Event Previews – Page 44

Michael Bisping looks to end struggles against Top 15 competition at UFC Fight Night 84

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Richard Mann

Michael Bisping has had an impressive career in the UFC since winning the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” His quarterly ranking peaked at #5 in middleweight division in 2013. He is currently listed as #21 all-time in the weight class. However, he has struggled when facing higher level competition. On Saturday, at UFC Fight Night 84, he faces Anderson Silva. The former champion might be nearing the end of his career, but he is still one of the 15 best middleweights on the planet.

In his last 18 fights, Bisping has faced nine fighters ranked in the top 15 and another nine ranked below. Against competition ranked below #15, he went 9-0. Against fighters in the top 15, he went only 3-6.

Bisping vs. Sub 15

Opponent	Date	Contemporary Fight Matrix Ranking	W/L
Day	6/7/2008	41	W
Leben	10/18/2008	17	W
Kang	11/14/2009	30	W
Dan Miller	5/29/2010	33	W
Akiyama	10/16/2010	36	W
Rivera	2/27/2011	27	W
Mayhem	12/3/2011	42	W
Belcher	4/27/2013	17	W
Le	8/23/2014	17	W

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Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night 84 – Silva/Bisping (02-27-2016)

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Jason

Middleweight (185)
[#9] Michael Bisping (27-7-0, +240) vs. [#15] Anderson Silva (33-6-0, -304)
Michael Bisping is the All-Time #21 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Anderson Silva is the All-Time #1 ranked Middleweight and #2 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Michael Bisping (2-1-0)
2015-07-18: W vs. [#11MW] Thales Leites (25-5-0) via SD (49-46, 48-47, 47-48)
2015-04-25: W vs. [#22MW] C.B. Dollaway (15-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-11-07: L vs. [#1MW/#1DD/#3P4P] Luke Rockhold (15-2-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:57 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Anderson Silva (0-2-0, 1 NC)
2015-01-31: NC vs. [#68WW] Nick Diaz (26-9-0)
2013-12-28: L vs. [#2MW/#5DD] Chris Weidman (13-1-0) via TKO (Leg Injury) in 1:16 of round 2
2013-07-06: L vs. [#2MW/#5DD] Chris Weidman (13-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:18 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Michael Bisping 224, Anderson Silva 392
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Anderson Silva leads 7-3
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Middleweight (185)
[#7] Gegard Mousasi (37-6-2, -321) vs. [#11] Thales Leites (25-5-0, +252)
Gegard Mousasi is the All-Time #16 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Gegard Mousasi (2-1-0)
2015-09-26: L vs. [#10MW] Uriah Hall (12-6-0) via TKO (Flying Knee and Punches) in 0:25 of round 2
2015-05-16: W vs. [*] Costas Philippou (13-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-01-24: W vs. [#12MW] Dan Henderson (31-14-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:10 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Thales Leites (2-1-0)
2015-07-18: L vs. [#9MW] Michael Bisping (27-7-0) via SD (49-46, 48-47, 47-48)
2015-01-31: W vs. [#44LHW] Tim Boetsch (18-10-0) via Technical Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:45 of round 2
2014-08-23: W vs. [#20LHW] Francis Carmont (24-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:20 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Gegard Mousasi 154, Thales Leites 224
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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Welterweight (170)
[#49] Tom Breese (9-0-0, -1005) vs. [#65] Keita Nakamura (31-6-2, +634)

Last 3 Fights: Tom Breese (3-0-0)
2015-10-24: W vs. [*] Cathal Pendred (17-4-1) via TKO (Body Kick and Punches) in 4:37 of round 1
2015-05-30: W vs. [#247WW] Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. (12-4-1) via TKO (Punches) in 4:58 of round 1
2014-11-15: W vs. [#282WW] Thibaud Larchet (9-2-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:57 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Keita Nakamura (3-0-0)
2015-09-26: W vs. [#143WW] Jingliang Li (10-4-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:17 of round 3
2015-07-20: W vs. [#226WW] Yuta Watanabe (19-6-4) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:00 of round 1
2015-02-28: W vs. [#455MW] Yoshiyuki Katahira (9-4-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:47 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Tom Breese 126, Keita Nakamura 154
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 83: Cowboy vs. Cowboy – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on February 19, 2016 by McKinley Noble

UFC Fight Night 83 is the first UFC card in a while to be completely ravaged by injuries and drug testing, and the subsequent result isn’t much to write home about. This Sunday night likely won’t have the most exciting results on paper, but what’s probably worse is how long it’ll take Fox Sports to get though all 13 bouts.

