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UFC 142 'UFC Prelims' ratings: First FX special earns 880,000 viewers
The UFC's first-ever "UFC Prelims" special on FX drew 880,000 viewers.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today learned of the numbers from an industry source.
The latest special, the promotion's first since ending a long-running partnership with Spike TV, coincided with this past Saturday's UFC 142 event and featured four-preliminary card contests during the two-hour broadcast.
The viewership number is slightly smaller than for any of the 26 "UFC Prelims" broadcasts to air on Spike TV but does beat out each of the three specials that aired on ION Television.
UFC 141 took place this past Saturday, Jan. 14, HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to the two-hour "UFC Prelims" special, the main card aired on pay-per-view, and one other prelim fight streamed on Facebook.
The FX special saw Thiago Tavares earn a narrow decision win over Sam Stour, Gabriel Gonzaga score a first-round submission win over newcomer Ednaldo Oliveira, Yuri Alcantara cruise to a decision over Michihiro Omigawa and Mike Pyle net an 82-second TKO win over Ricardo Funch.
Live fights return to FX Friday night with the main card of UFC on FX 1. FUEL TV carries the evening's preliminary contests.
The full list of "UFC Prelims" broadcasts and ratings as compiled by MMAjunkie.com includes:
•1) UFC 126 (February 2011): 2 million viewers
•2) UFC 141 (December 2011): 1.8 million viewers#
•3) UFC 109 (February 2010): 1.7 million
4) UFC 135 (September 2011): 1.6 million#
•4) UFC 131 (June 2011): 1.6 million#
•5) UFC 114 (May 2010): 1.6 million#
•7) UFC 129 (April 2010): 1.5 million
7) UFC 108 (January 2010): 1.5 million
7) UFC 121 (October 2010): 1.5 million#
•7) UFC 123 (November 2010): 1.5 million#
•11) UFC 133 (August 2011): 1.4 million#
•11) UFC 104 (October 2009): 1.4 million#
•11) UFC 103 (September 2009): 1.4 million#
•14) UFC 134 (August 2011): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 130 (May 2011): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 128 (March 2011): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 119 (September 2010): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 116 (July 2010): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 115 (June 2010): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 106 (November 2009): 1.3 million
21) UFC 139 (November 2011): 1.2 million#
•21) UFC 132 (July 2011): 1.2 million#
•21) UFC 111 (March 2010): 1.2 million#
•24) UFC 137 (October 2011): 1.1 million#
•24) UFC 118 (August 2010): 1.1 million#
•26) UFC 136 (October 2011): 1 million#
•27) UFC 142 (January 2012): 880,000
•28) UFC 125 (January 2011): 829,000*
•29) UFC 140 (December 2011): 808,000*
•30) UFC 127 (February 2011): 714,000*
# - Aired on Spike TV
* - Aired on ION Television
The UFC first offered a PPV teaser broadcast for UFC 103, when the UFC went head-to-head on Spike TV with a boxing PPV broadcast featuring Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. The specials proved effective enough at generating last-minute PPV buys that officials from the UFC and the organization's longtime cable partner decided to make them a regular offering.
However, due to the UFC's new deal with FOX, the prelims specials are moving to FX and FUEL TV this year.
The UFC's first-ever "UFC Prelims" special on FX drew 880,000 viewers.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today learned of the numbers from an industry source.
The latest special, the promotion's first since ending a long-running partnership with Spike TV, coincided with this past Saturday's UFC 142 event and featured four-preliminary card contests during the two-hour broadcast.
The viewership number is slightly smaller than for any of the 26 "UFC Prelims" broadcasts to air on Spike TV but does beat out each of the three specials that aired on ION Television.
UFC 141 took place this past Saturday, Jan. 14, HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to the two-hour "UFC Prelims" special, the main card aired on pay-per-view, and one other prelim fight streamed on Facebook.
The FX special saw Thiago Tavares earn a narrow decision win over Sam Stour, Gabriel Gonzaga score a first-round submission win over newcomer Ednaldo Oliveira, Yuri Alcantara cruise to a decision over Michihiro Omigawa and Mike Pyle net an 82-second TKO win over Ricardo Funch.
Live fights return to FX Friday night with the main card of UFC on FX 1. FUEL TV carries the evening's preliminary contests.
The full list of "UFC Prelims" broadcasts and ratings as compiled by MMAjunkie.com includes:
•1) UFC 126 (February 2011): 2 million viewers
•2) UFC 141 (December 2011): 1.8 million viewers#
•3) UFC 109 (February 2010): 1.7 million
4) UFC 135 (September 2011): 1.6 million#
•4) UFC 131 (June 2011): 1.6 million#
•5) UFC 114 (May 2010): 1.6 million#
•7) UFC 129 (April 2010): 1.5 million
7) UFC 108 (January 2010): 1.5 million
7) UFC 121 (October 2010): 1.5 million#
•7) UFC 123 (November 2010): 1.5 million#
•11) UFC 133 (August 2011): 1.4 million#
•11) UFC 104 (October 2009): 1.4 million#
•11) UFC 103 (September 2009): 1.4 million#
•14) UFC 134 (August 2011): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 130 (May 2011): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 128 (March 2011): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 119 (September 2010): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 116 (July 2010): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 115 (June 2010): 1.3 million#
•14) UFC 106 (November 2009): 1.3 million
21) UFC 139 (November 2011): 1.2 million#
•21) UFC 132 (July 2011): 1.2 million#
•21) UFC 111 (March 2010): 1.2 million#
•24) UFC 137 (October 2011): 1.1 million#
•24) UFC 118 (August 2010): 1.1 million#
•26) UFC 136 (October 2011): 1 million#
•27) UFC 142 (January 2012): 880,000
•28) UFC 125 (January 2011): 829,000*
•29) UFC 140 (December 2011): 808,000*
•30) UFC 127 (February 2011): 714,000*
# - Aired on Spike TV
* - Aired on ION Television
The UFC first offered a PPV teaser broadcast for UFC 103, when the UFC went head-to-head on Spike TV with a boxing PPV broadcast featuring Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. The specials proved effective enough at generating last-minute PPV buys that officials from the UFC and the organization's longtime cable partner decided to make them a regular offering.
However, due to the UFC's new deal with FOX, the prelims specials are moving to FX and FUEL TV this year.
With fighter pay in spotlight, UFC vets shed light on life in octagon's middle-class
For three of the UFC's rank and file, the bottom line rarely ends at "show" and "win."
Sponsorships, performance bonuses, and discretionary bonuses help to line the pockets of George Roop, Jacob Volkmann and Nam Phan.
They are not millionaires. But despite a wide disparity in pay with their headliner counterparts, figures disclosed by the fighters painted an upper-middle-class living.
Pay-per-view dollars are, for now, a faraway dream that Roop, Volkmann and Phan hope to realize. They have won and lost and are no strangers to the preliminary card. They draw hardcore interest but are known by a casual few.
Featherweight Roop, a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 8," has fought nine times in the now-defunct WEC and UFC and carries a record of 3-5-1 under the Zuffa-owned promotions. Lightweight Volkmann signed with the promotion in 2009 and has fought seven times in the UFC, where he's amassed a 5-2 record including five consecutive wins inside the octagon. Phan, a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 12," has fought four times in the UFC as a featherweight and carries a 1-3 record.
Thirty-nine millionaires have been created by the promotion, according to UFC executive Lorenzo Fertitta, who defended his company's pay structure in a controversial segment aired on Sunday for ESPN's "Outside the Lines." Responding to charges that top stars are compensated handsomely while lower-tier fighters risk life and limb for as low as $6,000 a fight, he said the company shares around 50 percent of its revenue with athletes under contract.
Roop, Volkmann and Phan's guaranteed pay leans toward the lower end of what fighters make in the promotion.
But they're not struggling.
The pay
Roop plainly said it was nobody's business how much money he makes. But he also wanted to make it plainly known that he feels well-compensated.
"I just bought a house, and you have to remember, I'm on the lower echelon," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)
Roop said he made $6,000 for his first fight of 2011, which took place in January at "UFC Fight Night 23: UFC Fights for the Troops 2." He got knocked out in 88 seconds by onetime training partner Mark Hominick, who went on to challenge current featherweight champ Jose Aldo for the title.
Roop, who negotiated a multi-fight contract with the WEC that carried over to the UFC, would have made another $6,000 in guaranteed pay had he won the main-card fight. But as it turned out, he was afterward given a $6,000 discretionary bonus. He also took home an additional $20,000 in pay from sponsors after a 15 percent deduction from a manager who helps him secure such support.
As Fertitta explained to ESPN, discretionary bonuses put extra pay in a fighter's pocket for a particularly good performance. They are not disclosed to state athletic commissions. Performance bonuses are publicly handed out following an event and include "Fight of the Night," "Submission of the Night" and Knockout of the Night." Depending on the fighter and the event, these payouts, which are part of a UFC fighter's taxable income, can dwarf his guaranteed pay.
At The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale event, Roop made another $6,000 to show on the event's preliminary card. But after landing a vicious body punch to Josh Grispi, he earned a $6,000 win bonus, as well as a discretionary bonus he said was "$6,000 or $8,000." Because the fight later aired on Spike TV, he received a pay bump in sponsors that totaled just under $20,000 after his manager's deduction. (Televised fights traditionally fetch higher sponsorship fees because they carry a wider audience than preliminary-card fights. Roop said he's guaranteed higher pay in the event that his bout is broadcast.)
At this past October's UFC 137 event, Roop's pay jumped to a guaranteed $8,000 as the result of his previous win, though he was denied an $8,000 win bonus when he lost a split decision to Hatsu Hioki. Nevertheless, he was paid a "$5,000 or $6,000" discretionary bonus, and picked up an additional $19,000 from sponsors.
In all, Roop estimates he made around $100,000 before taxes from fighting in the UFC this past year. Although he was victorious in just one of three bouts, all were action-packed.
