Fight Matrix

Colby Covington vs. Warlley Alves is the hidden gem of UFC 194

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Richard Mann

In a weekend full of great fights, a few encounters are bound to fly below the radar. Considering the state of the UFC and their mammoth schedule, a contest between undefeated prospects like Colby Covington and Warlley Alves would normally be main card material. However, it is currently situated on the Fox Sports 1 undercard of UFC 194.

The bout is a classic example of Joe Silva matchmaking. Both fighters joined the promotion last year and have built 3-0 records inside the Octagon. Instead of continuing to schedule these fighters against middling opposition, the UFC has created a matchup between top prospects.

Covington is currently ranked 36th and Alves ranks at 39th. The former Oregon State wrestler was actually ranked as the 338th best welterweight before joining the UFC. Alves, who had fought extensively for a higher profile promotion, Jungle Fight, held the 98th spot. The following chart shows the progression of both fighters in terms of ranking points over the last two years.

Colby Covington vs. Warlley Alves Fight Matrix Ranking Points Since 1/1/2014

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TUF 22 Finale: Edgar vs. Mendes – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on December 8, 2015 by McKinley Noble

UFC 194 and Fight Night 80 may be the highlight shows this weekend, but even The Ultimate Fighter Season 22 Finale is bringing something to the table with a solid headliner on top of a not-that-terrible Friday fight card. In fact, the main event will likely determine the next challenger for the UFC Featherweight Championship.

Under normal circumstances, Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes is the kind of fight you’d expect on pay-per-view, but we’re not complaining too much. But with the TUF 22 Finale bout order undecided at current editing time, let’s pick through previous UFC fighter salaries and most-recent Reebok sponsorship payouts of the top-ranked talent on the main card.

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

Frankie Edgar [#2 FW]
$260,000 = $130,000/$130,000 [TUF 19 Finale]

Chad Mendes [#6 FW]
$530,000** = $500,000 + $30,000* [UFC 189]

Analysis: UFC 189 was an anomaly amongst anomalies for Chad Mendes in more ways than one. Not only did he suffer a loss to someone not named Jose Aldo, but he was also paid a princely $530,000 to fight for an interim title on ridiculously short notice.

With that business done, we’ll see how much Mendes makes in “show” and “win” money now, especially in comparison to a divisional equal and former champion in Frankie Edgar. Don’t forget, Mendes also signed a new eight-fight deal last May, so his regular disclosed pay should be much higher than the $96,000 he pulled down by beating Ricardo Lamas at UFC Fight Night 63.

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Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)

Saturday, March 14th 2026: Pancrase - 361

[#4 SW] Yuta Miyazawa

[#9 SW] Kanji Funada

Last Fight Date: 11/09/2025 [Pancrase]
Last Opponent: [#33 SW] Tateo Iino
Last 5: W W L W W

Last Fight Date: 4/27/2025 [Pancrase]
Last Opponent: [#52 SW] Takafumi Ato
Last 5: W W W W W

Friday, March 6th 2026: RIZIN 52

[#5 W105] Saori Oshima

[#11 W105] Keito Oyama

Last Fight Date: 11/02/2025 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [#1 W105] Seika Izawa
Last 5: W L L W L

Last Fight Date: 11/02/2025 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [NR] Bo Mi Lee
Last 5: L W W W W

Sunday, March 8th 2026: Deep Osaka Impact 2026 1st Round

[#7 W105] Moeri Suda

[#10 W105] Namiko Kawabata

Last Fight Date: 9/15/2025 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [#5 W105] Saori Oshima
Last 5: W W W W L

Last Fight Date: 5/25/2025 [DEEP]
Last Opponent: [#36 W105] Honoka Shigeta
Last 5: L L L W W

Featured Fighters

[#5 LW]	Justin Gaethje	[#11 LW]	Paddy Pimblett
[#1 LW]	Ilia Topuria	[#2 LW]	Arman Tsarukyan
[#1 WW]	Islam Makhachev	[NR]	Conor McGregor
[NR]	Khabib Nurmagomedov	[#1 FW]	Alexander Volkanovski
[#1 MW]	Khamzat Chimaev	[#7 LW]	Benoit St. Denis

UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on December 7, 2015 by McKinley Noble

UFC Fight Night 80 may be an all-Fight Pass card, but it’s quietly become one of the most stacked MMA events of the year with plenty of great prospects in competitive, high-stakes bouts. It’s worth watching for Rose Namajunas vs. Paige VanZant alone, but the whole main card (and a chunk of the preliminaries) is filled with pay-per-view caliber fights.

