UFC 126 Salaries: Silva, Belfort, Griffin, and Jones Crack the $200k Mark

(Two very different ends of the agony/compensation spectrum. Images courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
The UFC shelled out over $1.6 million in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the fighters who competed at UFC 126, and damn, some of these dudes are making…

Anderson Silva UFC 126 MMA photosMichihiro Omigawa UFC 126 MMA photos
(Two very different ends of the agony/compensation spectrum. Images courtesy of MMAFighting.com)

The UFC shelled out over $1.6 million in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the fighters who competed at UFC 126, and damn, some of these dudes are making bank. Good to see it. The numbers are below, courtesy of MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that these salary totals don’t include additional income from sponsorships, undisclosed "locker room" bonuses, and (potentially, for some headliners) percentages of the pay-per-view revenue, or deductions for taxes, licensing fees, and insurance.

Anderson Silva: $275,000 (includes $75,000 Knockout of the Night bonus; no disclosed win bonus)
def. Vitor Belfort: $275,000

Forrest Griffin: $275,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus)
def. Rich Franklin: $75,000

Jon Jones: $215,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus, $75,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. Ryan Bader: $20,000

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Chael Sonnen Emerges from Hiding, Blasts Anderson Silva, Goes Back to Hiding

("I’ve killed more than 350 people in five different states. I’ve got to warn you though, some of the details are a little bit hazy." PicProps: MMA Mania)
As several astute MMA writers reminded us last week, UFC 126 was initially supposed to …


("I’ve killed more than 350 people in five different states. I’ve got to warn you though, some of the details are a little bit hazy." PicProps: MMA Mania)

As several astute MMA writers reminded us last week, UFC 126 was initially supposed to be Chael Sonnen’s second chance to not totally blow it against Anderson Silva. Then Sonnen’s life took a dramatic zag when we discovered his piss was pure testosterone and he was forced to turn stoolie to avoid jail time on a federal mortgage fraud beef. His UFC contract duly frozen, we haven’t heard much at all from the now former realtor as he prepares for sentencing. After Silva’s Seagal-inspired win over Vitor Belfort on Saturday night though, old school wrestler-turned-fighter-turned-commentator-turned-actor Paul Lazenby (official MMA record 1-6, according to the Dog) reached out to Sonnen for comment. Turns out, dude didn’t have anything nice to say at all.

"Thank you, Anderson, for revealing yet another weakness for me to exploit in our rematch,” Sonnen said, or emailed as it seems. “Beating that poor punching bag doesn’t impress Uncle Chael, guy. You tipped your hand like a chump poker player at a $5 table in Atlantic City. You may have beaten Vitor, but in the process, you LOST your edge. By beating that husk, you gave me the last page of your playbook. Revel in your time, (because) it ENDS the night you face me. I will mow you down like autumn wheat, AGAIN."

Yeah, at this point, Sonnen’s patter is starting to feel pretty desperate. He’s like a serial killer who just keeps confessing to made-up crimes because the thing that scares him most is that people will lose interest in him. Also, we already know that his opinions are as malleable as a Roman gladiator’s sexuality, but referring to Belfort as “that poor punching bag” and “that husk” constitutes a 180-degree turnabout from what he said about “The Phenom” almost a year ago to the day.

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Apparently Besides Believing He Can Act, Steven Seagal Also Thinks He Invented the Front Kick

  (Video courtesy YouTube/MMAHeat)
When Anderson Silva mentioned in his post-UFC 126 fight interview that Steven Seagal taught him the front kick that he knocked Vitor Belfort out with Saturday night most of the MMA community were willing to give…

 
(Video courtesy YouTube/MMAHeat)

When Anderson Silva mentioned in his post-UFC 126 fight interview that Steven Seagal taught him the front kick that he knocked Vitor Belfort out with Saturday night most of the MMA community were willing to give the Hard to Kill, Out for Justice Lawman the benefit of the doubt, but when the Marked for Death, Above the Law Glimmer Man told reporters that he invented the textbook front kick, we weren’t the only ones who called bullshit.

Here’s what Seagal had to say to MMA Heat’s Karyn Bryant about Silva’s win:

"I couldn’t have been happier, because right before he walked out I said to him, ‘Stay away from him for the first, you know, two, three minutes, just kind of get him frustrated and fake low and come high and do that kick I’ve been teaching you and kick him in the head or the face. He did exactly what I said and exactly what I wanted to happen and I was very, very proud of him…I was raised in Japan under some of the greatest karate masters and jiu-jitsu masters to live in our time and I learned that kick 40 years ago or 30 years….35…I don’t know — a long, long time ago and I worked for the last 35 years or so to perfect it."

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Anderson Silva KO’s Belfort, Completing Step One of GSP Superfight

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — The incredible history of Anderson Silva adds new and dramatic chapters after seemingly every fight. He dances, he punches, he taunts, and he wins. Sometimes all at the same time.

The gifted middleweight champion ex…

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Anderson Silva knocks out Vitor BelfortLAS VEGAS — The incredible history of Anderson Silva adds new and dramatic chapters after seemingly every fight. He dances, he punches, he taunts, and he wins. Sometimes all at the same time.

The gifted middleweight champion extended his own UFC record win streak to 13 straight in the octagon with a highlight-reel front kick knockout victory over challenger Vitor Belfort at UFC 126.

After Silva’s last fight, a near-defeat against Chael Sonnen, there was a thought among some that Silva’s reign was nearing an end. Instead, his performance was reminiscent of his dominant knockouts over Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. After nearly half a round of measuring Belfort, Silva snapped his left leg forward, catching Belfort flush under the jaw. Belfort crashed backwards and looked out of it, but referee Mario Yamasaki gave Belfort a chance to recover. Silva didn’t. He jumped all over Belfort, landing a right and left on the jaw that finished yet another contender.

Yushin Okami Relishes Opportunity to Fight Anderson Silva

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to No. 1 middleweight contender Yushin Okami about Anderson Silva‘s win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Okami talked about the impressive finish, how he would fight Silva and his thoughts on potentially being passed over by Georges St-Pierre, if GSP beats Jake Shields in April.

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to No. 1 middleweight contender Yushin Okami about Anderson Silva‘s win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Okami talked about the impressive finish, how he would fight Silva and his thoughts on potentially being passed over by Georges St-Pierre, if GSP beats Jake Shields in April.