight. He won that fight by submission to punches in just about 90 seconds.

He racked up a record of 6-0 before being signed to the UFC in the flyweight division. He was set to face Scott Jorgensen at UFC 177 on Saturday night, but less than four hours before the weigh-ins Friday, Cejudo was forced to drop out of the fight due to a medical issue related to his weight cut.

This wasn’t the first time that Cejudo had trouble making weight, as he attempted to make flyweight in his previous two fights in Legacy FC but came in at 128 pounds both times.

UFC President Dana White had a lot to deal with on weigh-in day, with Cejudo dropping out of his fight as well as Renan Barao dropping out of his, and he was not inclined to cut Cejudo much slack.

White said of Cejduo: 

“He’s got a history of doing this. It’s not his first time, and if he stays at that weight, it won’t be his last. He can come back and try at a heavier weight or not try again.”

Essentially, White is saying that Cejudo has to move to bantamweight or he is not welcome back in the UFC.

Cejudo might be able to convince White to give him another shot at flyweight, as he did wrestle at 121 pounds for the Olympics. He would have to make a compelling case to White, or maybe just hire someone like Mike Dolce to make sure he is able to make weight.

However, if Dana doesn’t budge, then Cejudo will have a whole new UFC division to consider.

The bantamweight division is extremely competitive, and throwing a high-caliber wrestler like Cejudo into the mix will add a whole new dimension.

Cejudo will have the ability to take on guys like Urijah Faber, Dominick Cruz, Barao and more. There are a number of opponents he could take on for his first fight who could earn him a lot of respect in the division.

The bantamweight division is arguably stronger than the flyweight division, and Cejudo may be able to rise up the ranks of that division faster than the flyweight division.

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UFC 177 Results: Dillashaw vs. Soto Fight Card Winners and Review

When bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw successfully defended his title Saturday night against Joe Soto at UFC 177, he proved that he belongs in the conversation as one of the pound-for-pound toughest men in the sport.
The results of the pay-per-view…

When bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw successfully defended his title Saturday night against Joe Soto at UFC 177, he proved that he belongs in the conversation as one of the pound-for-pound toughest men in the sport.

The results of the pay-per-view were much more entertaining than the card should have been. The event felt incredibly lackluster after several injuries and misses at weight, though, including the removal of Renan Barao from the main event just 48 hours before the show.

Here are the full results from UFC 177, a breakdown of the main event and where each fighter goes from here.

 

 

Breaking Down the Main Event

The main event of UFC 177 was going to be the rematch between Dillashaw and Barao for the bantamweight championship, but Barao was forced to pull out of the fight before weigh-ins when he passed out, according to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com, and was taken to the hospital.

The last-second scratch forced Dana White and UFC officials to promote Joe Soto from a fight against Anthony Birchak to the main event. Fortunately for the company, Soto proved his worth by giving Dillashaw a serious challenge in his first showing with his new employer.

Both Dillashaw and Soto were preparing for a different fight on Saturday night, but each was put on an even playing field when they were reassigned each other. While Soto deserves immense credit for taking this fight and forcing this bout to the fifth round, Dillashaw was the superior competitor throughout the matchup.

Using his elite striking, Dillashaw forced Soto into a defensive game plan. Soto did manage to block many of the heaviest shots from the champion, but the constant attacks began to take their toll as the fight wore on. By the time the fifth round began, Soto was clearly tiring, and Dillashaw took advantage.

Dillashaw continued to pick his challenger apart until he landed a devastating head kick and followed it up with a heavy punch to the head. The combination sent Soto to the mat and forced the referee to step in and ensure the fight was over.

Now that Dillashaw is still champion, it’s time to determine what’s next for the bantamweight star. After the win, he told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, “I’m not really sure [who’s next]. My mind has been on Renan Barao the last four months. I haven’t thought of anyone else. I would like a little break. After that, I’ll fight anybody the UFC wants to put in front of me — and I’ll beat them.”

Despite White claiming that Barao would not get a title shot upon his return, via Mookie Alexander of BloodyElbow.com, the rematch between the champion and the former divisional king is the biggest possible bout he could book.

White and UFC officials must do what is best for business. Barao hurt the company with his inability to make the fight Saturday, but he is still the biggest name in the division besides the champion. After the shocking outcome of the first fight and the tease of the rematch, there would be a serious buzz when Dillashaw vs. Barao II finally happens.

If not Barao, look for Dillashaw to square off against Urijah Faber or Raphael Assuncao.

On the other hand, Soto should be rewarded for his valiant performance and be given a marquee opponent for his second fight under the UFC banner. The former Bellator champion was unable to dethrone Dillashaw, but it would be interesting to see how Soto handles Barao if White stays true to his word and doesn’t award the Brazilian a title shot.

The perfect scenario would be UFC booking Dillashaw vs. Assuncao and Soto vs. Barao on the same PPV card. If Dillashaw and Barao both won their respective fights, the rematch MMA fans never knew they wanted would finally come to fruition.

 

*Stats via UFC.com.

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