Thankfully, we’re only concerned about the upper half of this weekend’s bill, which still looks too long at six fights. But let’s do this damn thing anyway, as we break down all the previous UFC fighter salaries and recent Reebok payouts for each main carder.

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

Donald Cerrone [#2 LW]
$109,000 = $79,000** + $30,000* [UFC on Fox 17]

Alex Oliveira [#58 LW]
$24,000 = $12,000/$12,000 [UFC Fight Night 70]

Analysis: Donald Cerrone’s defeat to Rafael dos Anjos was a huge setback, but monetarily, it could’ve been worse. With his UFC/Reebok tenure already maxed out, he’s currently banking $100,000 per fight in just base pay alone (even as a non-contender), which will add up quickly as he maintains his rapid schedule.

In terms of rankings, payscale, and general name value, it doesn’t really make sense for Cerrone to even be fighting Alex Oliveira — but since both are moving up to welterweight, this is likely better than giving them a natural 170-pounder right off the bat. It’s also too bad USADA caught Tim Means with a positive drug test, as he would have been a far more interesting matchup.

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UFC 196: dos Anjos vs McGregor

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Oleg

On March 5th, Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Las Vegas with UFC 196: a card headlined by the newly crowned featherweight champion and arguably the sport’s biggest star, Conor McGregor, moving up in weight to challenge the reigning and defending lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. The co-main event features another title bout: Holly Holm, fresh off the unlikely victory over Ronda Rousey, will defend her bantamweight title against the long-time contender Miesha Tate. With such a strong main event and co-main I don’t expect much from the undercard, and while the line-up has not been officially finalized, the other matchups announced so far don’t have much in terms of highly ranked fighters or divisional implications.

While both title bouts are intriguing, for this column I will focus on the main event of Rafael dos Anjos (often abbreviated RDA, or ‘RDS’ if you ask Jon Jones) vs Conor McGregor. Conor opened as underdog to dos Anjos, but the lines have slowly shifted away from RDA, and now McGregor is coming into the fight as a slight favorite. Should the featherweight champion with no recent fights at 155 lbs really be favored over dos Anjos, or is RDA worth a small bet? I believe the opening lines – set by the bookmakers before they were shifted by the betting public – were closer to reflecting the reality of this matchup, which makes dos Anjos a good value.

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Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night 82 – Cowboy/Cowboy (02-21-2016)

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Jason

Welterweight (170)
[#2LW] Donald Cerrone (28-7-0, -285) vs. [#58LW] Alex Oliveira (13-3-1, +226)

Last 3 Fights: Donald Cerrone (2-1-0)
2015-12-19: L vs. [#1LW/#2DD/#4P4P] Rafael dos Anjos (25-7-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:06 of round 1
2015-05-23: W vs. [#71LW] John Makdessi (13-5-0) via TKO (Head Kick) in 4:44 of round 2
2015-01-18: W vs. [#11WW] Ben Henderson (23-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Alex Oliveira (3-0-0)
2015-11-07: W vs. [#103LW] Piotr Hallmann (15-5-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:51 of round 3
2015-06-27: W vs. [#805WW] Joe Merritt (6-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-05-30: W vs. [#139LW] K.J. Noons (13-9-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:51 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Donald Cerrone 64, Alex Oliveira 106
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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Middleweight (185)
[#15] Derek Brunson (14-3-0, -360) vs. [#16] Roan Carneiro (20-9-0, +282)

Last 3 Fights: Derek Brunson (3-0-0)
2015-08-08: W vs. [#30MW] Sam Alvey (26-7-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:19 of round 1
2015-01-31: W vs. [#17LHW] Ed Herman (23-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:36 of round 1
2014-08-30: W vs. [#26WW] Lorenz Larkin (16-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Roan Carneiro (3-0-0)
2015-02-28: W vs. [*] Mark Munoz (14-6-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:40 of round 1
2014-10-03: W vs. [#129WW] Brock Larson (42-10-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-10-03: W vs. [*] Trey Houston (11-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:11 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Derek Brunson 197, Roan Carneiro 358
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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Bantamweight (135)
[#39] Cody Garbrandt (7-0-0, -309) vs. [#215] Augusto Mendes (5-0-0, +241)

