Author: Jeff Fox

By: Jeff Fox | October 19, 2019 Congratulations to Rodney Miceli for winning our UFC Boston  Pick ‘Em Contest, via tie-breaker, and to SternFan74 for being October’s winner!  Next Pick ‘Em action will be for UFC 244 on Nov 2nd. Thanks for playing! Stream live sports and ESPN originals on ESPN+ for only $4.99 a month. Start your 7-day free trial today! Consensus Picks Dominick Reyes – 64%Yair Rodriguez – 50%Lauzon/Pearce – 50%Maycee Barber – 58% Consensus Overall Record in 2019: 89-50 (64%) UFC Boston Pick ‘Em Results 1 Rodney Miceli 9 2 Aaron shevski 9 3 MMAinVA 9 4 blake...

By: Jeff Fox | October 19, 2019 Oct 18, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Kyle Bochniak (red) fights Sean Woodson (blue) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports Mixed martial arts may not have reached its statistical revolution stage like other sports (and perhaps it never will given its primordial nature), but there is still plenty of good data out there.  So, following each UFC event, The MMA Manifesto will parse the numbers provided by FightMetric and target which pugilist enjoyed the best statistical night. Stream live sports and ESPN...

By: Jeff Fox | October 18, 2019 UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs WeidmanOct 18, 2019TD GardenBoston, Massachusetts  UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs Weidman Results Fight Card Ranking (strength of card on paper based on our exclusive Pound for Pound fighter rankings) UFC on ESPN/FOX cards range between 8,400-6,400 points, with an average Fight Night card ranking 7,200 (click on fighter’s name for detailed scouting report) (fighter ranking based on our exclusive Performance Based Ranking system – click fighter’s rank to check out the list) Stream live sports and ESPN originals on ESPN+ for only $4.99 a month. Start your...

By: Jeff Fox | October 18, 2019 Jul 20, 2019; San Antonio, TX, USA; Greg Hardy (red gloves) after his win over Juan Adams (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at AT&T Center. Hardy won the fight by technical knock out. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports Greg Hardy Career Earnings (UFC only – doesn’t including undisclosed bonuses of PPV earnings) * denotes an estimated purse Click on event name for full payout for all fighters for that event DWTNCS – Season 2, Week 1 – Jun 12/18 – W (Lane) – $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 win bonus) DWTNCS...

By: Jeff Fox | October 18, 2019 The race to the $1,000,000 PFL championship prize rolled on last night in Las Vegas, with Natan Schulte leaving with the biggest paycheck. Here are the fighter payouts, released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Natan Schulte:   $125,000 ($75,000 base pay, $50,000 win bonuses) Daniel Pineda:  $100,000 ($50,000 base pay, $50,000 win bonuses) Lance Palmer:  $100,000 ($75,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Chris Wade:   $75,000 ($50,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Akhmed Aliev:  $75,000 ($50,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Jeremy Kennedy:  $75,000 ($50,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Alex Gilpin:  $75,000...

By: Jeff Fox | October 18, 2019 May 11, 2019; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Jose Aldo (red gloves) fights Alexander Volkanovski (blue gloves) during UFC 237 at Jeunesse Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports There is constant debate about the “official” UFC fighter rankings, which are based on voting from a panel of journalists.  Such is the case with something as subjective as voting – it’s totally based on voter’s opinion, and biases are bound to seep through, whether intentional or no.  So to try to put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin on rankings, The MMA Manifesto has...

By: Jeff Fox | October 17, 2019 Jan 14, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; Jeremy Stephens (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Dooho Choi (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports (UFC fights only, doesn’t include undisclosed and/or PPV bonuses, Reebok sponsorship/fight week incentive pay started July 2015) * denotes an estimated purse Click on event name for full payout for all fighters for that event UFC 71 – May 26/07 – L (Thomas) – $3,000 UFC 76 – Sept 22/07 – W (Saraiva) – $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 win bonus)...

By: Jeff Fox | October 17, 2019 Dec 2, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Dominick Reyes (blue gloves) reacts to fight against Jeremy Kimball (red gloves) during UFC 218 at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports Dominick Reyes Career Earnings (UFC only – doesn’t including undisclosed bonuses of PPV earnings) * denotes an estimated purse Click on event name for full payout for all fighters for that event UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs Lee – Jun 25/17 – W (Christensen) – $76,500 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, $2,500 Reebok sponsorship)...

Jul 27, 2019; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Cris Cyborg (red gloves) is introduced before fighting Felicia Spencer (blue gloves) during UFC 240 at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports There is constant debate about fighter rankings, which are normally based on voting from a panel of journalists.  Such is the case with something as subjective as voting – it’s totally based on voter’s opinion, and biases are bound to seep through, whether intentional or no.  So to try to put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin on rankings, The MMA Manifesto has come up with a performance based ranking...

By: Jeff Fox | October 16, 2019 Cub Swanson got off the losing skid last weekend at UFC Tampa, and was the event’s top earner. Before we go any further, we should note that the Florida State   athletic  commission  doesn’t release fighter pay info, so none of the following  salary data for the event is official.  However, you can get a fairly accurate picture of a fighter’s pay based on official purse info released from past fights.  So, based on that info, here is the estimated pay breakdown for the 22 fighters that traded blows at the event.  But...