Volkmann, who gave an interview while ice fishing in White Bear Lake, Minn., is reaping the benefits of the pyramid structure typical to UFC contracts in fights this year. He banked $32,000 ($16,000 to show and $16,000 to win) in his most recent fight – a unanimous-decision win over Efrain Escudero at UFC 141 – that amounted to a 22 percent increase from his previous check of $28,000 ($14,000 to show/win), which he earned by outpointing Danny Castillo at UFC on Versus 5. And the payout was a 17 percent increase from the $24,000 ($12,000 to show/win) he earned with a decision win over Antonio McKee at UFC 125.
Twenty percent of Volkmann's show and win purses went to his manager, and he paid his gym $1,000 in gym and training fees.
For UFC 125, he took home a $3,000 discretionary bonus. But that more than doubled at UFC on Versus 5, where he was paid an additional $7,000. He awaits his check from UFC 141.
At the moment, sponsor pay lags. Volkmann, who has fought on preliminary-card bouts in five of seven UFC appearances, said he received $1,500 for UFC 125, $1200 for UFC on Versus 5, and $2,000 for UFC 141. He receives no pay for wearing patches representing his gym and the National Guard, as they don't officially sponsor him.
"Sometimes I'll get a bar, but they only give 250 bucks," he said.
Volkmann, who also runs a chiropractic business and coaches part-time for a high school wrestling team (he is currently on administrative leave), estimates he took home between $60,000 and $65,000 before taxes in 2011.
Phan declined to disclose the discretionary bonuses he earned this past year, though he said they were "always generous." As part of the cast for "The Ultimate Fighter 12," he directly negotiated a deal that gave him a guaranteed $8,000 to show and $8,000 to win for each of his fights. He won one out of his three, though a performance bonus for his fight with Leonard Garcia at UFC 136 put an additional $75,000 in his pocket for "Fight of the Night."
Sponsor-wise, Phan estimates he made between $19,000 and $21,000 this past year.
"I've fought with a lot of other organizations," Phan said. "They pay horrible. They make you sell tickets. UFC is such a huge difference.
"I fought boxing, and I got like a thousand bucks. It was crap. Six-thousand dollars is great!"
The cost
There is constant injury and the monastic life required to compete at the sport's highest levels, but it's also not cheap to be a fighter. Equipment, travel, food, supplements, licensing, and medical insurance are the primary costs associated with the job, the fighters said.
Roop and Volkmann fly additional cornermen to fights and pay for the licensing fees required by state athletic commissions (The UFC covers the cost of one cornerman per fight). Roop gives the UFC's $50 per diem to his team during fight week, as he's cutting weight and isn't eating much. Phan's cornermen fly themselves to his fights and pay their own fees. All pile their teams into the one hotel room covered by the promotion.
"I'm being resourceful and saving up so I have money, so when my future coffeeshop-girl wife tries to divorce me, I can get half," Phan joked.
Volkmann estimates he spends $250 a week on gas getting to and from his gym, Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy. He also spends approximately $500 a year on equipment.
All fighters incurred negligible supplement costs due to sponsorships. Food ate up $500 of Phan's monthly budget, and as a gym owner, he paid $2,250 per month to rent the facility.
The costs of keeping up to date the medical paperwork required by commissions ranged from $150 to $400 yearly.
But as Roop noted, many of the expenses he incurred were tax write-offs, and with the UFC's help, he was able to create a limited liability company in his name that helped him save money at the end of the year.
He also said he profited from appearance requests. A trip to a local Hooters to watch a UFC event netted him $2,000. Additionally, he was able to raise his rate for private MMA lessons to $70 per hour.
Of course, these figures are self-reported and are unlikely to represent the total costs and benefits the fighters incur on a yearly basis. Unnamed fighters quoted by ESPN said they were "fighting for crumbs" and "couldn't make ends meet" if they made $10,000 a fight and fought twice a year. One said training expenses ran $22,000 per year before travel costs were added.
Roop fought three times this past year and has greatly benefitted as the result of his busy schedule. That might not be the case if things slowed. But regardless, he said the UFC's annual fighter summit helped instill a sense of thrift.
Each year, Zuffa flies its contracted athletes to a multi-day conference that addresses the ins and outs of working for the promotion, marketing, drug abuse, and financial planning.
"It's not about how much you earn," Roop said. "It's about how much you keep."
The split
Although widely estimated to be worth in excess of one billion dollars, the UFC's yearly revenue is unknown, and Fertitta, who along with brother Frank Fertitta Jr. owns a majority stake in the privately-held Zuffa, won't reveal an exact figure. Moreover, he declined to reveal amounts given to fighters as discretionary bonuses on the basis that it would cause more complications in their lives.
Fertitta said comparisons with other major sports leagues don't work when gauging Zuffa's generosity to its fighters. He said that unlike the company's major league counterparts, significant costs in marketing, production, and staffing are paid by the company. Despite that, fighter pay has grown a twice the rate of the revenue growth.
Nevertheless, Zuffa could be forced to defend its position to the government. Fertitta said it was his understanding that an investigation launched this past year by the Federal Trade Commission stemmed from Zuffa's purchase of rival promotion Strikeforce.
In a video rebuttal to the ESPN report, upper-echelon fighters interviewed by the UFC staunchly defended the promotion's pay practices. But even for those who didn't enjoy a share of pay-per-view dollars or backstage million-dollar bonuses, the bottom line looked good, particularly when fights were frequent. And when weighed against the alternatives, there seemed no comparison.
"Do I wish that I could make a million dollars? Of course," Roop said. "But I understand that you have to work your way up. I think it's about how much hard work you put in, and how you perform."
For three of the UFC's rank and file, the bottom line rarely ends at "show" and "win."
Sponsorships, performance bonuses, and discretionary bonuses help to line the pockets of George Roop, Jacob Volkmann and Nam Phan.
They are not millionaires. But despite a wide disparity in pay with their headliner counterparts, figures disclosed by the fighters painted an upper-middle-class living.
Pay-per-view dollars are, for now, a faraway dream that Roop, Volkmann and Phan hope to realize. They have won and lost and are no strangers to the preliminary card. They draw hardcore interest but are known by a casual few.
Featherweight Roop, a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 8," has fought nine times in the now-defunct WEC and UFC and carries a record of 3-5-1 under the Zuffa-owned promotions. Lightweight Volkmann signed with the promotion in 2009 and has fought seven times in the UFC, where he's amassed a 5-2 record including five consecutive wins inside the octagon. Phan, a veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 12," has fought four times in the UFC as a featherweight and carries a 1-3 record.
Thirty-nine millionaires have been created by the promotion, according to UFC executive Lorenzo Fertitta, who defended his company's pay structure in a controversial segment aired on Sunday for ESPN's "Outside the Lines." Responding to charges that top stars are compensated handsomely while lower-tier fighters risk life and limb for as low as $6,000 a fight, he said the company shares around 50 percent of its revenue with athletes under contract.
Roop, Volkmann and Phan's guaranteed pay leans toward the lower end of what fighters make in the promotion.
But they're not struggling.
The pay
Roop plainly said it was nobody's business how much money he makes. But he also wanted to make it plainly known that he feels well-compensated.
"I just bought a house, and you have to remember, I'm on the lower echelon," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com)
Roop said he made $6,000 for his first fight of 2011, which took place in January at "UFC Fight Night 23: UFC Fights for the Troops 2." He got knocked out in 88 seconds by onetime training partner Mark Hominick, who went on to challenge current featherweight champ Jose Aldo for the title.
Roop, who negotiated a multi-fight contract with the WEC that carried over to the UFC, would have made another $6,000 in guaranteed pay had he won the main-card fight. But as it turned out, he was afterward given a $6,000 discretionary bonus. He also took home an additional $20,000 in pay from sponsors after a 15 percent deduction from a manager who helps him secure such support.
As Fertitta explained to ESPN, discretionary bonuses put extra pay in a fighter's pocket for a particularly good performance. They are not disclosed to state athletic commissions. Performance bonuses are publicly handed out following an event and include "Fight of the Night," "Submission of the Night" and Knockout of the Night." Depending on the fighter and the event, these payouts, which are part of a UFC fighter's taxable income, can dwarf his guaranteed pay.
At The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale event, Roop made another $6,000 to show on the event's preliminary card. But after landing a vicious body punch to Josh Grispi, he earned a $6,000 win bonus, as well as a discretionary bonus he said was "$6,000 or $8,000." Because the fight later aired on Spike TV, he received a pay bump in sponsors that totaled just under $20,000 after his manager's deduction. (Televised fights traditionally fetch higher sponsorship fees because they carry a wider audience than preliminary-card fights. Roop said he's guaranteed higher pay in the event that his bout is broadcast.)
At this past October's UFC 137 event, Roop's pay jumped to a guaranteed $8,000 as the result of his previous win, though he was denied an $8,000 win bonus when he lost a split decision to Hatsu Hioki. Nevertheless, he was paid a "$5,000 or $6,000" discretionary bonus, and picked up an additional $19,000 from sponsors.
In all, Roop estimates he made around $100,000 before taxes from fighting in the UFC this past year. Although he was victorious in just one of three bouts, all were action-packed.
Volkmann, who gave an interview while ice fishing in White Bear Lake, Minn., is reaping the benefits of the pyramid structure typical to UFC contracts in fights this year. He banked $32,000 ($16,000 to show and $16,000 to win) in his most recent fight – a unanimous-decision win over Efrain Escudero at UFC 141 – that amounted to a 22 percent increase from his previous check of $28,000 ($14,000 to show/win), which he earned by outpointing Danny Castillo at UFC on Versus 5. And the payout was a 17 percent increase from the $24,000 ($12,000 to show/win) he earned with a decision win over Antonio McKee at UFC 125.
Twenty percent of Volkmann's show and win purses went to his manager, and he paid his gym $1,000 in gym and training fees.
