Event Previews – Page 42

Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night 82 – Hendricks/Thompson (02-06-2016)

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Jason

Welterweight (170)
[#2] Johny Hendricks (17-3-0, -222) vs. [#17] Stephen Thompson (11-1-0, +180)
Johny Hendricks is the All-Time #4 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Johny Hendricks (2-1-0)
2015-03-14: W vs. [#9WW] Matt Brown (20-13-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-12-06: L vs. [#1WW/#8DD/#6P4P] Robbie Lawler (27-10-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
2014-03-15: W vs. [#1WW/#8DD/#6P4P] Robbie Lawler (27-10-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

Last 3 Fights: Stephen Thompson (3-0-0)
2015-07-12: W vs. [#31WW] Jake Ellenberger (30-11-0) via KO (Spinning Hook Kick) in 4:29 of round 1
2014-09-27: W vs. [#19WW] Patrick Cote (23-9-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2014-02-22: W vs. [#8MW] Robert Whittaker (15-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:43 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Johny Hendricks 329, Stephen Thompson 209
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Johny Hendricks leads 1-0
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Heavyweight (265)
[#16] Jared Rosholt (14-2-0, +136) vs. [#25] Roy Nelson (20-12-0, -162)

Last 3 Fights: Jared Rosholt (3-0-0)
2015-11-14: W vs. [#33HW+] Stefan Struve (26-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-08-08: W vs. [#41HW+] Timothy Johnson (9-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-03-14: W vs. [#50HW+] Josh Copeland (11-3-0) via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in 3:12 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Roy Nelson (0-3-0)
2015-09-26: L vs. [#13HW+] Josh Barnett (34-8-0) via UD (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)
2015-03-14: L vs. [#3HW+] Alistair Overeem (40-14-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-09-20: L vs. [#8HW+] Mark Hunt (11-10-1) via KO (Punch) in 3:00 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jared Rosholt 84, Roy Nelson 133
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#13] Ovince St. Preux (18-7-0, -362) vs. [#52] Rafael Cavalcante (12-6-0, +286)

Last 3 Fights: Ovince St. Preux (2-1-0)
2015-08-08: L vs. [#7LHW] Glover Teixeira (24-4-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:10 of round 3
2015-04-18: W vs. [#32LHW] Patrick Cummins (8-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:54 of round 1
2014-11-08: W vs. [#11LHW] Mauricio Rua (23-10-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:34 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Rafael Cavalcante (1-2-0)
2015-08-01: L vs. [#32LHW] Patrick Cummins (8-3-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 0:45 of round 3
2014-06-14: L vs. [#4LHW] Ryan Bader (20-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-11-09: W vs. [#87LHW] Igor Pokrajac (28-12-0) via TKO (Knees and Punches) in 1:18 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ovince St. Preux 182, Rafael Cavalcante 189
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Ovince St. Preux leads 2-1
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Sage Northcutt vs. Bryan Barberena will be the lowest ranked fight ever on Fox

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Richard Mann

This Saturday night, the UFC’s most recent supposed wunderkind, Sage Northcutt, will fight for the first time on a Fox main card.

This event will be the 18th UFC event on the network. Northcutt, who is currently ranked #133 at lightweight, will not be the lowest ranked fighter to ever compete on the network. That distinction belongs to Bobby Voelker who came in ranked #152 for UFC on Fox 8 in 2013. However, Northcutt’s fight against Bryan Barberena (#109 at lightweight) will be the lowest ranked bout to ever be part of a UFC on Fox main card.

The following table shows the ten lowest ranked bouts to appear on the main card of a UFC on Fox show. Average rank is simply the average of the fighter’s rankings taken from that event’s Fight Matrix Program.