There’s many hype trains and winning streaks that could be derailed here, and depending on who’s victorious, a lot of contractual value is being put at risk for many fighters. Let’s look deeper into the details as we dive into the previous UFC fighter salaries and last Reebok sponsorship payouts for the main card talent.

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

Rose Namajunas [#7 W115]
$25,000** [TUF 20 Finale]

Paige VanZant [#21 W115]
$26,500 = $12,000/$12,000 + $2,500* [UFC 191]

Analysis: Paige VanZant may be young, over-ranked in the UFC system, and benefiting from favorable match-making, but the buck stops here. While there’s not too much difference rankings-wise between Rose Namajunas and Joanne Calderwood [#8 W115] — PVZ’s original opponent — VanZant is running a much higher risk of a damaging stoppage loss in this short-notice switch.

Given that VanZant is one of the few fighters with an exclusive Reebok deal, a loss here (especially a one-sided beating) could hurt PVZ’s long term earning potential, too. At the very least, both women are on a similar level in disclosed pay, with the potential for a big jump in Reebok sponsorship money via title contention.

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Current MMA Rankings Updated (12-06-2015)

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Jason

Examining Josh Thomson’s Rehab Tour in Bellator

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Richard Mann

This Friday night Josh Thomson will face off against Pablo Villaseca in the main event of Bellator 147. The bout will mark the second time Thomson has fought in the round cage of Bellator. It is also only the second time in his career that he has faced fighters with a highest quarterly ranking above 100 in back-to-back fights.

The former Strikeforce champion is a heavy favorite against Villaseca. Thomson’s Chilean opponent is 10-1 as a professional, but his highest quarterly ranking for Fight Matrix is 266. Thomson’s previous opponent in Bellator, Mike Bronzoulis, has a highest quarterly ranking of 103. Based on strength of schedule, this fight appears to be less about competition and more about setting up Thomson to face one of Bellator’s handful of high-caliber combatants with some semblance of a win streak to his credit.

Looking at Thomson’s overall MMA resume further highlights the gap between he and Villaseca but could prove useful in predicting how Thomson stacks up with the rest of the Bellator lightweight division. Prior to joining Bellator, he spent the majority of his career in Strikeforce and the UFC. While both promotions experienced success until the UFC purchased their competitor, there was always a significant difference in match making style. Is the difference a fundamental difference in philosophy or dictated by access to highly ranked fighters? The answer is most likely both.

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All-Time Rankings Updated (12-02-2015)

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Jason

Spinanga

Highlights: Floyd Mayweather’s boxing clinic vs. Andre Berto

Posted on November 30, 2015 by EXjeonjiYubin

Even though it’s a couple months old… better late than never. Here’s some of the best moments from Mayweather vs. Berto:

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What´s a Few Molecules Between Friends? Another take on Nick Diaz and the NAC.

Posted on November 29, 2015 by MariaNBAstatsGirl

Nick Diaz uses marijuana. He tells everyone that will listen to him that he uses marijuana. He has a mild disability that marijuana helps him with. Never mind that pills are probably better for him, and who knows which is best for getting hit in the head. California and Nevada have very liberal medical marijuana use laws. The UFC formerly used the expensive test that was ungodly accurate. Under the former test Diaz could have easily passed the test pre-fight, then flunked the test post-fight. Heavy marijuana users tend to store marijuana metabolites in their fat cells, and sweat them back out under stressful situations. He claimed that he stopped using marijuana eight days before his fight. His score was so low that detection should have made someone´s momma proud. That is what got Diaz a one year suspension. After the UFC got wind of the facts, [from yours truly] they started using the cheaper, less accurate test. For some reason Diaz was tested three times for a later fight. This created conflicting evidence. Big surprise.

Marijuana metabolites have a half-life. The amount of metabolites in the blood diminishes on an exponential scale. That means that it goes away really fast. Again, Diaz had low scores. Diaz was his usual disrespectful self. As is also usual, men in a position to make discretionary decisions look for a way to abuse that power. So after collecting conflicting evidence, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspends Nick Diaz for five years. Both times he opted to hire in-your-face lawyers to advocate for him. Both lawyers caused long delays when they should have asked for justice tempered with mercy. Hotly contested cases have to be prepared for, and later appealed. His license to fight has been suspended since his last fight, Jan 31 2015.