For UFC 125, he took home a $3,000 discretionary bonus. But that more than doubled at UFC on Versus 5, where he was paid an additional $7,000. He awaits his check from UFC 141.
At the moment, sponsor pay lags. Volkmann, who has fought on preliminary-card bouts in five of seven UFC appearances, said he received $1,500 for UFC 125, $1200 for UFC on Versus 5, and $2,000 for UFC 141. He receives no pay for wearing patches representing his gym and the National Guard, as they don't officially sponsor him.
"Sometimes I'll get a bar, but they only give 250 bucks," he said.
Volkmann, who also runs a chiropractic business and coaches part-time for a high school wrestling team (he is currently on administrative leave), estimates he took home between $60,000 and $65,000 before taxes in 2011.
Phan declined to disclose the discretionary bonuses he earned this past year, though he said they were "always generous." As part of the cast for "The Ultimate Fighter 12," he directly negotiated a deal that gave him a guaranteed $8,000 to show and $8,000 to win for each of his fights. He won one out of his three, though a performance bonus for his fight with Leonard Garcia at UFC 136 put an additional $75,000 in his pocket for "Fight of the Night."
Sponsor-wise, Phan estimates he made between $19,000 and $21,000 this past year.
"I've fought with a lot of other organizations," Phan said. "They pay horrible. They make you sell tickets. UFC is such a huge difference.
"I fought boxing, and I got like a thousand bucks. It was crap. Six-thousand dollars is great!"
The cost
There is constant injury and the monastic life required to compete at the sport's highest levels, but it's also not cheap to be a fighter. Equipment, travel, food, supplements, licensing, and medical insurance are the primary costs associated with the job, the fighters said.
Roop and Volkmann fly additional cornermen to fights and pay for the licensing fees required by state athletic commissions (The UFC covers the cost of one cornerman per fight). Roop gives the UFC's $50 per diem to his team during fight week, as he's cutting weight and isn't eating much. Phan's cornermen fly themselves to his fights and pay their own fees. All pile their teams into the one hotel room covered by the promotion.
"I'm being resourceful and saving up so I have money, so when my future coffeeshop-girl wife tries to divorce me, I can get half," Phan joked.
Volkmann estimates he spends $250 a week on gas getting to and from his gym, Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy. He also spends approximately $500 a year on equipment.
All fighters incurred negligible supplement costs due to sponsorships. Food ate up $500 of Phan's monthly budget, and as a gym owner, he paid $2,250 per month to rent the facility.
The costs of keeping up to date the medical paperwork required by commissions ranged from $150 to $400 yearly.
But as Roop noted, many of the expenses he incurred were tax write-offs, and with the UFC's help, he was able to create a limited liability company in his name that helped him save money at the end of the year.
He also said he profited from appearance requests. A trip to a local Hooters to watch a UFC event netted him $2,000. Additionally, he was able to raise his rate for private MMA lessons to $70 per hour.
Of course, these figures are self-reported and are unlikely to represent the total costs and benefits the fighters incur on a yearly basis. Unnamed fighters quoted by ESPN said they were "fighting for crumbs" and "couldn't make ends meet" if they made $10,000 a fight and fought twice a year. One said training expenses ran $22,000 per year before travel costs were added.
Roop fought three times this past year and has greatly benefitted as the result of his busy schedule. That might not be the case if things slowed. But regardless, he said the UFC's annual fighter summit helped instill a sense of thrift.
Each year, Zuffa flies its contracted athletes to a multi-day conference that addresses the ins and outs of working for the promotion, marketing, drug abuse, and financial planning.
"It's not about how much you earn," Roop said. "It's about how much you keep."
The split
Although widely estimated to be worth in excess of one billion dollars, the UFC's yearly revenue is unknown, and Fertitta, who along with brother Frank Fertitta Jr. owns a majority stake in the privately-held Zuffa, won't reveal an exact figure. Moreover, he declined to reveal amounts given to fighters as discretionary bonuses on the basis that it would cause more complications in their lives.
Fertitta said comparisons with other major sports leagues don't work when gauging Zuffa's generosity to its fighters. He said that unlike the company's major league counterparts, significant costs in marketing, production, and staffing are paid by the company. Despite that, fighter pay has grown a twice the rate of the revenue growth.
Nevertheless, Zuffa could be forced to defend its position to the government. Fertitta said it was his understanding that an investigation launched this past year by the Federal Trade Commission stemmed from Zuffa's purchase of rival promotion Strikeforce.
In a video rebuttal to the ESPN report, upper-echelon fighters interviewed by the UFC staunchly defended the promotion's pay practices. But even for those who didn't enjoy a share of pay-per-view dollars or backstage million-dollar bonuses, the bottom line looked good, particularly when fights were frequent. And when weighed against the alternatives, there seemed no comparison.
"Do I wish that I could make a million dollars? Of course," Roop said. "But I understand that you have to work your way up. I think it's about how much hard work you put in, and how you perform."
Champ Joe Warren meets Pat Curran on March 9 at Bellator 61
Pat Curran's second shot at Bellator Fighting Championship gold will apparently come on March 9.
In a report for the "Chicago Tribune," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney tells Matt Erickson that's the date Curran (16-4 MMA, 6-1 BFC) will face featherweight champ Joe Warren (7-2 MMA, 5-2 BFC) for the 145-pound title.
The contest serves as the main event of Bellator 61 and takes place at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.
As with all of Bellator's upcoming season-six events, Bellator 61 airs on MTV2.
Curran, of course, earned his shot at the belt after an impressive run through the company's 2011 "Summer Series" featherweight tournament, in which he dispatched of Marlon Sandro, Ronnie Mann and Luis Palmono.
Previously, Curran was the surprise winner of Bellator's season-two lightweight tournament, though in his bid for the 155-pound belt, he lost a decision to champion Eddie Alvarez.
Meanwhile, Warren returns to action for the first time since a September knockout loss to bantamweight Alexis Vila halted the featherweight champ's ambitious bid to also capture the 135-pound title. Prior to the loss, Warren boasted a five-fight win streak under the Bellator banner.
Bellator's upcoming sixth season kicks off March 6. The promotion is hosting season-six tourneys in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions. Each tourney winner gets $100,000 in total pay and a guaranteed title shot.
Pat Curran's second shot at Bellator Fighting Championship gold will apparently come on March 9.
In a report for the "Chicago Tribune," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney tells Matt Erickson that's the date Curran (16-4 MMA, 6-1 BFC) will face featherweight champ Joe Warren (7-2 MMA, 5-2 BFC) for the 145-pound title.
The contest serves as the main event of Bellator 61 and takes place at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind.
As with all of Bellator's upcoming season-six events, Bellator 61 airs on MTV2.
Curran, of course, earned his shot at the belt after an impressive run through the company's 2011 "Summer Series" featherweight tournament, in which he dispatched of Marlon Sandro, Ronnie Mann and Luis Palmono.
Previously, Curran was the surprise winner of Bellator's season-two lightweight tournament, though in his bid for the 155-pound belt, he lost a decision to champion Eddie Alvarez.
Meanwhile, Warren returns to action for the first time since a September knockout loss to bantamweight Alexis Vila halted the featherweight champ's ambitious bid to also capture the 135-pound title. Prior to the loss, Warren boasted a five-fight win streak under the Bellator banner.
Bellator's upcoming sixth season kicks off March 6. The promotion is hosting season-six tourneys in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions. Each tourney winner gets $100,000 in total pay and a guaranteed title shot.
With injury concerns lingering, UFC vet/broadcaster Florian still unsure of next step
It hadn't quite sunk in for Kenny Florian (14-6 MMA, 12-5 UFC) that he had been hired for a color-commentating role on the UFC's second broadcasting team. Contractually speaking, that is.
"I haven't signed anything that that's going to happen yet," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) shortly after UFC officials confirmed his new job.
It also hasn't sunk in yet that Florian may not ever fight again. Medically speaking, that is.
Doctors have told him a herniated disc in his lower back is fatal to his career inside the octagon. But he could fight again, if he is willing to endure the pain of training camp.
"I pretty much got the final word, but it just depends on how I feel going forward," he said. "The doctors have recommended that I stop fighting, for now, based on what I have. But we'll see how I feel, and who knows, maybe I can improve the situation."
For now, broadcasting is Florian's gig. Along with recent UFC hire Jon Anik, he'll call UFC on FX 1, which takes place Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., and airs live on FX and FUEL TV. In addition to his commentating role, he also took a job on the weekly "UFC Tonight" program on FUEL TV and will be part of some upcoming event specials.
"It's good to stay busy and be able to make some money while I'm not able to fight," he said.
Florian first served as a color commentator at UFC 83 and went on to call five other fights in the now-defunct WEC and UFC.
A two-time title challenger at lightweight, Florian was unsuccessful in a bid to win featherweight champion Jose Aldo's crown in his most recent appearance at UFC 136. He continues to train, but far from the way he does in preparation for a fight.
"(I'm) very limited with my training and what I can do, and just waiting to get over the pain," Florian said. "Eventually, hopefully, be able to do something on a consistent basis without feeling this pain in my back."
The veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 1" said he "didn't like hypotheticals" when asked if there were any fights he'd like to take as a last challenge in the event he could compete again. And on Tuesday night's new edition of "UFC Tonight," Florian would only say he is taking a "wait and see" approach. In the meantime, the longtime fan favorite is trying to remain upbeat.
"I always try to make the positive out of anything I do, so just waiting to see what happens," Florian said. "It is what it is."
It hadn't quite sunk in for Kenny Florian (14-6 MMA, 12-5 UFC) that he had been hired for a color-commentating role on the UFC's second broadcasting team. Contractually speaking, that is.
"I haven't signed anything that that's going to happen yet," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) shortly after UFC officials confirmed his new job.
It also hasn't sunk in yet that Florian may not ever fight again. Medically speaking, that is.