Fighter 1	Fighter 2	Average Rank	Event	Date
Bryan Barberena	Sage Northcutt	121	UFC on Fox 18	1/30/2016
Akira Corassani	Sam Sicilia	91.5	UFC on Fox 14	1/24/2015
Bobby Voelker	Robbie Lawler	81.5	UFC on Fox 8	7/27/2013
Matt Brown	Mike Swick	60.5	UFC on Fox 5	12/8/2012
Joe Lauzon	Mac Danzig	60	UFC on Fox 9	12/14/2013
Lavar Johnson	Pat Barry	48.5	UFC on Fox 3	5/5/2012
Joe Lauzon	Takanori Gomi	35	UFC on Fox 16	7/25/2015
Felice Herrig	Paige VanZant	32.5	UFC on Fox 15	4/18/2015
Jamie Varner	Joe Lauzon	30.5	UFC on Fox 4	8/4/2012
Edson Barboza	Paul Felder	28	UFC on Fox 16	7/25/2015

As you can see, it is not particularly close. Saturday’s fight will be the first Fox bout to feature two fighters with triple-digit rankings. In fact, Northcutt and Barberena are two of the four lowest ranked fighters to ever grace a Fox main card.
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UFC on Fox 18: Johnson vs. Bader – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on January 28, 2016 by McKinley Noble

UFC on Fox 18 is do-or-die time for Ryan Bader. If the Ultimate Fighter winner is finally going to get his long overdue title shot for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, he has to get past fellow blue-chip-prospect-turned-veteran Anthony Johnson, and that’s one heck of a tall order.

That’s just the peak of another excellent UFC on Fox card to date, as a heavyweight tilt between Ben Rothwell and Josh Barnett lights up the co-main, while rising talents Jimmie Rivera and Sage Northcutt face their own litmus tests. As usual, let’s see what kind of money is on the line this Saturday as we tally the previous UFC fighter salaries (plus most-recent Reebok payouts) for every main card talent.

Note: Divisional rankings via Fight Matrix. UFC salaries and Reebok figures via MMA Payout and MMA Junkie.

Anthony Johnson [#3 LHW]
$245,000 = $115,000/$115,000 + $15,000* [UFC 191]

Ryan Bader [#4 LHW]
$47,000** [UFC on Fox 4]

Analysis: Categorically, there’s very little difference between Bader and Johnson as far as their athletic achievements in MMA. Both are top-flight 205-ers with dominant wins over former UFC champions, and both have had solid claims at title contention since last year.

However, their differences are far more pronounced just looking at the discrepancy in their last-disclosed fighter pay figures. Bader’s $47,000 KO loss to Lyoto Machida is pretty much his most-watched highlight outside of getting leapfrogged by Jon Jones, while Johnson’s six-figure tag has climbed with every dramatic knockout victory. It’s a shame that this event is in New Jersey, too. Since that athletic commission doesn’t disclose fighter salaries, we won’t know if the UFC currently pays Bader anywhere near as much in base/win salary as his dance partner.

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Fight Matrix Program: UFC on FOX 18 – Johnson/Bader (01-30-2016)

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Jason

Light Heavyweight (205)
[#3] Anthony Johnson (20-5-0, -332) vs. [#4] Ryan Bader (20-4-0, +260)
Anthony Johnson is the All-Time #15 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Ryan Bader is the All-Time #19 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Johnson (2-1-0)
2015-09-05: W vs. [#14LHW] Jimi Manuwa (15-2-0) via KO (Punches) in :28 of round 2
2015-05-23: L vs. [#2LHW/#10DD/#7P4P] Daniel Cormier (17-1-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:39 of round 3
2015-01-24: W vs. [#6LHW] Alexander Gustafsson (16-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:15 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Ryan Bader (3-0-0)
2015-10-03: W vs. [#8LHW] Rashad Evans (21-4-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-01-24: W vs. [#5LHW] Phil Davis (15-3-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-08-16: W vs. [#13LHW] Ovince St. Preux (18-7-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Anthony Johnson 147, Ryan Bader 119
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#9] Ben Rothwell (35-9-0, +113) vs. [#12] Josh Barnett (34-7-0, -135)
Josh Barnett is the All-Time #7 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ben Rothwell (3-0-0)
2015-06-06: W vs. [#24HW+] Matt Mitrione (9-5-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:54 of round 1
2014-09-05: W vs. [#3HW+] Alistair Overeem (40-14-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:19 of round 1
2013-08-31: W vs. [#61HW+] Brandon Vera (14-7-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 1:54 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Josh Barnett (2-1-0)
2015-09-26: W vs. [#25HW+] Roy Nelson (20-12-0) via UD (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)
2013-12-28: L vs. [#8HW+] Travis Browne (18-3-1) via KO (Elbows) in 1:00 of round 1
2013-08-31: W vs. [#10HW+] Frank Mir (18-10-0) via TKO (Knee) in 1:56 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ben Rothwell 238, Josh Barnett 126
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Josh Barnett leads 3-2
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Bantamweight (135)
[#12] Iuri Alcantara (32-6-0, +141) vs. [#16] Jimmie Rivera (18-1-0, -167)

