Tag: UFC on Fox 9

UFC on Fox 9: The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly


(Uh…guys? I’m pretty sure that’s Herb Dean. / Screencap via r/MMA)

By Mark Dorsey

Before we get into the endless promotion for the year-ending and stacked UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, let’s take one last, clear-eyed look at what went down at WEC UFC on Fox 9. The injury-cursed event seemed destined to be a disappointment to many fans who consider the lighter fighters boring, especially considering it was the lightest fight card in UFC history, with an average weight of just over 145 pounds. The fact that the fights were taking place at the Sleep Train Arena seemed like a bad omen, foretelling the coma-inducing boredom that might have resulted from a night of decisions. Nevertheless, despite the haters, the smaller guys provided a card of highly entertaining fights and they showcased why many MMA purists consider them the most exciting fighters in the sport.

The Good
• Too often, referees only get noticed when they screw up. However, the officials for this card should be praised for a solid night of work in which they did their jobs properly and kept the focus where it belongs: the fighters. Props to John McCarthy, Herb Dean, and Mike Beltran for getting through the 11-fight card with no critical errors. Even Dana White, who has been openly critical of MMA officiating in the past, praised both Big John and Herb Dean, saying, “These are the best guys” and complimented his one-time nemesis, McCarthy, saying, “When John is in that Octagon, he is in absolute and total control.”

• Much has been written lately about the success of Team Alpha Male under head trainer, Daune “Bang” Ludwig. Saturday night gave the camp an opportunity to showcase how deserving they were of that praise, with four fighters from the Sacramento-based crew competing. As a whole, the team didn’t perform flawlessly, but they did manage to win two of their four fights. It was a great night for Urijah Faber, as the hometown hero steamrolled Michael McDonald and established himself — again — as the top contender in the Bantamweight division. Chad Mendes also did what he needed to, beating Nik Lentz by unanimous decision. On the losing side, Danny Castillo dropped a close decision to Edson Barboza that many thought should have been a draw, and Joseph Benavidez got knocked out cold by Demetrious Johnson. Other than Benavidez, Team Alpha looked good, and judging from their backstage reaction to Urijah Faber’s win, they truly are a tightknit group that will continue their upward trajectory.


(Uh…guys? I’m pretty sure that’s Herb Dean. / Screencap via r/MMA)

By Mark Dorsey

Before we get into the endless promotion for the year-ending and stacked UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, let’s take one last, clear-eyed look at what went down at WEC UFC on Fox 9. The injury-cursed event seemed destined to be a disappointment to many fans who consider the lighter fighters boring, especially considering it was the lightest fight card in UFC history, with an average weight of just over 145 pounds. The fact that the fights were taking place at the Sleep Train Arena seemed like a bad omen, foretelling the coma-inducing boredom that might have resulted from a night of decisions. Nevertheless, despite the haters, the smaller guys provided a card of highly entertaining fights and they showcased why many MMA purists consider them the most exciting fighters in the sport.

The Good
• Too often, referees only get noticed when they screw up. However, the officials for this card should be praised for a solid night of work in which they did their jobs properly and kept the focus where it belongs: the fighters. Props to John McCarthy, Herb Dean, and Mike Beltran for getting through the 11-fight card with no critical errors. Even Dana White, who has been openly critical of MMA officiating in the past, praised both Big John and Herb Dean, saying, “These are the best guys” and complimented his one-time nemesis, McCarthy, saying, “When John is in that Octagon, he is in absolute and total control.”

• Much has been written lately about the success of Team Alpha Male under head trainer, Daune “Bang” Ludwig. Saturday night gave the camp an opportunity to showcase how deserving they were of that praise, with four fighters from the Sacramento-based crew competing. As a whole, the team didn’t perform flawlessly, but they did manage to win two of their four fights. It was a great night for Urijah Faber, as the hometown hero steamrolled Michael McDonald and established himself — again — as the top contender in the Bantamweight division. Chad Mendes also did what he needed to, beating Nik Lentz by unanimous decision. On the losing side, Danny Castillo dropped a close decision to Edson Barboza that many thought should have been a draw, and Joseph Benavidez got knocked out cold by Demetrious Johnson. Other than Benavidez, Team Alpha looked good, and judging from their backstage reaction to Urijah Faber’s win, they truly are a tightknit group that will continue their upward trajectory.