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Current MMA Rankings Updated (11-29-2015)

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Jason

Bang for Your Buck: UFC Fight Night 79

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Oleg

Ahh.. another Fight Pass event. And once again, what could have been a decent card (by Fight Pass standards, at least) got turned into a steaming pile of crap in the weeks preceding the fight, as one after another fighters dropped off the event for various reasons. First we lost the co-main of Mirko ‘Cro-Cop’ Filipovic vs Anthony Hamilton when Cro-Cop withdrew from the bout with simultaneous reasons of a nagging injury, a decision to retire from the sport, and a failed drug test for HGH. Then, Thiago Alves, who was scheduled to face Ben Henderson in the main event, also pulled out with an injury. As a result, the UFC reshuffled a few fights on the card, and were able to salvage the main event. As for the rest of this card, the most interesting thing about it is that there are now two Dong Hyun Kims on the UFC roster, in the same weight class. So try not to mix up the established welterweight ‘Stun Gun’ Kim with the debuting welterweight ‘Maestro’ Kim. All right, enough of this nonsence, let’s get on with it.

Main Event: [#16 WW] Ben Henderson vs [#21 WW] Jorge Masvidal

Worth: $10

Why: This is a fight that just a short while ago we might have seen in the lightweight division. Former 155 lbs champion Benson Henderson made a move to the welterweight division after two consecutive losses at lightweight, stepping up on short notice against Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60, and scored a late submission win after working through some difficulties in the early rounds. For a while Henderson was noncommittal on which weight class he will call home, but it seems that he has finally settled at 170, at least for the time being.

His opponent Jorge Masvidal has also fought at lightweight for most of his career, though he has had a few welterweight bouts on occasion. He too came out victorious in his first UFC fight at 170 lbs, knocking out Cezar ‘Mutante’ Ferreira in the first round. With both guys still near their prime, and ranked in the welterweight Top 20 (or close enough to it, in Masvidal’s case), the winner of this bout could earn a Top-10 ranking and make a run for title contendership in the wide open and ultra-competitive division.

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FightMatrix Program: UFC Fight Night 79 – Henderson/Alves (11-28-2015)

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Jason

Welterweight (170)
[#16] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) vs. [#21] Jorge Masvidal (29-9-0)
Ben Henderson is the All-Time #19 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ben Henderson (1-2-0)
2015-02-14: W vs. [#72WW] Brandon Thatch (11-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:58 of round 4
2015-01-18: L vs. [#2LW/#10P4P] Donald Cerrone (28-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-08-23: L vs. [#1LW/#5DD/#7P4P] Rafael dos Anjos (24-7-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:31 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Jorge Masvidal (2-1-0)
2015-07-12: W vs. [#169WW] Cezar Ferreira (8-5-0) via KO (Elbows and Punches) in 4:22 of round 1
2015-04-04: L vs. [#10LW] Al Iaquinta (13-3-1) via SD (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#39LW] James Krause (22-7-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ben Henderson 287, Jorge Masvidal 139
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Ben Henderson leads 2-0
.

Welterweight (170)
[#10] Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1) vs. [#177] Dominic Waters (9-3-0)

Last 3 Fights: Dong Hyun Kim (2-1-0)
2015-05-23: W vs. [#48WW] Josh Burkman (27-12-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:13 of round 3
2014-08-23: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:01 of round 1
2014-03-01: W vs. [*] John Hathaway (17-2-0) via KO (Spinning Back Elbow) in 1:02 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Dominic Waters (2-1-0)
2015-07-12: L vs. [#50WW] George Sullivan (17-4-0) via UD (29-27, 30-25, 29-28)
2015-03-21: W vs. [#649LW] Jack Montgomery (16-18-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:05 of round 1
2015-02-06: W vs. [#671WW] Mikey Gomez (17-12-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dong Hyun Kim 189, Dominic Waters 139
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

Welterweight (170)
[*] Alberto Mina (11-0-0) vs. [#235] Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5-0)

Last 3 Fights: Alberto Mina (3-0-0)
2014-08-23: W vs. [#144WW] Shinsho Anzai (9-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:17 of round 1
2013-12-21: W vs. [#174WW] Glenn Sparv (12-3-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 2:44 of round 1
2011-08-07: W vs. [*] Boy Eggels (2-1-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 3:11 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Yoshihiro Akiyama (1-2-0)
2014-09-20: W vs. [#405WW] Amir Sadollah (6-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-02-26: L vs. [#14WW] Jake Shields (31-8-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-08-06: L vs. [#3MW] Vitor Belfort (25-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:52 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alberto Mina 462, Yoshihiro Akiyama 434
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 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal – Who’s Getting Paid?

Posted on November 25, 2015 by McKinley Noble

UFC Fight Night 79 may look like a smaller MMA card at a glance, but the main event is a blockbuster affair with some high stakes. Former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson returns in a violence-assured contest against dangerous fellow-veteran Jorge Masvidal, as both men look to put together the start of a winning streak in the welterweight division.