Doctors have told him a herniated disc in his lower back is fatal to his career inside the octagon. But he could fight again, if he is willing to endure the pain of training camp.
"I pretty much got the final word, but it just depends on how I feel going forward," he said. "The doctors have recommended that I stop fighting, for now, based on what I have. But we'll see how I feel, and who knows, maybe I can improve the situation."
For now, broadcasting is Florian's gig. Along with recent UFC hire Jon Anik, he'll call UFC on FX 1, which takes place Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., and airs live on FX and FUEL TV. In addition to his commentating role, he also took a job on the weekly "UFC Tonight" program on FUEL TV and will be part of some upcoming event specials.
"It's good to stay busy and be able to make some money while I'm not able to fight," he said.
Florian first served as a color commentator at UFC 83 and went on to call five other fights in the now-defunct WEC and UFC.
A two-time title challenger at lightweight, Florian was unsuccessful in a bid to win featherweight champion Jose Aldo's crown in his most recent appearance at UFC 136. He continues to train, but far from the way he does in preparation for a fight.
"(I'm) very limited with my training and what I can do, and just waiting to get over the pain," Florian said. "Eventually, hopefully, be able to do something on a consistent basis without feeling this pain in my back."
The veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 1" said he "didn't like hypotheticals" when asked if there were any fights he'd like to take as a last challenge in the event he could compete again. And on Tuesday night's new edition of "UFC Tonight," Florian would only say he is taking a "wait and see" approach. In the meantime, the longtime fan favorite is trying to remain upbeat.
"I always try to make the positive out of anything I do, so just waiting to see what happens," Florian said. "It is what it is."
Source: Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva not happening
A heavily rumored matchup between former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Antonio Silva (16-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is not happening, a source today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
The bout was reportedly targeted for April, when the UFC is scheduled to return to Atlanta for UFC 146.
While Silva is still targeted to make his octagon debut on that month, his opponent is undetermined.
"Bigfoot" most recently appeared in Strikeforce, where he was eliminated in the semifinals of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix when Daniel Cormier knocked him out at an event this past June. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak capped off by a stunning upset over Fedor Emelianenko in the tournament's quarterfinals.
Velasquez lost his belt this past November when Junior Dos Santos knocked him out at UFC on FOX to take the title. It was the first loss of his professional career in 10 fights.
A heavily rumored matchup between former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Antonio Silva (16-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is not happening, a source today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
The bout was reportedly targeted for April, when the UFC is scheduled to return to Atlanta for UFC 146.
While Silva is still targeted to make his octagon debut on that month, his opponent is undetermined.
"Bigfoot" most recently appeared in Strikeforce, where he was eliminated in the semifinals of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix when Daniel Cormier knocked him out at an event this past June. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak capped off by a stunning upset over Fedor Emelianenko in the tournament's quarterfinals.
Velasquez lost his belt this past November when Junior Dos Santos knocked him out at UFC on FOX to take the title. It was the first loss of his professional career in 10 fights.
With FUEL TV contracts stunting growth, UFC boss advises switch to DirecTV
Does your local cable provider not offer FUEL TV in HD?
Switch to DirecTV, says UFC president Dana White.
"The bottom line is DirecTV has FUEL TV, and it's in HD," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If you are a hardcore UFC fan, and you are in either Time Warner or Comcast – and you want it now and you want it in HD – you have to switch to DirecTV."
In 2011, FUEL TV was cable's lowest-rated channel. However, thanks largely to the UFC's new partnership with the channel, which airs live fights and an array of other UFC programming, FUEL TV has expanded from a meager 25 million U.S. homes to approximately 36 million in just a matter of months. (By comparison, the UFC's former longtime home, Spike TV, is available in approximately 100 million.)
Still, FUEL TV remains a premium-subscription option on many cable platforms, and officials face an uphill battle in expanding the channel's reach. A well-produced "Countdown to UFC 141" special, for example, garnered just 15,000 viewers for its debut and 1,000 viewers for a subsequent replay – despite the Dec. 30 event being one of the UFC's biggest shows of 2011.
White has repeatedly called the channel a "must-have" for all UFC fans, but subscribers of several major cable providers, including Comcast and Time Warner, are currently only able to score the channel in standard definition, if at all.
Despite repeated pleas from fans, White said it will likely be late 2012 before those providers' contracts with FUEL TV are up for review.
"Their deal isn't up for like nine months, meaning FOX doesn't renew the deals with all those guys for nine months," White said. "What you can do, if you're willing to do it, is switch to DirecTV."
DirecTV currently carries FUEL TV, as well as FOX and FX, in high definition.
In December, White told MMAjunkie.com he was unconcerned at the low ratings that kicked off the promotion's new partnership with FUEL TV and promised to help build viewership over time.
"Those numbers will build," White said in December. "We're going to build that network, and I can't explain to you guys – this is no [expletive], I'm not trying to hype anything – I am so pumped for January to come and to dive into this deal and start working.
"As far as our fanbase goes and the amount of content we're going to have on FUEL TV, people are going to want it and people are going to demand it."
Now a few weeks into the project, White remains unconcerned at the challenge.
"You guys have to understand this whole thing is a work in progress, from the Globo deal (in Brazil) to the FOX deal. We're getting all our ducks in a row and getting this stuff figured out. It's fun."
Does your local cable provider not offer FUEL TV in HD?
Switch to DirecTV, says UFC president Dana White.
"The bottom line is DirecTV has FUEL TV, and it's in HD," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If you are a hardcore UFC fan, and you are in either Time Warner or Comcast – and you want it now and you want it in HD – you have to switch to DirecTV."
In 2011, FUEL TV was cable's lowest-rated channel. However, thanks largely to the UFC's new partnership with the channel, which airs live fights and an array of other UFC programming, FUEL TV has expanded from a meager 25 million U.S. homes to approximately 36 million in just a matter of months. (By comparison, the UFC's former longtime home, Spike TV, is available in approximately 100 million.)
Still, FUEL TV remains a premium-subscription option on many cable platforms, and officials face an uphill battle in expanding the channel's reach. A well-produced "Countdown to UFC 141" special, for example, garnered just 15,000 viewers for its debut and 1,000 viewers for a subsequent replay – despite the Dec. 30 event being one of the UFC's biggest shows of 2011.
White has repeatedly called the channel a "must-have" for all UFC fans, but subscribers of several major cable providers, including Comcast and Time Warner, are currently only able to score the channel in standard definition, if at all.
Despite repeated pleas from fans, White said it will likely be late 2012 before those providers' contracts with FUEL TV are up for review.
"Their deal isn't up for like nine months, meaning FOX doesn't renew the deals with all those guys for nine months," White said. "What you can do, if you're willing to do it, is switch to DirecTV."
DirecTV currently carries FUEL TV, as well as FOX and FX, in high definition.
In December, White told MMAjunkie.com he was unconcerned at the low ratings that kicked off the promotion's new partnership with FUEL TV and promised to help build viewership over time.
"Those numbers will build," White said in December. "We're going to build that network, and I can't explain to you guys – this is no [expletive], I'm not trying to hype anything – I am so pumped for January to come and to dive into this deal and start working.
"As far as our fanbase goes and the amount of content we're going to have on FUEL TV, people are going to want it and people are going to demand it."
Now a few weeks into the project, White remains unconcerned at the challenge.
"You guys have to understand this whole thing is a work in progress, from the Globo deal (in Brazil) to the FOX deal. We're getting all our ducks in a row and getting this stuff figured out. It's fun."
UFC targeting 'TUF: Australia vs. U.K.' for 2012, eyes Brisbane for finale
While Brazil has been awarded the first-ever international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter," Australia may not be far behind.
At a Thursday press gathering Down Under, UFC managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said the company is "close" to securing a deal for "TUF: Australia vs. U.K."
If signed, the series would likely film in Australia later this year, and Brisbane's Brisbane Entertainment Center has been earmarked to host the finale.
"We are close to getting 'TUF: Australia vs. U.K.' done, and if we can close that, we will look to hold the finale in Brisbane," Zelznik today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Current plans for "TUF: Australia vs. U.K." call for the series to be filmed and aired via tape delay in similar fashion to the U.S. version of "TUF" during its 15 seasons on Spike TV. Zelaznik did not reveal if the company has discussed potential coaches or when the series would likely tape/air.
A Brisbane event would mark the UFC's first-ever Australian event outside of the city of Sydney, which has thus far hosted two sold-out events, UFC 110 in 2010 and UFC 127 in 2011. The company returns to Sydney on March 3 for "UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann."
Brisbane Events Center is a smaller building that Sydney's Allphones Arena, seating approximately 13,500 fans for concerts. The venue opened in 1986 and served as the home of the National Basketball League's Brisbane Bullets.
While Brazil has been awarded the first-ever international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter," Australia may not be far behind.
At a Thursday press gathering Down Under, UFC managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said the company is "close" to securing a deal for "TUF: Australia vs. U.K."
If signed, the series would likely film in Australia later this year, and Brisbane's Brisbane Entertainment Center has been earmarked to host the finale.
"We are close to getting 'TUF: Australia vs. U.K.' done, and if we can close that, we will look to hold the finale in Brisbane," Zelznik today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Current plans for "TUF: Australia vs. U.K." call for the series to be filmed and aired via tape delay in similar fashion to the U.S. version of "TUF" during its 15 seasons on Spike TV. Zelaznik did not reveal if the company has discussed potential coaches or when the series would likely tape/air.
A Brisbane event would mark the UFC's first-ever Australian event outside of the city of Sydney, which has thus far hosted two sold-out events, UFC 110 in 2010 and UFC 127 in 2011. The company returns to Sydney on March 3 for "UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann."
Brisbane Events Center is a smaller building that Sydney's Allphones Arena, seating approximately 13,500 fans for concerts. The venue opened in 1986 and served as the home of the National Basketball League's Brisbane Bullets.