• Demetrious Johnson looked incredible. Once known only for his wrestling and cardio/pace, “Mighty Mouse” showed that he is a well-rounded mixed martial artist, dangerous in grappling and striking. I’m not sure who he should replace in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, but he definitely made the case that he should be near the top of that list. His post-fight celebration was almost as entertaining as the fight itself, with Johnson performing flips and other acrobatics before his trainer, Matt Hume, seemed to tell him to calm down and “go get some fans.” Mighty Mouse had the best night of anybody, putting a definitive end to his rivalry with Benavidez and earning a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.

• Having a card full of lighter weight fighters may not have been a ratings success, but it was a good format that I hope the UFC continues to employ. It reminded me of the all-heavyweight main card of UFC 146. The good thing about limiting a card to certain weight classes is that it really clears up the rankings for the featured divisions and gives the card tournament-like significance. The UFC is struggling ratings-wise. Part of that is due to the confusion amongst fans about who the top contenders are. Cards like this weekend’s help to sort out those issues in one sitting. This “light” card was a good step in the right direction towards putting an end to myth that the lighter weights can’t finish fights.

The Bad
• In between rounds 1 and 2 of the Castillo-Barboza fight, the Fox cameras had an extended focus on Barbosa’s corner, with no translation provided. It seemed unprepared and unprofessional. It would have been great to hear what advice his corner was giving Barboza, especially considering the onslaught he survived in the first round and the comeback he had in round 2. It’s a minor complaint, but for a station struggling to keep the attention of North American UFC fans, Fox should have planned ahead and provided a Portuguese-English translation.

• Another broadcasting mistake saw Fox wrongly identify referee Mike Beltran as John McCarthy in the lead-up to the Castillo-Barboza fight. It was an honest mistake but one that shouldn’t happen, especially considering Beltran is hard to misidentify with a beard that makes him look like a character straight out of Middle-earth.

• Joe Rogan gets a lot of flak for the bias he demonstrates in his commentary. He did a great job remaining neutral for most of the fights on Saturday night but it was a bit of a turnoff to hear him criticize the performance of Chad “Money” Mendes in his win over Nik Lentz. Sure, Mendes didn’t win in particularly exciting fashion but it was a solid performance over a quality opponent who was undefeated at Featherweight. After the fight, Mendes told matchmaker Joe Silva that he was sick and “felt like shit tonight” which might have explained why he seemed to gas a bit after the first round. Regardless, Rogan’s criticism seemed to undermine Mendes’s win, Lentz’s skill level, and an otherwise solid night of commentating from Rogan.

• It has become somewhat of a tradition to lambaste the decisions made by MMA judges lately, and usually for good reason. A couple of the decisions on Saturday night were bad, but not completely ugly. First, Bobby Green defeated Pat Healy by unanimous decision in a fight where Healy seemed to outwork and out-grind Green for the final two rounds. The crowd showed their displeasure, and although it wasn’t a horrible decision there is certainly no way it should have been scored 30-27 for Green, as one judge apparently saw it. 29-28 for Green is reasonable. Giving all of the rounds to Green is not. Second, Edson Baboza defeated Danny Castillo by majority decision. Only the one judge who scored the fight a draw at 28-28 got the decision right. How the other two judges didn’t score the first round 10-8 for Castillo is beyond me. A 10-8 round seemed obvious and even 10-7 would have been justifiable. If that wasn’t a 10-8 round, I don’t know what is. It was an unfortunate decision that overshadowed what was a barnburner of a fight that saw both fighters survive near finishes and earn “Fight of the Night” bonuses.

The Ugly
• Joseph Benavidez had never been stopped before in his MMA career. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t show much caution in the striking exchanges from the start against Johnson. Benavidez even had his eyes closed while he was swinging during the final exchange, so he probably didn’t even see the final right hand that ended his night early. Benavidez clearly didn’t respect the striking of Johnson. Granted, Johnson hadn’t shown KO power in the big leagues before, but this is MMA where anything can and often does happen. The result of the technical lapse was the fastest KO in flyweight history, forcing Benavidez back to the drawing board to try and climb back up the rankings.

• Cody McKenzie had a rough night. He looked gassed and unimpressive while getting soundly beaten by Sam Stout in a unanimous decision loss. However, the loss may not have even been the most embarrassing part of his night. McKenzie fought in what looked like basketball shorts with the tag still on them after he apparently showed up at the arena without a mouthpiece or shorts. Someone had to actually run out and buy some shorts for him at a nearby store. What exactly did he think he was doing in Sacramento? McKenzie probably lost any sponsorship money that he was supposed to get from the real estate on his shorts and afterwards he was reported to have drowned his sorrows with a couple of shots and beers, before allegedly getting into a brawl in a hotel lobby. Needless to say, it was an ugly night that McKenzie would likely soon forget and one that may earn him his walking papers in short order.