Last 3 Fights: Cody Garbrandt (3-0-0)
2015-07-11: W vs. [#200BW] Enrique Briones (16-5-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-01-03: W vs. [#91BW] Marcus Brimage (7-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:50 of round 3
2014-10-04: W vs. [#657BW] Charles Stanford (6-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:37 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Augusto Mendes (3-0-0)
2015-07-17: W vs. [NA] Donald Williams (3-7-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 1:20 of round 2
2015-02-13: W vs. [#639BW] Evan Martinez (4-1-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 3:26 of round 2
2014-11-14: W vs. [NA] Richard Delfin (1-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 0:49 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cody Garbrandt 225, Augusto Mendes 219
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: Bellator 149 – Gracie vs. Shamrock III (02-19-2016)

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Jason

Heavyweight (999)
[*] Royce Gracie (14-2-3, -110) vs. [NA] Ken Shamrock (28-16-2, -113)
Royce Gracie is the All-Time #13 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Ken Shamrock is the All-Time #18 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Royce Gracie (1-1-1)
2007-06-02: W vs. [#999WW] Kazushi Sakuraba (26-17-1) via UD ()
2006-05-27: L vs. [*] Matt Hughes (45-9-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:39 of round 1
2005-12-31: D vs. [#143BW] Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2) via Draw in 10:00 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Ken Shamrock (1-2-0)
2015-06-19: L vs. [#254HW+] Kimbo Slice (5-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:22 of round 1
2010-11-25: L vs. [*] Mike Bourke (10-16-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:00 of round 1
2010-10-16: W vs. [#406HW+] Johnathan Ivey (32-54-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Royce Gracie 3184, Ken Shamrock 245
Previous Match-up Record: Royce Gracie leads 1-0-1
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 4 win(s) against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#254] Kimbo Slice (5-2-0, -408) vs. [*] Dhafir Harris (2-0-0, +316)

Last 3 Fights: Kimbo Slice (2-1-0)
2015-06-19: W vs. [NA] Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) via TKO (Punches) in 2:22 of round 1
2010-05-08: L vs. [#25HW+] Matt Mitrione (9-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:24 of round 2
2009-12-05: W vs. [#123LHW] Houston Alexander (16-13-1) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Dhafir Harris (2-0-0)
2011-02-12: W vs. [NA] Tim Papp (1-10-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:50 of round 1
2010-03-05: W vs. [NA] Cedric James (0-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:34 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kimbo Slice 245, Dhafir Harris 1833
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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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#15] Emanuel Newton (25-9-1, -131) vs. [#29] Linton Vassell (15-5-0, +108)

Last 3 Fights: Emanuel Newton (1-2-0)
2015-09-19: L vs. [#5LHW] Phil Davis (15-3-0) via Submission (Kimura) in 4:39 of round 1
2015-02-27: L vs. [#9LHW] Liam McGeary (11-0-0) via UD (48-46, 48-47, 48-47)
2014-10-24: W vs. [#29LHW] Linton Vassell (15-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 0:47 of round 5

Last 3 Fights: Linton Vassell (1-2-0)
2015-09-19: L vs. [#11HW+] Muhammed Lawal (19-4-0) via UD ()
2015-02-27: W vs. [#144HW+] Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (16-14-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:18 of round 2
2014-10-24: L vs. [#15LHW] Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 0:47 of round 5

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Emanuel Newton 153, Linton Vassell 153
Previous Match-up Record: Emanuel Newton leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Emanuel Newton leads 2-0
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UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on February 4, 2016 by McKinley Noble

UFC Fight Night 82 definitely isn’t as attractive as the once-planned UFC 196 card, but it looks like the Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez rematch will have to wait. That’s more than fine, though, since the UFC did the right thing for once and moved the PPV to television.

That brings us to our new headliner, starring Stephen Thompson and former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks, supported by a pretty decent undercard of prospect action. There’s a lot to cover with this one, so let’s cut into our usual breakdown of previous UFC fighter salaries (plus most-recent Reebok payouts) for every main card combatant.

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

Johny Hendricks [#2 WW]
$150,000** [UFC 181]

Stephen Thompson [#17 WW]
$47,000 = $21,000/$21,000 +$5,000* [TUF 21 Finale]

Analysis: Fan opinion may have soured on Hendricks in recent years, but at least he’s getting paid comparatively well for his troubles. While there’s probably little chance of any title shot as long as Robbie Lawler sits atop the division’s peak, Hendricks will certainly net some big pay bumps if he continues to build on his 17 UFC and WEC bouts with another winning streak.

And although it’s a little old-hat to keep harping on this point, Stephen Thompson should definitely be looking at a pay raise win or lose. After all, despite a stellar 10-1 record with six UFC wins, he barely makes half of the salary that Sage Northcutt commands.

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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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