Newest 'UFC Tonight' draws series record 61,000 viewers
The third episode of the UFC's new weekly news show, "UFC Tonight," drew a series-record 61,000 viewers to the FOX-owned FUEL TV.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently learned of the figures through an industry source.
The new benchmark is more than the previous two episodes' viewership combined and also marks a 281 percent increase in viewership from the same timeslot in the previous year, according to FUEL TV officials.
The Jan. 3 series debut of "UFC Tonight" scored 39,000 viewers, and the following week's broadcast scored 20,000 viewers.
Though the UFC's numbers on FUEL TV mark a steep decline from the figures the company was used to garnering on Spike TV, UFC and FUEL TV officials caution that the entire cable channel is still a work in progress. After all, FUEL TV averaged just 15,000 viewers in 2011. However, with the UFC's recent move from Spike TV to FUEL TV, the channel has become the hub for UFC programming.
In 2011, FUEL TV was cable's lowest-rated channel. However, thanks largely to the UFC's new partnership with the channel, which airs live fights and an array of other UFC programming, FUEL TV has expanded from a meager 30 million U.S. homes to approximately 36 million in just a matter of months. (By comparison, the UFC's former longtime home, Spike TV, is available in approximately 100 million.)
Whille the growth process has proved problematic for some hardcore UFC fans who don't have FUEL TV in their programming lineup, the cable channel has seen an immediate impact in its viewership. According to FUEL TV officials, the channel has seen a 56 percent gain in total viewers over the first two weeks of 2011 and a 75 percent increase in viewers in the coveted male 18-49 demographic.
Former WEC broadcaster Todd Harris and UFC fighter Kenny Florian host "UFC Tonight," and journalists Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani are contributors. "UFC Tonight" airs each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT). If the ratings prove strong, officials have suggested new episodes could air more regularly.
The third episode of the UFC's new weekly news show, "UFC Tonight," drew a series-record 61,000 viewers to the FOX-owned FUEL TV.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently learned of the figures through an industry source.
The new benchmark is more than the previous two episodes' viewership combined and also marks a 281 percent increase in viewership from the same timeslot in the previous year, according to FUEL TV officials.
The Jan. 3 series debut of "UFC Tonight" scored 39,000 viewers, and the following week's broadcast scored 20,000 viewers.
Though the UFC's numbers on FUEL TV mark a steep decline from the figures the company was used to garnering on Spike TV, UFC and FUEL TV officials caution that the entire cable channel is still a work in progress. After all, FUEL TV averaged just 15,000 viewers in 2011. However, with the UFC's recent move from Spike TV to FUEL TV, the channel has become the hub for UFC programming.
In 2011, FUEL TV was cable's lowest-rated channel. However, thanks largely to the UFC's new partnership with the channel, which airs live fights and an array of other UFC programming, FUEL TV has expanded from a meager 30 million U.S. homes to approximately 36 million in just a matter of months. (By comparison, the UFC's former longtime home, Spike TV, is available in approximately 100 million.)
Whille the growth process has proved problematic for some hardcore UFC fans who don't have FUEL TV in their programming lineup, the cable channel has seen an immediate impact in its viewership. According to FUEL TV officials, the channel has seen a 56 percent gain in total viewers over the first two weeks of 2011 and a 75 percent increase in viewers in the coveted male 18-49 demographic.
Former WEC broadcaster Todd Harris and UFC fighter Kenny Florian host "UFC Tonight," and journalists Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani are contributors. "UFC Tonight" airs each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT). If the ratings prove strong, officials have suggested new episodes could air more regularly.
Gunnar Nelson's finally coming back to MMA after taking more than a year off to focus on BJJ competitions, Feb 25th at Cage Contender 12 against Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (12-4-0) in Dublin.
23 years old. Welterweight. 8-0-1. Black belt in goju-ryu karate. Black belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie. Finished 4th in the 09 ADCC Absolute Division, where he beat Jeff Monson and David Avellan.
23 years old. Welterweight. 8-0-1. Black belt in goju-ryu karate. Black belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie. Finished 4th in the 09 ADCC Absolute Division, where he beat Jeff Monson and David Avellan.
Evans questions Davis' mindset, says 'boy' not ready for UFC on FOX 2 spotlight
With barker extraordinaire Chael Sonnen largely electing to pass on any pre-fight trashtalk for next week's UFC on FOX 2 event, someone had to take the reigns of Friday's media call.
Rashad Evans and Phil Davis did exactly that.
The former light heavyweight champ, who through most of the call had been rather subdued, decided it was time to spice things up a bit and launched into a verbal tirade that called into question opponent Phil Davis' mentality as fighter as well as calling him a "boy" unready for his time in the spotlight.
"You ain't beating me," Evans said. "It can't get here fast enough because I'm going to smash you.
"He ain't ready. He know he ain't ready. I can look in his eyes and see he ain't ready. You're just a boy."
The barb, which seemingly came out of nowhere following a mostly peaceful pre-event buildup, left even noted trashtalker Michael Bisping impressed.
"It's about time," Bisping chimed in. "I was falling asleep."
Evans (16-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) and Davis (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) meet in the main event of next Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 event, which takes place at Chicago's United Center and features a three-bout main card that airs on FOX.
Evans, of course, is hoping a win over Davis in the main event matchup will propel him into a title fight with current champion and former teammate Jon Jones. Meanwhile, it's less clear what a victory for Davis would mean, and UFC president Dana White has suggested former Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson could potentially fill in against Jones, who has recently suggested he'd like to fight sooner rather than later.
Davis said that plan works just fine for him.
"After I beat Rashad on the 28th, they won't really have anything else to do with me other than have me fight [for the title]," Davis said. "That actually works perfectly into my plans. I take a little rest. 'Hendo' fights for the title. Whatever happens with that, cool, I'm up next."
Evans took immediate exception.
"You ain't beating me," Evans said.
Davis fired right back.
"I was kind of thinking you really shouldn't be too concerned about that title shot because that's just one of those things," Davis said. "It's not going to be for a little while. You've got a little while until you've got to worry about that title shot. It's not going to happen this time around."
For Davis, the fight is unquestionably the biggest of his career. A four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, Davis has only been fighting professionally for 39 months. And while he's made dramatic improvements along the way, former champ Evans questioned his readiness for the spotlight of a main event on network television.
"We're going to see what happens when those lights hit you – when you walk out and that crowd is roaring," Evans said. "We're going to see. We're going to see what kind of a man you are. We're going to see what kind of fighter you are because I know you ain't a fighter. I know you're not going to peak.
"When you get hit in the mouth, things change. When you got hit by [Antonio Rogerio Nogueira], you didn't know what to do. When I hit you in the mouth, you're going to feel it."
Davis was unimpressed.
"Ooh, that's scary," Davis sarcastically quipped.
When asked to clarify his claim that Davis is "not a fighter," Evans said it boils down to a different approach to walking into the octagon.
"Look, there's some people that would fight if they weren't getting paid to fight," Evans said. "I'm one of those people. Phil is not one of those people."
Davis didn't deny that his pugilistic skills are only displayed on a per-hire basis, but he certainly didn't seem to back away from the challenge of facing a former champ.
"You're absolutely right," Davis said. "I'd be pushing a pen. But since I get paid to fight, looks like you next."
The suddenly warring main-eventers certainly add flavor to a card that recently was forced to deal with the loss of Mark Munoz and the reshuffling of two of the evening's three featured contests. And while most MMA fans were salivating over the thought of Sonnen and Bisping dropping heated one-liners in the build-up to their clash, it turns out Evans and Davis are prepared to carry the load.
"You're going find a difference in mindset," Evans told Davis. "That's all I got to say. Right now you can say what you want to over the phone, but when we get in that cage and you can't get out, we're going to see how you feel then."
"When I'm on top of you, I'm going to remind you with every shot what you said," Davis quickly replied. "Remind you with every shot what you said."
With barker extraordinaire Chael Sonnen largely electing to pass on any pre-fight trashtalk for next week's UFC on FOX 2 event, someone had to take the reigns of Friday's media call.
Rashad Evans and Phil Davis did exactly that.
The former light heavyweight champ, who through most of the call had been rather subdued, decided it was time to spice things up a bit and launched into a verbal tirade that called into question opponent Phil Davis' mentality as fighter as well as calling him a "boy" unready for his time in the spotlight.
"You ain't beating me," Evans said. "It can't get here fast enough because I'm going to smash you.
"He ain't ready. He know he ain't ready. I can look in his eyes and see he ain't ready. You're just a boy."
The barb, which seemingly came out of nowhere following a mostly peaceful pre-event buildup, left even noted trashtalker Michael Bisping impressed.
"It's about time," Bisping chimed in. "I was falling asleep."
Evans (16-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) and Davis (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) meet in the main event of next Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 event, which takes place at Chicago's United Center and features a three-bout main card that airs on FOX.
Evans, of course, is hoping a win over Davis in the main event matchup will propel him into a title fight with current champion and former teammate Jon Jones. Meanwhile, it's less clear what a victory for Davis would mean, and UFC president Dana White has suggested former Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson could potentially fill in against Jones, who has recently suggested he'd like to fight sooner rather than later.
Davis said that plan works just fine for him.
"After I beat Rashad on the 28th, they won't really have anything else to do with me other than have me fight [for the title]," Davis said. "That actually works perfectly into my plans. I take a little rest. 'Hendo' fights for the title. Whatever happens with that, cool, I'm up next."
Evans took immediate exception.
"You ain't beating me," Evans said.
Davis fired right back.
"I was kind of thinking you really shouldn't be too concerned about that title shot because that's just one of those things," Davis said. "It's not going to be for a little while. You've got a little while until you've got to worry about that title shot. It's not going to happen this time around."
For Davis, the fight is unquestionably the biggest of his career. A four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, Davis has only been fighting professionally for 39 months. And while he's made dramatic improvements along the way, former champ Evans questioned his readiness for the spotlight of a main event on network television.