• Speaking of ugly, Mac Danzig’s face was pretty busted up after going through the meat grinder with Joe Lauzon. Danzig, the TUF season 6 winner, is experienced and usually durable, but the truth is he is just not on the same level as “J-Lau”. In fact, the fight was likely booked with this in mind — to get company-man Lauzon back into the win column. Lauzon didn’t get any of the “Of the Night” bonuses he has grown accustomed to but he did look impressive and is back on track. Danzig, on the other hand, is at risk of being dropped from the UFC and is probably still licking his wounds from the nasty elbows thrown by Lauzon.

UFC on Fox 9: The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly


(Uh…guys? I’m pretty sure that’s Herb Dean. / Screencap via r/MMA)

By Mark Dorsey

Before we get into the endless promotion for the year-ending and stacked UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, let’s take one last, clear-eyed look at what went down at WEC UFC on Fox 9. The injury-cursed event seemed destined to be a disappointment to many fans who consider the lighter fighters boring, especially considering it was the lightest fight card in UFC history, with an average weight of just over 145 pounds. The fact that the fights were taking place at the Sleep Train Arena seemed like a bad omen, foretelling the coma-inducing boredom that might have resulted from a night of decisions. Nevertheless, despite the haters, the smaller guys provided a card of highly entertaining fights and they showcased why many MMA purists consider them the most exciting fighters in the sport.

The Good
• Too often, referees only get noticed when they screw up. However, the officials for this card should be praised for a solid night of work in which they did their jobs properly and kept the focus where it belongs: the fighters. Props to John McCarthy, Herb Dean, and Mike Beltran for getting through the 11-fight card with no critical errors. Even Dana White, who has been openly critical of MMA officiating in the past, praised both Big John and Herb Dean, saying, “These are the best guys” and complimented his one-time nemesis, McCarthy, saying, “When John is in that Octagon, he is in absolute and total control.”

• Much has been written lately about the success of Team Alpha Male under head trainer, Daune “Bang” Ludwig. Saturday night gave the camp an opportunity to showcase how deserving they were of that praise, with four fighters from the Sacramento-based crew competing. As a whole, the team didn’t perform flawlessly, but they did manage to win two of their four fights. It was a great night for Urijah Faber, as the hometown hero steamrolled Michael McDonald and established himself — again — as the top contender in the Bantamweight division. Chad Mendes also did what he needed to, beating Nik Lentz by unanimous decision. On the losing side, Danny Castillo dropped a close decision to Edson Barboza that many thought should have been a draw, and Joseph Benavidez got knocked out cold by Demetrious Johnson. Other than Benavidez, Team Alpha looked good, and judging from their backstage reaction to Urijah Faber’s win, they truly are a tightknit group that will continue their upward trajectory.


(Uh…guys? I’m pretty sure that’s Herb Dean. / Screencap via r/MMA)

By Mark Dorsey

Before we get into the endless promotion for the year-ending and stacked UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, let’s take one last, clear-eyed look at what went down at WEC UFC on Fox 9. The injury-cursed event seemed destined to be a disappointment to many fans who consider the lighter fighters boring, especially considering it was the lightest fight card in UFC history, with an average weight of just over 145 pounds. The fact that the fights were taking place at the Sleep Train Arena seemed like a bad omen, foretelling the coma-inducing boredom that might have resulted from a night of decisions. Nevertheless, despite the haters, the smaller guys provided a card of highly entertaining fights and they showcased why many MMA purists consider them the most exciting fighters in the sport.

The Good
• Too often, referees only get noticed when they screw up. However, the officials for this card should be praised for a solid night of work in which they did their jobs properly and kept the focus where it belongs: the fighters. Props to John McCarthy, Herb Dean, and Mike Beltran for getting through the 11-fight card with no critical errors. Even Dana White, who has been openly critical of MMA officiating in the past, praised both Big John and Herb Dean, saying, “These are the best guys” and complimented his one-time nemesis, McCarthy, saying, “When John is in that Octagon, he is in absolute and total control.”