Last 3 Fights: Iuri Alcantara (2-1-0)
2015-08-01: W vs. [#39BW] Leandro Issa (13-5-0) via UD (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-02-22: L vs. [#17BW] Frankie Saenz (11-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2014-09-13: W vs. [#51BW] Russell Doane (14-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Jimmie Rivera (3-0-0)
2015-11-07: W vs. [#27BW] Pedro Munhoz (12-2-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2015-07-18: W vs. [#91BW] Marcus Brimage (7-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:29 of round 1
2015-05-09: W vs. [#159BW] Carson Beebe (15-4-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:16 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Iuri Alcantara 182, Jimmie Rivera 84
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on January 13, 2016 by McKinley Noble

Dominick Cruz is back, ladies and gentlemen. No injuries, no more torn ligaments, and nothing short of a freak sauna accident can ruin UFC Fight Night 81 now. That’s clearly tempting fate, but given the UFC’s good run of luck lately, it’s a risk this author is willing to take. Although this Sunday isn’t the strongest of cards from top to bottom, the headliner is as dynamite as the modern MMA fan could ever ask for, especially on cable television.

Moreover, Cruz is in the most important fight of his life, as current UFC Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw aims to ruin the former 135-pound kingpin’s return. The stakes are pretty high here, so let’s do our usual thing and run down the previous UFC salaries (with last Reebok sponsorship payouts) for all the main card talent on UFC Fight Night 81.

Note: Divisional rankings via Fight Matrix. UFC salaries and Reebok figures via MMA Payout and MMA Junkie.

T.J. Dillashaw [#1 BW]
$100,000 = $50,000/$50,000 [UFC 177]

Dominick Cruz [N/A]
$100,000 = $50,000/$50,000 [UFC 178]

Analysis: If you need to guess any financial indicator of Dominick Cruz’s lost time in this sport, just look at his UFC 177 paycheck and think about how many more he’s missed. Had Cruz never torn his ACL in May 2012 and been healthy enough to fight a couple times a year, he could’ve banked at least a few million dollars in the prime of his career. Now the champ is just a couple months shy of 31 years old, and will only be stepping into the Octagon twice in over a 1500-day span. Thankfully, Cruz took to his Fox Sports analyst role like a duck to water, so he’s had a solid day job to pad things out.

On the other side, T.J. Dillashaw has enjoyed a huge (disclosed) pay bump since dominating former champion Renan Barao. Back at UFC 173, Dillashaw only made a recorded $36,000 in victory, and that doesn’t include the sponsorship money he used to enjoy.

Plenty of grief has also been heaped on Dillashaw for moving from the ridiculously-named Team Alpha Male to Muscle Pharm & Elevation Fight Team, but for a man barely making a comfortable living just a couple of years ago, the move makes so much sense. Without title contention, Dillashaw’s Reebok pay drops to $10,000 per bout, and who knows whether Zuffa would issue an immediate pay cut.