"We're going to see what happens when those lights hit you – when you walk out and that crowd is roaring," Evans said. "We're going to see. We're going to see what kind of a man you are. We're going to see what kind of fighter you are because I know you ain't a fighter. I know you're not going to peak.
"When you get hit in the mouth, things change. When you got hit by [Antonio Rogerio Nogueira], you didn't know what to do. When I hit you in the mouth, you're going to feel it."
Davis was unimpressed.
"Ooh, that's scary," Davis sarcastically quipped.
When asked to clarify his claim that Davis is "not a fighter," Evans said it boils down to a different approach to walking into the octagon.
"Look, there's some people that would fight if they weren't getting paid to fight," Evans said. "I'm one of those people. Phil is not one of those people."
Davis didn't deny that his pugilistic skills are only displayed on a per-hire basis, but he certainly didn't seem to back away from the challenge of facing a former champ.
"You're absolutely right," Davis said. "I'd be pushing a pen. But since I get paid to fight, looks like you next."
The suddenly warring main-eventers certainly add flavor to a card that recently was forced to deal with the loss of Mark Munoz and the reshuffling of two of the evening's three featured contests. And while most MMA fans were salivating over the thought of Sonnen and Bisping dropping heated one-liners in the build-up to their clash, it turns out Evans and Davis are prepared to carry the load.
"You're going find a difference in mindset," Evans told Davis. "That's all I got to say. Right now you can say what you want to over the phone, but when we get in that cage and you can't get out, we're going to see how you feel then."
"When I'm on top of you, I'm going to remind you with every shot what you said," Davis quickly replied. "Remind you with every shot what you said."
UFC on FOX 2's Sonnen promises no title shot against Silva after 'fugazi' behavior
In putting together a last-minute co-main event fight between Chael Sonnen (26-11-1 MMA, 5-4 UFC) and Michael Bisping (22-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), UFC president Dana White said the winner gets a crack at middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
That may be true, according to Sonnen. But the title shot is never going to happen.
"I can guarantee you – Anderson Silva and I will never cross paths again," Sonnen said today.
Sonnen believes that statement extends to his opponent should Bisping come out ahead in the fight, which takes place next Saturday at Chicago's United Center and airs live on FOX.
"I don't if he's going to retire, or [the UFC is] going to retire him," Sonnen said. "I think the plan was if I could get past Munoz and if Michael was successful against Demian, they were going to do an interim championship between Bisping and I.
"I know Anderson's not going to fight. The folks at the UFC know he's not going to fight. I'm all for promoting and marketing and all that good stuff. I don't want to throw water on a perfectly hot flame, but Anderson Silva's not going to fight anybody."
Sonnen was originally slated to fight Mark Munoz before an elbow injury forced Munoz to withdraw from the event. In his place went Bisping, who was originally set to meet onetime middleweight title challenger Demian Maia. Maia now meets up-and-comer Chris Weidman.
As bold declarations go, Sonnen's comments aren't much of a departure from countless barbs he's tossed in Silva's direction. After defeating Brian Stann at UFC 136, he offered the champ a loser-leaves-town fight of sorts and later rescinded it when lingering injuries delayed Silva's return.
Sonnen feels those injuries – bursitis and back problems – are suspiciously convenient. But what can he do?
"I tend to believe him," Sonnen said. "If a guy says he's hurt, you've got to believe him. Only he knows, and I don't need an X-ray or anything else.
"I think it's a little fugazi that he claims that he's hurt, and then we see footage of him live sparring with Wanderlei Silva. I think it's a little fugazi that he claims he's hurt, and I've got my friend (Muhammed) 'Mo' Lawal training with Machida alongside alongside Silva. I think these things are peculiar. But if a guy says he's hurt, it's enough for me."
Not enough, though, to tone his rhetoric down when it comes to the prospect of winning a rematch with the champ after their epic first meeting at UFC 117, which ended with him submitting in the fifth round after dominating the fight up to end.
The way Sonnen sees it, the UFC can try to put the fight together all they want, and they may again. But they won't have any luck.
"I can tell you that behind the scenes, they tried to put me and Anderson together four times, and four times he said no," he said. "I called him out publicly. You call out a Brazilian publicly, you're going to be fighting that Brazilian. That's in their culture, and he sat there and covered his mouth and hid behind Charles Barkley, which is a smart move. It saved him a trip to the hospital. But Anderson Silva is not going to fight me. I don't believe he's going to fight Bisping. I don't believe he's going to fight again. That's my personal opinion.
"He even said no to (UFC executive) Lorenzo Fertitta's face. Face-to-face, not over the phone – Lorenzo brought him out, sat him down, and said, 'This is the fight we want.' And Anderson said no."
In putting together a last-minute co-main event fight between Chael Sonnen (26-11-1 MMA, 5-4 UFC) and Michael Bisping (22-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), UFC president Dana White said the winner gets a crack at middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
That may be true, according to Sonnen. But the title shot is never going to happen.
"I can guarantee you – Anderson Silva and I will never cross paths again," Sonnen said today.
Sonnen believes that statement extends to his opponent should Bisping come out ahead in the fight, which takes place next Saturday at Chicago's United Center and airs live on FOX.
"I don't if he's going to retire, or [the UFC is] going to retire him," Sonnen said. "I think the plan was if I could get past Munoz and if Michael was successful against Demian, they were going to do an interim championship between Bisping and I.
"I know Anderson's not going to fight. The folks at the UFC know he's not going to fight. I'm all for promoting and marketing and all that good stuff. I don't want to throw water on a perfectly hot flame, but Anderson Silva's not going to fight anybody."
Sonnen was originally slated to fight Mark Munoz before an elbow injury forced Munoz to withdraw from the event. In his place went Bisping, who was originally set to meet onetime middleweight title challenger Demian Maia. Maia now meets up-and-comer Chris Weidman.
As bold declarations go, Sonnen's comments aren't much of a departure from countless barbs he's tossed in Silva's direction. After defeating Brian Stann at UFC 136, he offered the champ a loser-leaves-town fight of sorts and later rescinded it when lingering injuries delayed Silva's return.
Sonnen feels those injuries – bursitis and back problems – are suspiciously convenient. But what can he do?
"I tend to believe him," Sonnen said. "If a guy says he's hurt, you've got to believe him. Only he knows, and I don't need an X-ray or anything else.
"I think it's a little fugazi that he claims that he's hurt, and then we see footage of him live sparring with Wanderlei Silva. I think it's a little fugazi that he claims he's hurt, and I've got my friend (Muhammed) 'Mo' Lawal training with Machida alongside alongside Silva. I think these things are peculiar. But if a guy says he's hurt, it's enough for me."
Not enough, though, to tone his rhetoric down when it comes to the prospect of winning a rematch with the champ after their epic first meeting at UFC 117, which ended with him submitting in the fifth round after dominating the fight up to end.
The way Sonnen sees it, the UFC can try to put the fight together all they want, and they may again. But they won't have any luck.
"I can tell you that behind the scenes, they tried to put me and Anderson together four times, and four times he said no," he said. "I called him out publicly. You call out a Brazilian publicly, you're going to be fighting that Brazilian. That's in their culture, and he sat there and covered his mouth and hid behind Charles Barkley, which is a smart move. It saved him a trip to the hospital. But Anderson Silva is not going to fight me. I don't believe he's going to fight Bisping. I don't believe he's going to fight again. That's my personal opinion.
"He even said no to (UFC executive) Lorenzo Fertitta's face. Face-to-face, not over the phone – Lorenzo brought him out, sat him down, and said, 'This is the fight we want.' And Anderson said no."
Guy Mezger stabbed while breaking up fight
didn't want to post the article and pic because it's kind of gross. But Guy got stabbed in the hand trying to stop some dude from harassing a girl and got his hand sliced open.
didn't want to post the article and pic because it's kind of gross. But Guy got stabbed in the hand trying to stop some dude from harassing a girl and got his hand sliced open.
Strikeforce vet Ray Sefo announces kickboxing match with Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic
Two-time Strikeforce vet and former kickboxing world champion Ray Sefo will face Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in a striking-rules contest.
The bout, which had been rumored for several weeks, is now official according to Sefo, who announced the fight via Twitter.
"Some news for you all," Sefo wrote. "My fight with Mirko 'Cro Cop' has been confirmed for March 10."
An official announcement of the bout – which takes place at Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia – is expected to come in the next several days. The card is being organized by a local TV station and has been dubbed "Final Fight," in honor of what is expected to serve as Filipovic's official retirement from combat sports.
Filipovic, of course, is a PRIDE and UFC veteran who was once considered among the best heavyweights in the sport. A powerful striker who earned his nickname due to his time as a member of Croatia's anti-terrorist police force, Filipovic was the champion of PRIDE's 2006 open weight grand prix.
Filipovic fought 10 times for the UFC but was never able to replicate the success of his PRIDE run and in 2011 walked away from the promotion after suffering three-straight defeats.
Sefo, who began fighting professionally in 1989, is best known for his kickboxing exploits but fighting out of Xtreme Couture, he also competed two times under the Strikeforce banner – a 2009 win over Kevin Jordan and a 2011 loss to Valentijn Overeem.
Both Filipovic and Sefo were competing under the K-1 banner for the better part of a decade in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but despite a few rumored meetings, the two never fought.
Two-time Strikeforce vet and former kickboxing world champion Ray Sefo will face Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in a striking-rules contest.
The bout, which had been rumored for several weeks, is now official according to Sefo, who announced the fight via Twitter.
"Some news for you all," Sefo wrote. "My fight with Mirko 'Cro Cop' has been confirmed for March 10."
An official announcement of the bout – which takes place at Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia – is expected to come in the next several days. The card is being organized by a local TV station and has been dubbed "Final Fight," in honor of what is expected to serve as Filipovic's official retirement from combat sports.