• Much has been written lately about the success of Team Alpha Male under head trainer, Daune “Bang” Ludwig. Saturday night gave the camp an opportunity to showcase how deserving they were of that praise, with four fighters from the Sacramento-based crew competing. As a whole, the team didn’t perform flawlessly, but they did manage to win two of their four fights. It was a great night for Urijah Faber, as the hometown hero steamrolled Michael McDonald and established himself — again — as the top contender in the Bantamweight division. Chad Mendes also did what he needed to, beating Nik Lentz by unanimous decision. On the losing side, Danny Castillo dropped a close decision to Edson Barboza that many thought should have been a draw, and Joseph Benavidez got knocked out cold by Demetrious Johnson. Other than Benavidez, Team Alpha looked good, and judging from their backstage reaction to Urijah Faber’s win, they truly are a tightknit group that will continue their upward trajectory.

• Demetrious Johnson looked incredible. Once known only for his wrestling and cardio/pace, “Mighty Mouse” showed that he is a well-rounded mixed martial artist, dangerous in grappling and striking. I’m not sure who he should replace in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, but he definitely made the case that he should be near the top of that list. His post-fight celebration was almost as entertaining as the fight itself, with Johnson performing flips and other acrobatics before his trainer, Matt Hume, seemed to tell him to calm down and “go get some fans.” Mighty Mouse had the best night of anybody, putting a definitive end to his rivalry with Benavidez and earning a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.

• Having a card full of lighter weight fighters may not have been a ratings success, but it was a good format that I hope the UFC continues to employ. It reminded me of the all-heavyweight main card of UFC 146. The good thing about limiting a card to certain weight classes is that it really clears up the rankings for the featured divisions and gives the card tournament-like significance. The UFC is struggling ratings-wise. Part of that is due to the confusion amongst fans about who the top contenders are. Cards like this weekend’s help to sort out those issues in one sitting. This “light” card was a good step in the right direction towards putting an end to myth that the lighter weights can’t finish fights.

The Bad
• In between rounds 1 and 2 of the Castillo-Barboza fight, the Fox cameras had an extended focus on Barbosa’s corner, with no translation provided. It seemed unprepared and unprofessional. It would have been great to hear what advice his corner was giving Barboza, especially considering the onslaught he survived in the first round and the comeback he had in round 2. It’s a minor complaint, but for a station struggling to keep the attention of North American UFC fans, Fox should have planned ahead and provided a Portuguese-English translation.

• Another broadcasting mistake saw Fox wrongly identify referee Mike Beltran as John McCarthy in the lead-up to the Castillo-Barboza fight. It was an honest mistake but one that shouldn’t happen, especially considering Beltran is hard to misidentify with a beard that makes him look like a character straight out of Middle-earth.

• Joe Rogan gets a lot of flak for the bias he demonstrates in his commentary. He did a great job remaining neutral for most of the fights on Saturday night but it was a bit of a turnoff to hear him criticize the performance of Chad “Money” Mendes in his win over Nik Lentz. Sure, Mendes didn’t win in particularly exciting fashion but it was a solid performance over a quality opponent who was undefeated at Featherweight. After the fight, Mendes told matchmaker Joe Silva that he was sick and “felt like shit tonight” which might have explained why he seemed to gas a bit after the first round. Regardless, Rogan’s criticism seemed to undermine Mendes’s win, Lentz’s skill level, and an otherwise solid night of commentating from Rogan.

• It has become somewhat of a tradition to lambaste the decisions made by MMA judges lately, and usually for good reason. A couple of the decisions on Saturday night were bad, but not completely ugly. First, Bobby Green defeated Pat Healy by unanimous decision in a fight where Healy seemed to outwork and out-grind Green for the final two rounds. The crowd showed their displeasure, and although it wasn’t a horrible decision there is certainly no way it should have been scored 30-27 for Green, as one judge apparently saw it. 29-28 for Green is reasonable. Giving all of the rounds to Green is not. Second, Edson Baboza defeated Danny Castillo by majority decision. Only the one judge who scored the fight a draw at 28-28 got the decision right. How the other two judges didn’t score the first round 10-8 for Castillo is beyond me. A 10-8 round seemed obvious and even 10-7 would have been justifiable. If that wasn’t a 10-8 round, I don’t know what is. It was an unfortunate decision that overshadowed what was a barnburner of a fight that saw both fighters survive near finishes and earn “Fight of the Night” bonuses.