At the very least, both men will be paid relatively better for bantamweights than the last time Dominick Cruz main-evented a card with reported fighter salaries. At UFC 132, both Cruz and Urijah Faber made a combined $72,000 for their five-round title fight barnburner.

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Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night 81 – Dillashaw/Cruz (01-17-2016)

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Jason

Bantamweight Championship (135)
[#1/#10DD/#9P4P] T.J. Dillashaw (12-2-0, -138) vs. [*] Dominick Cruz (20-1-0, +115)
T.J. Dillashaw is the All-Time #4 ranked Bantamweight fighter.
Dominick Cruz is the All-Time #3 ranked Bantamweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: T.J. Dillashaw (3-0-0)
2015-07-25: W vs. [#3BW] Renan Barao (33-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:35 of round 4
2014-08-30: W vs. [#79BW] Joe Soto (15-5-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:20 of round 5
2014-05-24: W vs. [#3BW] Renan Barao (33-3-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:26 of round 5

Last 3 Fights: Dominick Cruz (3-0-0)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#20BW] Takeya Mizugaki (21-9-2) via KO (Punches) in 1:01 of round 1
2011-10-01: W vs. [#1FLY/#4DD/#2P4P] Demetrious Johnson (23-2-1) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
2011-07-02: W vs. [#2BW] Urijah Faber (33-8-0) via UD (50-45, 49-46, 48-47)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: T.J. Dillashaw 176, Dominick Cruz 477
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#2] Anthony Pettis (18-3-0, -328) vs. [#6] Eddie Alvarez (26-4-0, +260)
Anthony Pettis is the All-Time #8 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Eddie Alvarez is the All-Time #9 ranked Lightweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Pettis (2-1-0)
2015-03-14: L vs. [#1LW/#2DD/#4P4P] Rafael dos Anjos (25-7-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#7LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-5-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:53 of round 2
2013-08-31: W vs. [#10WW] Ben Henderson (23-5-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:31 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Eddie Alvarez (2-1-0)
2015-06-13: W vs. [#7LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-5-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-09-27: L vs. [#3LW] Donald Cerrone (28-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-11-02: W vs. [#14LW] Michael Chandler (14-3-0) via SD (48-47, 48-47, 47-48)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Anthony Pettis 309, Eddie Alvarez 218
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Anthony Pettis leads 2-1
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Heavyweight (265)
[#9] Travis Browne (17-3-1, -157) vs. [#19] Matt Mitrione (9-4-0, +132)

Last 3 Fights: Travis Browne (1-2-0)
2015-05-23: L vs. [#6HW+] Andrei Arlovski (25-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:41 of round 1
2014-12-06: W vs. [#30HW+] Brendan Schaub (10-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:50 of round 1
2014-04-19: L vs. [#1HW+/#7DD/#5P4P] Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1) via UD (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

Last 3 Fights: Matt Mitrione (2-1-0)
2015-06-06: L vs. [#8HW+] Ben Rothwell (35-9-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:54 of round 1
2014-12-13: W vs. [#28HW+] Gabriel Gonzaga (17-10-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:59 of round 1
2014-09-05: W vs. [#35HW+] Derrick Lewis (13-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:41 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Travis Browne 239, Matt Mitrione 225
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Travis Browne leads 2-1
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No End in Sight for Cyborg’s Featherweight Domination

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Richard Mann

On Jan. 16, the world’s number-one ranked women’s featherweight Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino defends her title against Daria Ibragimova at Invicta FC 15. Justino had been preparing for a drop down to the bantamweight division. However, Ronda Rousey’s devastating knockout loss to Holly Holm has convinced her to continue her featherweight campaign.

Ibragimova is Russian fighter who holds a professional record of 9-1. She is currently ranked 10th in the Fight Matrix rankings at women’s featherweight. Despite these accolades, her opponents’ combined record is 19-25. During her six-plus year career, she has faced only one fighter who currently has more than three wins, Cindy Dandois, and Ibragimova lost via first-round submission. The Invicta FC 15 main event is expected to be another washout for “Cyborg.”