Filipovic, of course, is a PRIDE and UFC veteran who was once considered among the best heavyweights in the sport. A powerful striker who earned his nickname due to his time as a member of Croatia's anti-terrorist police force, Filipovic was the champion of PRIDE's 2006 open weight grand prix.
Filipovic fought 10 times for the UFC but was never able to replicate the success of his PRIDE run and in 2011 walked away from the promotion after suffering three-straight defeats.
Sefo, who began fighting professionally in 1989, is best known for his kickboxing exploits but fighting out of Xtreme Couture, he also competed two times under the Strikeforce banner – a 2009 win over Kevin Jordan and a 2011 loss to Valentijn Overeem.
Both Filipovic and Sefo were competing under the K-1 banner for the better part of a decade in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but despite a few rumored meetings, the two never fought.
Strikeforce champ Tate on Rousey: 'She better keep that pretty little chin tucked'
Strikeforce women's bantamweight champ Miesha Tate (12-2 MMA, 5-1 SF) readily admits she doesn't think Ronda Rousey (4-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) is deserving of a shot at her belt.
That said, she also realizes Rousey does possess legitimate grappling skills that must be addressed in their March 3 headlining contest.
But Tate also believes her own skillset is being greatly underestimated by many MMA fans and pundits, not to mention Rousey. And while "Takedown" earned her fighting nickname due to her wrestling pedigree, she thinks "Rowdy" best be ready to throw hands.
"I think what she's done has been impressive," Tate told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "However, I know she hasn't fought anybody of my caliber or my style. I really feel that she's highly, highly, highly underestimating my ability.
"Most of my opponents that I've fought haven't challenged me too much on the ground. I do believe she'll be a challenge. But my opponents also haven't pulled the most out of me. If she thinks that's all that I've got, she's sorely mistaken. And if she thinks I don't have knockout power or that my standup is so-so, she's mistaken again."
Tate and Rousey meet in the Showtime-broadcast main event of March's "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" event, which takes place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Rousey is actually a heavy wagering favorite in the bout, with many people citing the challenger's explosive speed and finishing abilities as the keys to why she'll be able to overcome Tate's wrestling-based attack.
But the champion believes people are overlooking her striking abilities, which she says she hasn't been able to fully display in some of her past outings because of the type of opponents she was facing.
"It's called a gameplan," Tate said. "Most of the people I've fought are strikers. When you strike to strike, it's different that when you strike to take someone down. When you strike to take someone down, usually you're coming forward. You're trying to close the distance so you can get it to the ground where that's your strongpoint.
"When you're striking to strike, you can develop a lot power because you're trying to stay at a certain range where your punches have the most power. I can do both. She better keep that pretty little chin tucked if she doesn't want to wake up with the lights in her eyes."
Tate is currently riding a six-fight win streak and is 11-1 in her past 12 fights. Yet Rousey is the one earning the most praise in large portions of the MMA community based on her four-straight first-round armbar victories, all of which have lasted less than one minute.
In fact, Rousey's one-sided wins have been so impressive, Strikeforce officials allowed her to bypass former champ Sarah Kaufman in her bid at Tate's title.
Tate was outspoken in her belief that Kaufman should have been next, and now she's using the booking – as well as her doubters – as motivation for the contest.
"I'm really motivated for this fight," Tate said. "I want to win this fight as much as I've ever wanted to win any fight. This is really important because it's my first title defense. That adds a little pressure. A lot of people say you're not the true champion until you've defended your belt. That's important. But beyond wanting to win, which I always want to win no matter what, what's different is I absolutely cannot stand the thought of losing to this girl because I do not like what she stands for. I don't like her attitude. That would be – I can't even fathom it. That's it. I will not accept it, and I will train as hard as it takes, I will put the right gameplan together, and I will go out there and execute it.
"I will win this fight. It's not the first time a lot of people thought I wasn't going to win a fight. Nobody thought I was going to submit Marloes Coenen. It just goes to show that I'm capable of things that people don't realize. I know it, and that's all that matters. I believe in myself more than probably anyone else does, and I'm very confident about this fight and this matchup."
Tate and Rousey's matchup comes at an important moment in the history of the female game. With female stars Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos both on the shelf – Carano is chasing Hollywood stardom and Santos has been suspended by the California State Athletic Commission – the female game needs a marketable star.
Tate realizes the importance of the matchup, but she's more concerned with settling the score of this grudge match than worrying about her spot in the sport.
"I think that this fight is exactly what I need because I think my other fights, I've maintained a very calm and very focused demeanor, but I really don't want this fight to be calm," Tate said. "I want this fight to be explosive and powerful, and I want it to say a lot. I feel like the energy I feel in myself coming into this whole thing, I'm still several weeks out, and I'm just so amped for this fight to happen. I haven't experienced that in a long time.
"She's probably the person I dislike the most out of anyone in my career I've had the opportunity to fight, and I think that adds an interesting element. I'm going to have a lot more passion, a lot more fire and a lot more just wanting to beat her ass. I really do. I want to go out there and punch her in the face. I want to elbow here. I'm going to try and cut her open if I can. I'm not just going out there to win this fight. I really want to hurt this girl."
Strikeforce women's bantamweight champ Miesha Tate (12-2 MMA, 5-1 SF) readily admits she doesn't think Ronda Rousey (4-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) is deserving of a shot at her belt.
That said, she also realizes Rousey does possess legitimate grappling skills that must be addressed in their March 3 headlining contest.
But Tate also believes her own skillset is being greatly underestimated by many MMA fans and pundits, not to mention Rousey. And while "Takedown" earned her fighting nickname due to her wrestling pedigree, she thinks "Rowdy" best be ready to throw hands.
"I think what she's done has been impressive," Tate told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "However, I know she hasn't fought anybody of my caliber or my style. I really feel that she's highly, highly, highly underestimating my ability.
"Most of my opponents that I've fought haven't challenged me too much on the ground. I do believe she'll be a challenge. But my opponents also haven't pulled the most out of me. If she thinks that's all that I've got, she's sorely mistaken. And if she thinks I don't have knockout power or that my standup is so-so, she's mistaken again."
Tate and Rousey meet in the Showtime-broadcast main event of March's "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" event, which takes place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Rousey is actually a heavy wagering favorite in the bout, with many people citing the challenger's explosive speed and finishing abilities as the keys to why she'll be able to overcome Tate's wrestling-based attack.
But the champion believes people are overlooking her striking abilities, which she says she hasn't been able to fully display in some of her past outings because of the type of opponents she was facing.
"It's called a gameplan," Tate said. "Most of the people I've fought are strikers. When you strike to strike, it's different that when you strike to take someone down. When you strike to take someone down, usually you're coming forward. You're trying to close the distance so you can get it to the ground where that's your strongpoint.
"When you're striking to strike, you can develop a lot power because you're trying to stay at a certain range where your punches have the most power. I can do both. She better keep that pretty little chin tucked if she doesn't want to wake up with the lights in her eyes."
Tate is currently riding a six-fight win streak and is 11-1 in her past 12 fights. Yet Rousey is the one earning the most praise in large portions of the MMA community based on her four-straight first-round armbar victories, all of which have lasted less than one minute.
In fact, Rousey's one-sided wins have been so impressive, Strikeforce officials allowed her to bypass former champ Sarah Kaufman in her bid at Tate's title.
Tate was outspoken in her belief that Kaufman should have been next, and now she's using the booking – as well as her doubters – as motivation for the contest.
"I'm really motivated for this fight," Tate said. "I want to win this fight as much as I've ever wanted to win any fight. This is really important because it's my first title defense. That adds a little pressure. A lot of people say you're not the true champion until you've defended your belt. That's important. But beyond wanting to win, which I always want to win no matter what, what's different is I absolutely cannot stand the thought of losing to this girl because I do not like what she stands for. I don't like her attitude. That would be – I can't even fathom it. That's it. I will not accept it, and I will train as hard as it takes, I will put the right gameplan together, and I will go out there and execute it.
"I will win this fight. It's not the first time a lot of people thought I wasn't going to win a fight. Nobody thought I was going to submit Marloes Coenen. It just goes to show that I'm capable of things that people don't realize. I know it, and that's all that matters. I believe in myself more than probably anyone else does, and I'm very confident about this fight and this matchup."
Tate and Rousey's matchup comes at an important moment in the history of the female game. With female stars Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos both on the shelf – Carano is chasing Hollywood stardom and Santos has been suspended by the California State Athletic Commission – the female game needs a marketable star.
Tate realizes the importance of the matchup, but she's more concerned with settling the score of this grudge match than worrying about her spot in the sport.
"I think that this fight is exactly what I need because I think my other fights, I've maintained a very calm and very focused demeanor, but I really don't want this fight to be calm," Tate said. "I want this fight to be explosive and powerful, and I want it to say a lot. I feel like the energy I feel in myself coming into this whole thing, I'm still several weeks out, and I'm just so amped for this fight to happen. I haven't experienced that in a long time.
"She's probably the person I dislike the most out of anyone in my career I've had the opportunity to fight, and I think that adds an interesting element. I'm going to have a lot more passion, a lot more fire and a lot more just wanting to beat her ass. I really do. I want to go out there and punch her in the face. I want to elbow here. I'm going to try and cut her open if I can. I'm not just going out there to win this fight. I really want to hurt this girl."
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller booked for UFC on FOX 3 in New Jersey
As expected, the UFC will hold its third FOX-televised event on May 5, and the first fight announced for the card looks like a guaranteed barnburner.
UFC president Dana White today announced that Nate Diaz (15-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Jim Miller (21-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) will take place on that date at UFC on FOX 3.
The event takes place at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Diaz enters the bout after back-to-back career bests, flashing moments of absolute domination in wins over Donald Cerrone and Takanori Gomi. The 26-year-old is just 4-2 in his past six fights, but with five "Fight of the Night" bonuses under his belt, he's a must-watch competitor and may very well work his way into title contention with a win.