Things aren’t quite that simple for Henderson, though. Sure, he’s racking up money and climbing that UFC/Reebok tenure ladder. But “Bendo” is also intent on wrapping up his UFC contract for a run at the MMA free agency market. That’s unusual for an elite guy like Henderson, but let’s look deeper into the details as we dive into the previous UFC fighter salaries and last Reebok sponsorship payouts for the main card talent.

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

Benson Henderson [#16 WW]
$48,000** [UFC Fight Night 59]

Jorge Masvidal [#21 WW]
$102,000 = $51,000/$51,000 + $10,000* [TUF 21 Finale]

Analysis: If the numbers look skewed here, it’s worth noting that Bendo was making $110,000 in “show money” at his peak as UFC Lightweight Champion. Since disclosed pay is all we have to judge by, it seems Henderson’s suffered through a heck of a pay cut, and that’s along with whatever damage the Reebok deal has already done.

If that’s the case, it’s no wonder Henderson is thinking of taking his talents to Bellator, or perhaps ONE Championship. Even past his prime, it’s fair to guess the former UFC/WEC titleholder would be a decent draw and betting favorite against non-UFC 155-ers or 170-pounders.

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Current MMA Rankings Updated (11-22-2015)

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Jason

Bang for Your Buck: UFC Fight Night 78

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Oleg

Last week in Melbourne, Australia, Holly Holm scored a huge upset at UFC 193 when she knocked out the reigning women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, claiming the title with a head kick in the second round. This weekend we’re off to Monterrey, Mexico, for a rather pedestrian Fight Night event on Fox Sports 1. The original main event for this card pitted Kelvin Gastelum against Matt Brown; after Brown pulled out with an injury, Neil Magny once again stepped up as a short-notice replacement. The main card also features a flyweight matchup between Jussier da Silva and Henry Cejudo, which will most likely determine the next contender for Demetrious Johnson’s title. A couple of other so-so fights round out the main card, while the prelims – both the ones on Fox Sports 1 and the ones streamed on Fight Pass – don’t offer anything worth mentioning.

Main Event: [#13 MW] Kelvin Gastelum vs [#21 WW] Neil Magny

Worth: $10

Why: While I would have preferred to see the original matchup of Kelvin Gastelum vs Matt Brown (because who doesn’t love a Matt Brown fight?), the UFC managed to salvage the main event with a fight that’s almost as interesting. Thank Neil Magny, who is becoming the go-to guy for last minute replacements in the welterweight division. Magny did not start his UFC career on a high note, dropping 2 of his first 3 fights, but then went on an unlikely 7 win streak against gradually increasing level of competition. He then took a big step up against Demian Maia, and was dominated on the ground and eventually submitted by a superior grappler. Magny rebounded with a split decision win against Erick Silva and will now attempt to move further up the rankings against a highly touted prospect who is making his return to 170 lbs after a temporary exile from the division.

‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Season 17 middleweight winner Kelvin Gastelum looked like he was on a fast track to contendership, rattling off four straight wins since dropping to welterweight, but had trouble making weight in almost every fight. After badly missing weight for what could have been the #1 contender bout with Tyrone Woodley, and subsequently losing a split decision, Gastelum was banished back to middleweight, where he beat up a way over the hill Nate Marquadt. Somehow, Gastelum convinced Dana White to give him another chance to make 170. And so we end up with quite an interesting fight between two up-and-comers, the outcome of which will propel one of them into the upper echelon of the division. Assuming Kelvin makes weight, of course.

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Help Wanted

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Oleg

Dear readers:

We are looking for someone to help us with direct marketing – in other words, selling advertisement space on FightMatrix.com to sports apparel & supplements manufacturers, or any other company that may be interested in reaching thousands of MMA fans who visit our site daily. This is a commission-based position: help us make money, and you will make some for yourself. No experience necessary – just internet access and ambition. If you think you have what it takes, email advertise@fightmatrix.com for more details.

We’re also always looking for volunteer bloggers – if you have an opinion on anything pertaining to MMA, boxing, or any other combat sports or martial arts, you can make it heard here. We’re in no position to pay for content, but this could be a great opportunity to get your name out there if you’re looking for a career in sports writing. Dallas Winston, a highly respected contributor to sites like Bloody Elbow and Cage Potato, got his start as a guest blogger for Fight Matrix. Do you want to be the next Dallas Winston? If so, please email the address above or just drop us a note in our forum!