Justino has a virtual stranglehold on the division. In her last three fights, she has defeated the second, eighth and seventh ranked fighters at 145 pounds.

Against Ibragimova, “Cyborg” has a 71 to 20 advantage in ranking points. That is a 255 percent ranking advantage. Let’s compare that advantage to the other female fighters currently ranked number one. The following table shows a breakdown of how each number-one ranked female fighter stacks up, in terms of ranking points percent advantage, in a hypothetical matchup against the 10th ranked fighter in that division.
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Fight Matrix Program: UFC 195 (01-02-2016)

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Jason

Welterweight Championship (170)
[#1/#9DD/#8P4P] Robbie Lawler (26-10-0, -110) vs. [#7] Carlos Condit (30-8-0, -112)
Robbie Lawler is the All-Time #4 ranked Welterweight and #25 ranked Absolute fighter.
Carlos Condit is the All-Time #5 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Robbie Lawler (3-0-0)
2015-07-11: W vs. [#3WW] Rory MacDonald (18-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:00 of round 5
2014-12-06: W vs. [#2WW/#10P4P] Johny Hendricks (17-3-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
2014-07-26: W vs. [#9WW] Matt Brown (20-13-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

Last 3 Fights: Carlos Condit (2-1-0)
2015-05-30: W vs. [#23WW] Thiago Alves (21-10-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2014-03-15: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via TKO (Leg Kick) in 2:00 of round 2
2013-08-28: W vs. [*] Martin Kampmann (20-7-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 0:54 of round 4

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Robbie Lawler 175, Carlos Condit 217
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Robbie Lawler leads 5-4
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Heavyweight (265)
[#3] Andrei Arlovski (25-10-0, +186) vs. [#6] Stipe Miocic (13-2-0, -227)
Andrei Arlovski is the All-Time #8 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Andrei Arlovski (3-0-0)
2015-09-05: W vs. [#10HW+] Frank Mir (18-10-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-05-23: W vs. [#9HW+] Travis Browne (17-3-1) via TKO (Punches) in 4:41 of round 1
2014-09-13: W vs. [#13HW+] Antonio Silva (19-8-1) via KO (Punches) in 2:59 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Stipe Miocic (2-1-0)
2015-05-10: W vs. [#7HW+] Mark Hunt (11-10-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:47 of round 5
2014-12-13: L vs. [#5HW+] Junior dos Santos (17-4-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
2014-05-31: W vs. [#36LHW] Fabio Maldonado (22-9-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:35 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Andrei Arlovski 119, Stipe Miocic 237
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#21] Lorenz Larkin (16-4-0, +208) vs. [#27] Albert Tumenov (16-2-0, -256)

Last 3 Fights: Lorenz Larkin (2-1-0)
2015-06-27: W vs. [#49WW] Santiago Ponzinibbio (21-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:07 of round 2
2015-01-18: W vs. [#40WW] John Howard (23-12-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:17 of round 1
2014-08-30: L vs. [#15MW] Derek Brunson (14-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Albert Tumenov (3-0-0)
2015-10-03: W vs. [#82WW] Alan Jouban (12-4-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 2:55 of round 1
2015-01-24: W vs. [#45WW] Nicholas Musoke (13-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-10-04: W vs. [#166WW] Matt Dwyer (8-3-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:03 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Lorenz Larkin 189, Albert Tumenov 91
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on December 30, 2015 by McKinley Noble

UFC 195 kind of crept up on the MMA world a bit, and one only needs to blame the whirlwind of the “UFC Vegas” week that wrapped up the 2015 combat sports calendar. However, the holiday MMA break officially ends with the first pay-per-view bash of the new year, and this upcoming headliner is a damn good one.