Meanwhile, Miller looks to build on the strength of his impressive submission win over Melvin Guillard at this past weekend's UFC on FX 1 event. Miller was decisioned by Ben Henderson in a bid for a shot at the lightweight title, but he's still 9-1 in his past 10 fights and extremely relevant in the 155-pound title picture.
The UFC made its network-TV debut with UFC on FOX 1 in November. The abbreviated/teaser show featured just one televised fight – Junior Dos Santos' title-clinching knockout of then-heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. However, on Saturday night at UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago, FOX airs three main-card bouts, and FUEL TV carries the event's full preliminary card.
UFC on FOX 3 is expected to have a similar setup.
The event takes place the same night as boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s bout in Las Vegas. With a long-awaited Manny Pacquiao fight unlikely, Mayweather likely will meet Miguel Cotto or Saul Alvarez instead. Still, it's enough of a draw to impact the UFC's event.
White, though, recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) it's unavoidable.
"We never plan it," he said. "But when you're picking dates, you've got boxing, NFL, playoffs, college basketball. You've got everything. Every other sport that's going on, everything that 18-to-34-year-olds are watching, there's something else out there that's going to compete with us. But it is what it is. If we sat around and stayed away from dates, we'd never go."
The UFC's first FOX event actually took place the same night as a Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view fight. However, the UFC event wrapped before the start of the boxing broadcast, and UFC on FOX 1 scored a North American MMA record peak of 8.8 million viewers for the fight (and 5.7 million overall for the one-hour special).
As expected, the UFC will hold its third FOX-televised event on May 5, and the first fight announced for the card looks like a guaranteed barnburner.
UFC president Dana White today announced that Nate Diaz (15-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Jim Miller (21-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) will take place on that date at UFC on FOX 3.
The event takes place at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Diaz enters the bout after back-to-back career bests, flashing moments of absolute domination in wins over Donald Cerrone and Takanori Gomi. The 26-year-old is just 4-2 in his past six fights, but with five "Fight of the Night" bonuses under his belt, he's a must-watch competitor and may very well work his way into title contention with a win.
Meanwhile, Miller looks to build on the strength of his impressive submission win over Melvin Guillard at this past weekend's UFC on FX 1 event. Miller was decisioned by Ben Henderson in a bid for a shot at the lightweight title, but he's still 9-1 in his past 10 fights and extremely relevant in the 155-pound title picture.
The UFC made its network-TV debut with UFC on FOX 1 in November. The abbreviated/teaser show featured just one televised fight – Junior Dos Santos' title-clinching knockout of then-heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. However, on Saturday night at UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago, FOX airs three main-card bouts, and FUEL TV carries the event's full preliminary card.
UFC on FOX 3 is expected to have a similar setup.
The event takes place the same night as boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s bout in Las Vegas. With a long-awaited Manny Pacquiao fight unlikely, Mayweather likely will meet Miguel Cotto or Saul Alvarez instead. Still, it's enough of a draw to impact the UFC's event.
White, though, recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) it's unavoidable.
"We never plan it," he said. "But when you're picking dates, you've got boxing, NFL, playoffs, college basketball. You've got everything. Every other sport that's going on, everything that 18-to-34-year-olds are watching, there's something else out there that's going to compete with us. But it is what it is. If we sat around and stayed away from dates, we'd never go."
The UFC's first FOX event actually took place the same night as a Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view fight. However, the UFC event wrapped before the start of the boxing broadcast, and UFC on FOX 1 scored a North American MMA record peak of 8.8 million viewers for the fight (and 5.7 million overall for the one-hour special).
UFC 144's Bart Palaszewski unimpressed by opponent Hatsu Hioki
The way Bart Palaszewski sees it, he should be fighting George Roop at UFC 144.
But he's fighting Hatsu Hioki, so hey, whatever.
"Did you say 'a little questionable?'" Palaszewski (36-14 MMA, 1-0 UFC) scoffed when asked by MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) about Hioki's octagon debut. "C'mon, man. He lost that fight."
Officially, Hioki (25-4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a former Shooto and Sengoku champion, took home the win after three rounds with Roop at UFC 137. But many observers felt it could have gone either way.
Palaszewski is a member of the other way camp. Of his upcoming opponent, he's smelling blood as he was for his previous one, Tyson Griffin, who struggled to make weight when they fought on the same card as Hioki and Roop.
Any sign of weakness, and Palaszewski starts getting excited. And knocking people out, apparently. Griffin went to sleep in less than three minutes, and "Bartimus" put an extra $75,000 in his pocket (nice, also, that Griffin questioned his ability to make weight beforehand).
There were no judges needed in that fight. That's a good thing, if you hear Palaszewski's assessment of scorecards for Hioki vs. Roop.
"He lost two out of three rounds," Palaszewski said. "So I don't know how they gave him a 'W.' I think Roop whooped him. I think Roop pressured him and he couldn't handle it. They were saying (Hioki experienced) butterflies because of the big show, but I was like, uh, isn't he a champ in previous promotions? Promotions that compete with the UFC, (and) promotions that are as big as the UFC.
"So I think he's got a lot more hype behind him than skill."
And what better opportunity could a veteran fighter receive in the fight business? Hioki was the apple of many hardcore eyes before he first stepped into the octagon. Some ranked him at the top of the featherweight ladder.
Please, says his opponent.
"He's got zero standup," Palaszewski continued. "I've seen him get dropped more than once, and if a [featherweight] can drop him, I know that if I connect with him, he's going to go to sleep.
"You watch some of his Shooto fights, the only reason he didn't get finished is because he got a standing-eight count. He got dropped, I think, four or five times in a fight. So, if some of the guys are connecting with him...if I connect with him, he's going to sleep."
But there's the other side of the coin when it comes to Hioki's skill set. Most would agree that it wasn't his punches that beat Roop. It was his grappling, and that's a serious threat for Palaszewski, as much as he scoffs at the hype around the Japanese fighter.
Well, that's if Palaszewski buys into the idea that Hioki is a better grappler, and you know the answer to that question.
"A lot of people are forgetting that I'm a legit jiu-jitsu black belt," he said. "Just because I don't choose to grapple and submit guys, they think I've got no skill on the ground. I've fought way better than Hioki."
Such as Marcio Feitosa, a highly decorated black belt under the Carlos Gracie Jr. Palaszewski narrowly outpointed him in the now-defunct IFL.
"I don't think Hioki's going to be able to take me down in the first place," he said of preliminary-card fight, which takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. "I don't think he's physically strong enough. He was having a hard time taking Roop down, and I think I'm going to be more physical than Roop. He didn't even attempt ground and pound or shoot for a submission. So I think he's highly overrated, and that's it."
That's it, indeed. If there was any doubt about Hioki's first impression, there isn't now.
Palaszewski is chomping at the bit
The way Bart Palaszewski sees it, he should be fighting George Roop at UFC 144.
But he's fighting Hatsu Hioki, so hey, whatever.
"Did you say 'a little questionable?'" Palaszewski (36-14 MMA, 1-0 UFC) scoffed when asked by MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) about Hioki's octagon debut. "C'mon, man. He lost that fight."
Officially, Hioki (25-4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a former Shooto and Sengoku champion, took home the win after three rounds with Roop at UFC 137. But many observers felt it could have gone either way.
Palaszewski is a member of the other way camp. Of his upcoming opponent, he's smelling blood as he was for his previous one, Tyson Griffin, who struggled to make weight when they fought on the same card as Hioki and Roop.
Any sign of weakness, and Palaszewski starts getting excited. And knocking people out, apparently. Griffin went to sleep in less than three minutes, and "Bartimus" put an extra $75,000 in his pocket (nice, also, that Griffin questioned his ability to make weight beforehand).
There were no judges needed in that fight. That's a good thing, if you hear Palaszewski's assessment of scorecards for Hioki vs. Roop.
"He lost two out of three rounds," Palaszewski said. "So I don't know how they gave him a 'W.' I think Roop whooped him. I think Roop pressured him and he couldn't handle it. They were saying (Hioki experienced) butterflies because of the big show, but I was like, uh, isn't he a champ in previous promotions? Promotions that compete with the UFC, (and) promotions that are as big as the UFC.
"So I think he's got a lot more hype behind him than skill."
And what better opportunity could a veteran fighter receive in the fight business? Hioki was the apple of many hardcore eyes before he first stepped into the octagon. Some ranked him at the top of the featherweight ladder.
Please, says his opponent.
"He's got zero standup," Palaszewski continued. "I've seen him get dropped more than once, and if a [featherweight] can drop him, I know that if I connect with him, he's going to go to sleep.
"You watch some of his Shooto fights, the only reason he didn't get finished is because he got a standing-eight count. He got dropped, I think, four or five times in a fight. So, if some of the guys are connecting with him...if I connect with him, he's going to sleep."
But there's the other side of the coin when it comes to Hioki's skill set. Most would agree that it wasn't his punches that beat Roop. It was his grappling, and that's a serious threat for Palaszewski, as much as he scoffs at the hype around the Japanese fighter.
Well, that's if Palaszewski buys into the idea that Hioki is a better grappler, and you know the answer to that question.
"A lot of people are forgetting that I'm a legit jiu-jitsu black belt," he said. "Just because I don't choose to grapple and submit guys, they think I've got no skill on the ground. I've fought way better than Hioki."
Such as Marcio Feitosa, a highly decorated black belt under the Carlos Gracie Jr. Palaszewski narrowly outpointed him in the now-defunct IFL.
"I don't think Hioki's going to be able to take me down in the first place," he said of preliminary-card fight, which takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. "I don't think he's physically strong enough. He was having a hard time taking Roop down, and I think I'm going to be more physical than Roop. He didn't even attempt ground and pound or shoot for a submission. So I think he's highly overrated, and that's it."
That's it, indeed. If there was any doubt about Hioki's first impression, there isn't now.
Palaszewski is chomping at the bit