The Ugly
• Joseph Benavidez had never been stopped before in his MMA career. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t show much caution in the striking exchanges from the start against Johnson. Benavidez even had his eyes closed while he was swinging during the final exchange, so he probably didn’t even see the final right hand that ended his night early. Benavidez clearly didn’t respect the striking of Johnson. Granted, Johnson hadn’t shown KO power in the big leagues before, but this is MMA where anything can and often does happen. The result of the technical lapse was the fastest KO in flyweight history, forcing Benavidez back to the drawing board to try and climb back up the rankings.

• Cody McKenzie had a rough night. He looked gassed and unimpressive while getting soundly beaten by Sam Stout in a unanimous decision loss. However, the loss may not have even been the most embarrassing part of his night. McKenzie fought in what looked like basketball shorts with the tag still on them after he apparently showed up at the arena without a mouthpiece or shorts. Someone had to actually run out and buy some shorts for him at a nearby store. What exactly did he think he was doing in Sacramento? McKenzie probably lost any sponsorship money that he was supposed to get from the real estate on his shorts and afterwards he was reported to have drowned his sorrows with a couple of shots and beers, before allegedly getting into a brawl in a hotel lobby. Needless to say, it was an ugly night that McKenzie would likely soon forget and one that may earn him his walking papers in short order.

• Speaking of ugly, Mac Danzig’s face was pretty busted up after going through the meat grinder with Joe Lauzon. Danzig, the TUF season 6 winner, is experienced and usually durable, but the truth is he is just not on the same level as “J-Lau”. In fact, the fight was likely booked with this in mind — to get company-man Lauzon back into the win column. Lauzon didn’t get any of the “Of the Night” bonuses he has grown accustomed to but he did look impressive and is back on track. Danzig, on the other hand, is at risk of being dropped from the UFC and is probably still licking his wounds from the nasty elbows thrown by Lauzon.

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 Salaries: Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson Earn Six Figures

Perennial UFC bantamweight title contender Urijah Faber, as well as UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, were both compensated handsomely for their dominant victories at UFC on FOX 9 last night. 
MMA Junkie obtained the list of the official …

Perennial UFC bantamweight title contender Urijah Faber, as well as UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, were both compensated handsomely for their dominant victories at UFC on FOX 9 last night. 

MMA Junkie obtained the list of the official disclosed payroll for all 22 competitors from the California State Athletic Commission, revealing that Faber walked away with a cool quarter of a million dollars ($250,000). 

“The California Kid” received $100,000 to show, a $100,000 win bonus, as well as another cool $50,000 for his “Submission of the Night” award. 

As for “Mighty Mouse,” who notched his third successful title defense at the event, he collected $125,000 “show purse,” $50,000 for winning, and then another $50,000 for scoring “Knockout of the Night” honors.

Check out the how much money each fighter can add to his bank account after Saturday night:

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

Bear in mind, none of the salaries include the “Fight Night” bonuses, nor do they include the UFC’s infamous “locker room bonuses.” 

Furthermore, deductions for insurance, licenses and taxes are not incorporated into the numbers either. 

Therefore, the numbers on display should only be considered the base salaries for the fighters. 

It’s tough to argue that either Faber or Johnson did not deserve to be at the top of the payroll. 

Faber, a 10-year fight veteran, had one of the best years of his career in 2013, winning off four of his fights, three being submission finishes. 

After tapping Michael McDonald with a guillotine choke on Saturday, Faber has now won 17 of his 30 career victories via submission. 

Meanwhile, Johnson is in the running for 2013’s “Fighter of the Year,” with clear-cut victories over John Dodson, John Moraga and Benavidez for a second time in his career, becoming the first fighter to ever knock out the Team Alpha Male standout. 

Johnson, in the midst of a five-fight win streak, boasts a 19-2-1 record overall and remains unbeaten at 125 pounds. 

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA Fighters Who Could Challenge Demetrious Johnson for the Flyweight Title Next

Demetrious Johnson disposed of another contender at UFC on Fox 9, knocking out Joseph Benavidez in an important flyweight rematch. With another tough challenger behind him, options are becoming limited for “Mighty Mouse” in his still-developing 125-pou…

Demetrious Johnson disposed of another contender at UFC on Fox 9, knocking out Joseph Benavidez in an important flyweight rematch. With another tough challenger behind him, options are becoming limited for “Mighty Mouse” in his still-developing 125-pound division.

A quick look at the current flyweight rankings suggests Johnson is set up for dominance in the UFC’s newest male division. 

In his past five fights, “Mighty Mouse” has beaten No. 1 contender Benavidez twice, defeated No. 2 and No. 3 contenders John Dodson and Ian McCall in decisions and submitted No. 4 contender John Moraga. As a result, no contender currently sticks out as being next in line to challenge Johnson.