In what can only be anticipated as a top-tier, world-class match for the ages, Robbie Lawler defends the UFC Welterweight Championship against Carlos Condit, while a number of contenders, journeymen, and prospects fight for various stakes on a very solid card. Let’s take a look at the money trail one last time for 2015, and dive into the previous UFC fighter salaries (plus most-recent Reebok payouts) for every main card talent at UFC 195 this weekend.

Note: Divisional rankings via Fight Matrix. UFC salaries and Reebok figures via MMA Payout and MMA Junkie.

Robbie Lawler [#1 WW]
$340,000 = $150,000/$150,000 + $40,000* [UFC 189]

Carlos Condit [#8 WW]
$110,000 = $55,000/$55,000 [UFC 143]

Analysis: Robbie Lawler is going into his 19th Zuffa bout here, and his disclosed pay continues to hover slightly above the last-known salaries of most non-superstar UFC champions. Aside from the obvious bonus of retaining his title, it would be interesting to be how high Lawler could push his value with a few more victories — especially given his history as Zuffa’s revived golden boy.

For Condit, this will be his first salary reported since his infamous fight with Nick Diaz in 2012, where Condit took home $110,000 in victory — barely more than half of what Diaz made to lose ($200,000). At a 2-3 stretch since then and despite a short interim title reign, it’s worrisome to think that a past-prime Condit may have already hit his financial peak.

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Fight Matrix Program: Rizin 2 (12-31-2015)

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Jason

Heavyweight (265)
[*] Fedor Emelianenko (34-4-0, -1431) vs. [#182] Jaideep Singh (2-0-0, +832)
Fedor Emelianenko is the All-Time #1 ranked Heavyweight and #3 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Fedor Emelianenko (3-0-0)
2012-06-21: W vs. [*] Pedro Rizzo (20-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:24 of round 1
2011-12-31: W vs. [#39HW+] Satoshi Ishii (14-5-1) via KO (Punches) in 2:29 of round 1
2011-11-20: W vs. [#491HW+] Jeff Monson (58-25-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Jaideep Singh (2-0-0)
2015-10-17: W vs. [#243HW+] Carlos Toyota (6-8-1) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2013-06-07: W vs. [NA] Alireza Tavak (0-2-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 4:24 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Fedor Emelianenko 1288, Jaideep Singh 75
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[*] Peter Aerts (1-1-0) vs. [NA] Kaido Hoovelson (DEBUT)

Last 3 Fights: Peter Aerts (1-1-0)
2005-12-31: L vs. [#502HW+] Shungo Oyama (14-19-0) via Submission (Heel Hook) in 0:30 of round 1
2005-07-06: W vs. [NA] Yoichi Babaguchi (1-6-1) via TKO (Punches) in 1:36 of round 1

Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (146)
[#1454LW] Kron Gracie (1-0-0) vs. [NA] Asen Yamamoto (DEBUT)

Last 3 Fights: Kron Gracie (1-0-0)
2014-12-23: W vs. [#1388LW] Hyung Soo Kim (1-1-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 1:05 of round 1

Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Fight Matrix Program: Rizin 1 (12-29-2015)

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Jason

Welterweight (171)
[#19LW] Shinya Aoki (38-6-0, 169.7lb) vs. [*] Kazushi Sakuraba (26-16-1, 171.0lb)

Last 3 Fights: Shinya Aoki (3-0-0)
2015-05-22: W vs. [#62LW] Koji Ando (12-4-2) via UD ()
2014-12-31: W vs. [#397LW] Yuki Yamamoto (6-8-4) via Submission (Twister) in 1:21 of round 1
2014-08-29: W vs. [*] Kamal Shalorus (9-4-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:15 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Kazushi Sakuraba (0-3-0)
2011-09-24: L vs. [#122LW] Yan Cabral (12-2-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:42 of round 2
2010-12-31: L vs. [#138WW] Marius Zaromskis (20-9-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 2:16 of round 1
2010-09-25: L vs. [*] Jason Miller (23-9-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:09 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Shinya Aoki 221, Kazushi Sakuraba 1557
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (220)
[#39] Satoshi Ishii (14-4-1, 219.0lb) vs. [#49LHW] Jiri Prochazka (14-2-1, 211.5lb)

Last 3 Fights: Satoshi Ishii (2-1-0)
2015-08-29: W vs. [#128HW+] William Penn (8-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:07 of round 1
2015-04-11: W vs. [#94HW+] Nick Rossborough (25-19-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 4:22 of round 1
2014-12-31: L vs. [#22HW+] Mirko Filipovic (31-11-2) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 5:00 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Jiri Prochazka (3-0-0)
2015-11-21: W vs. [#229LHW] Evgeni Kondratov (5-2-0) via in of round 1
2015-05-22: W vs. [#84LHW] Michal Fijalka (14-5-1) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 1
2015-03-27: W vs. [NA] Rokas Stambrauskas (7-5-0) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Satoshi Ishii 122, Jiri Prochazka 38
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (220)
[#30LHW] Goran Reljic (15-5-0, 215.0lb) vs. [#112LHW] Vadim Nemkov (4-0-0, 219.5lb)

Last 3 Fights: Goran Reljic (2-1-0)
2015-10-31: L vs. [#24LHW] Tomasz Narkun (11-2-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:55 of round 1
2015-05-23: W vs. [#23LHW] Attila Vegh (29-6-2) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#24LHW] Tomasz Narkun (11-2-0) via UD (29-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Vadim Nemkov (3-0-0)
2015-08-29: W vs. [#247LHW] Joaquim Ferreira (19-11-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:22 of round 1
2015-04-24: W vs. [NA] Isidor Bunea (0-1-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:00 of round 1
2013-08-05: W vs. [#270LHW] Michal Gutowski (8-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:32 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Goran Reljic 59, Vadim Nemkov 122
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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How does the Rizin two-night tournament stack up?

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Richard Mann

Rizin Fighting Federation has completed the field for their 100kg tournament. The tournament will start on the promotion’s first show on Dec. 29 and continue on the New Year’s Eve event. The field will feature representatives from Rizin’s partner promotions such as Bellator, BAMMA, Jungle Fight, Bushido Lithuania and KSW.

The history of MMA is full of impact tournaments such as the early UFC events and the Pride Grand Prix events. The sports seems to have grown out of tournaments for the most part, but they do still happen in the major leagues with limited regularity. At first glance, the Rizin tournament does not seem to stand up to some of the great heavyweight tournaments of the past. Does that hold up?

To compare the Rizin field to earlier tournaments, the contemporary ranking of each competitor in each heavyweight tournament under the Pride FC, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA since 2000 was reviewed. For the sake of this analysis, contemporary ranking means the Generated Historical Ranking from the quarter where the fight took place. For fighters that were not ranked at the time of the tournament, they are listed as 250th, which is the equivalent of last in the heavyweight division.

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Bang for Your Buck: UFC on FOX 17

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Oleg

They say all good things must come to an end. And so as the UFC is wrapping up a what was a very successful year for the promotion with another stacked event on Fox/Fox Sports 1, I will be wrapping up 2015 with the last installment in the ‘Bang for Your Buck’ series. It’s hard to believe that Zuffa is able to put on such a strong card just a week after a ridiculous weekend of three UFC events in three days. Besides a lightweight title fight and a long awaited matchup between two hard hitting Top 10 heavyweights, the main card on Fox also features another solid lightweight bout, while an extended 3-hour block of prelims on FS1 has five fights that I am looking forward to. There are also two women’s bouts on the card – one on Fox, one on the prelims – as well as three bouts on Fight Pass to start off the event, but none of those really pique my interest.