Here are most intriguing options as the 125-pound division currently stands.

 

John Dodson

Although “The Magician” has only picked up one win since losing to Johnson, he’s still a viable choice to be next for the flyweight champion.

Dodson was unanimously beaten on the scorecards against Johnson, but the Jackson’s MMA fighter was competitive with the titleholder and gave “Mighty Mouse” a scare with a second-round knockdown. Like Benavidez, Dodson brings power to the equation against Johnson, but he is also quick enough to avoid being blown away by the champion’s speed.

Following a win over Darrell Montague in October, Dodson could have made a significant case for a title shot had he beaten Scott Jorgensen on Saturday. However, an injury forced Dodson out of that matchup and put him in a position where he’d only be named the next title challenger out of desperation.

 

Ian McCall-Brad Pickett Winner

Having already come up short of victory in two fights with Johnson, McCall would be a surprising candidate to fill in as the next flyweight title challenger. 

However, even as a newcomer to the 125-pound class, Brad Pickett is a legitimate option to meet the champion. Along with bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz, the Englishman is one of only two fighters to hold a win over Johnson.

If Pickett finds a way to beat “Uncle Creepy” in March, the intrigue of a rematch with “Mighty Mouse” could quickly propel him into his first shot at a UFC championship.

 

John Lineker

The Brazilian has won four in a row and is the most highly ranked contender without a loss to Johnson. In that sense, he’s the ideal fighter to meet “Mighty Mouse” now.

Unfortunately, Lineker has missed weight in three of his five UFC appearances. That troubling trend presents the risk that Lineker would ruin a title fight, though, so it’s unlikely he will be booked for a championship bout until he gives UFC matchmakers a reason to trust him.

Lineker has teamed with famed MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce, so should he make weight and keep his winning streak going through his next fight or two, it will only be a matter of time until he gets his chance to fight for the belt. Still, that time is not now. 

 

Dustin Ortiz

Currently unranked and the owner of only one UFC win, Dustin Ortiz is barely in the race for a title shot, but he has a hugely important fight coming up.

At UFC Fight Night 35, Ortiz will meet former title challenger John Moraga. Should he beat Moraga impressively in January, the 24-year-old will immediately be considered a Top 10 flyweight and a legitimate threat to Johnson’s championship.

With the Johnson’s next opponent being so uncertain right now, Ortiz has a golden opportunity to throw his name in the hat next month.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Watch: Highlights from UFC on FOX 9?s Fight of the Night—Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo [VIDEO]

(Video via MSN)

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo was the best fight in a pretty decent night of fights overall. What made it so special? Well, with the above highlights, you’ll be able to see for yourself.

First of all, it was a fantastic mixed martial arts contest. MMA fights turn into C-level kickboxing or 15-minute bouts of clinching too often these days. Barboza-Castillo reminded us what the sport is capable of in terms of excitement. There were near KOs, there were takedowns, there wear submission attempts. Their match represented the full range of fighting.

Second, the fight represented a comeback—not a Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami level comeback—but a comeback nonetheless. Castillo brutalized Barboza in the first round; it appeared the Brazilian striking phenom was out of his depth. Barboza manged to reverse fortunes in the second round with leg kicks; his shins were meat tenderizers.

The third round was close, but it was ultimately Barboza that got the nod from the judges, winning via majority decision.

For their efforts, both men took home an extra $50,000 as part of the “Fight of the Night” bonus.


(Video via MSN)

Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo was the best fight in a pretty decent night of fights overall. What made it so special? Well, with the above highlights, you’ll be able to see for yourself.

First of all, it was a fantastic mixed martial arts contest. MMA fights turn into C-level kickboxing or 15-minute bouts of clinching too often these days. Barboza-Castillo reminded us what the sport is capable of in terms of excitement. There were near KOs, there were takedowns, there were submission attempts. The match represented the full range of fighting.

Second, the fight represented a comeback—not a Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami level comeback—but a comeback nonetheless. Castillo brutalized Barboza in the first round; it appeared the Brazilian striking phenom was out of his depth. Barboza manged to reverse fortunes in the second round with leg and body kicks; his shins were meat tenderizers.

The third round was close, but it was ultimately Barboza that got the nod from the judges, winning via majority decision.

For their efforts, both men took home an extra $50,000 as part of the “Fight of the Night” bonus.