Main Card (Fox)

Main Event: (C) [#1 LW] Rafael dos Anjos vs [#2 LW] Donald Cerrone for the UFC Lightweight Championship

Worth: $25

Why: This is an amazing matchup between two of the worlds most elite lightweights, both at the peak of their game. After losing a decision to the Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2014, dos Anjos fought four times in the following year, and won all four: T/KO finishes of Ben Henderson and Jason High and thoroughly dominant decisions over Nate Diaz and then champion Antony Pettis. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in the meanwhile has won seven straight with four finishes in the course of two years. Cerrone’s last loss came via a close decision to Dos Anjos, but with the way both fighters have performed since then, a rematch is definitely warranted.

Dos Anjos and Cowboy have had a lot of common opponents, which is understandable when both had 18 fights in the UFC. What is more interesting that besides handing Cerrone his last loss, dos Anjos also beat the two men who defeated Cerrone prior: Nate Diaz and Anthony Pettis. While Cerrone is not the same fighter he was in the Diaz fight – or even in the first dos Anjos fight – I still believe Rafael will take the rematch and successfully defend his title for the first time. Another interesting factoid about this fight is that Cowboy is the only lineal champion who is not also the UFC champion, so this fight will unify the last disputed lineage in all of men’s divisions, merging all lineal championships with UFC belts (with the questionable exemption of Jon Jones).

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Investigating the decline of Nate Marquardt

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Richard Mann

Nate Marquardt faces C.B. Dollaway this Saturday at UFC on FOX 17. The former number-one contender has fallen on hard times. He is currently 1-5 in his last six fights. Even more distressing is the fact that he is getting knocked out at mucher higher rate and absorbing more strikes than ever before in his career. Is this is a decline in physical ability or is Marquardt simply facing better opposition?

In his last seven fights, six out of his seven opponents have landed over two significant strikes per minute against him (per Fightmetric). Prior to his fight against Tyron Woodley in 2012, only two of Marquardt’s opponents in his Strikeforce/UFC career, had been that successful against him, Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

Marquardt has been knocked out in three of his last five bouts. Before he faced Jake Ellenberger in 2013, he had only been knocked out on one occasion, his title fight against Silva. During the same stretch, he scored only one knockout, a come-from-behind win over Woodley. In his preceding seven fights, Marquardt scored knockouts in four of seven bouts. He was getting hit less, landing more knockouts and getting knocked out less. Plus, he was actually facing, on average, higher ranked opposition. The following chart shows the stark difference over the course of his last 14 bouts. Ranking here refers to the Fight Matrix Generated Historical Ranking from the quarter in which the bout took place.

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UFC on Fox 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on December 17, 2015 by McKinley Noble

UFC on Fox 17 is quietly underscoring the massive embarrassment of riches that MMA fans are having this December. If our latest Fight Matrix Program wasn’t enough of a clue, this weekend hosts one of the most competitive and quality-driven fight cards of the year.

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone aside, Michael Johnson, Nate Diaz, Junior dos Santos, and Alistair Overeem could all headline their own UFC cards — but as it sometimes happens, we’re getting them all in one event. Let’s enjoy this good fortune and do our thing, as we run down the previous UFC fighter salaries with most-recent Reebok sponsorship payouts for each combatant on Friday’s Fox main card.

Note: Divisional rankings via Fight Matrix. UFC salaries and Reebok figures via MMA Payout and MMA Junkie.

Rafael dos Anjos [#1 LW]
$86,000 = $41,000/$41,000 + $4,000 [UFC on Fox 13]

Donald Cerrone [#2 LW]
$152,000 = $76,000/$76,000 [UFC 187]

Analysis: Donald Cerrone has only gotten craftier with age — both inside and outside the Octagon. On little more than hustle, his unique personality, and some good social media tactics, “Cowboy” has secured himself a (relatively) high UFC salary and 8-0 winning streak that puts him solidly in the “21+ bout” range of the Reebok tenure deal.

At 18 UFC fights and (likely) paid comparatively less than the top stars, RDA has a lot more to lose here, while his physique post-USADA testing has been in serious question around most MMA circles. Either way, it’s pretty grim that a loss will cost either man a steep five figures in sponsorship pay.

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