By: Jeff Fox | October 16, 2019 Oct 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michelle Waterson (red gloves) fights Felice Herring (blue gloves) during UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Michelle Waterson Career Earnings (UFC only – doesn’t including undisclosed bonuses of PPV earnings) * denotes an estimated purse Click on event name for full payout for all fighters for that event TUF 21 Finale – Jul 12/15 – W (Magana) – $32,500 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 win bonus, $2,500 Reebok sponsorship) UFC on Fox: VanZant vs Waterson – Dec 17/16 – W (VanZant)...

By: Jeff Fox | October 16, 2019 Apr 21, 2018; Atlantic City, NJ, USA; Frankie Edgar (red gloves) fights Cub Swanson (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports Cub Swanson Career Earnings WEC & UFC fights only, * denotes an estimated purse, doesn’t include PPV and/or “locker room” bonuses Click on event name for full payout for all fighters for that event WEC 26 – Mar 24/07 – W (Lee) – $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 win bonus) WEC 28 – Jun 3/07 – W (Miller) – $8,000...

By: Jeff Fox | October 16, 2019 Feb 18, 2018; Austin, TX, USA; James Vick (red gloves) fights Francisco Trinaldo (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsQ James Vick Career Earnings UFC fights only, * denotes an estimated purse, doesn’t include PPV and/or “locker room” bonuses Click on event name for full payout for all fighters for that event UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs Sonnen – Aug 17/13 – W (Nijem) – $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus) UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs dos Anjos – Aug 23/14 – W...

By: Jeff Fox | October 15, 2019 There is constant debate about fighter rankings, which are normally based on voting from a panel of journalists.  Such is the case with something as subjective as voting – it’s totally based on voter’s opinion, and biases are bound to seep through, whether intentional or no.  So to try to put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin on rankings, The MMA Manifesto has come up with a performance based ranking system, solely based on how a fighter has performed in the cage, this time for Invicta FC.  We’ll roll out a new weight...

By: Jeff Fox | October 14, 2019 Mar 30, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Edson Barboza (red gloves) fights Justin Gaethje (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena. Gaethje won the fight. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports There is constant debate about the “official” UFC fighter rankings, which are based on voting from a panel of journalists.  Such is the case with something as subjective as voting – it’s totally based on voter’s opinion, and biases are bound to seep through, whether intentional or no.  So to try to put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin on...

By: Jeff Fox | October 14, 2019 Kayla Harrison, no surprise, is off to the PFL finals after winning on Friday night at PFL 7.  She also, no surprise, was the top earner at the event. Here are the fighter payouts, released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Kayla Harrison:   $125,000 ($100,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) David Michaud:   $100,000 ($50,000 base pay, $50,000 win bonuses) Ray Cooper III:   $100,000 ($75,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Magomed Magomedkerimov:   $75,000 ($50,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Glaico Franca:   $75,000 ($50,000 base pay, $25,000 win bonus) Larissa Pacheco:   $50,000 ($25,000 base...

By: Jeff Fox | October 14, 2019 So you think you know your MMA? You think you can predict who is going to win a fight and how?  Time to prove it. We present to you The MMA Manifesto Pick ‘Em contest. This week’s winner wins a UFC Fight Pass subscription courtesy of Marune! With over 15,000 users Marune is the first social media and training log app for Jiu Jitsu.  Marune allows users to track their daily training, including a Gi or NOGI session, training length, technique vs rolling time, list the techniques learned, gyms visited, take notes...

By: Jeff Fox | October 14, 2019 Chris Weidman Scouting Report Vitals 6’2″ 205 lbs (Middleweight)76″ reach, OrthodoxJune 17, 1984 Record 14-4 (UFC: 10-4) Current Streak 1 straight loss Training Two-Time NCAA D1 All-American in wrestlingTwo-Time National Junior College All-American in wrestlingBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships Held Ring of Combat Middleweight Champion: 2010 (one successful title defense)UFC Middleweight Champion: 2013-2015 (three successful title defenses) Strengths – skilled & experienced wrestler– a takedown machine– extremely successful in his takedown attempts– impenetrable takedown defense – only been taken down by Luke Rockhold & Yoel Romero– has shown real good submission skills–...

By: Jeff Fox | October 14, 2019 Joe Lauzon Scouting Report Vitals 5’10” 155 lbs (Lightweight)70″ reach, OrthodoxMay 22, 1984 Record 27-15 (UFC: 14-12) Current Streak 3 straight losses Training Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships Held World Fight League Grand Prix Champion: 2006 Strengths – extremely aggressive fighter– very experienced– submission wizard – vast majority of wins come via tap out– versatile with his submissions (chokes, armbars, kimuras, leg locks)– finishes fights– good ground and pound– great at passing guard on the ground– very active on the ground looking for submissions– decent striking defense– pushes pace– while no knockout...

By: Jeff Fox | October 13, 2019 Congratulations to Brandon Kaplan for winning our UFC Tampa  Pick ‘Em Contest, via tie-breaker!  Next Pick ‘Em action will be for UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs Weidman on Oct 18th. Thanks for playing! Stream live sports and ESPN originals on ESPN+ for only $4.99 a month. Start your 7-day free trial today! Consensus Picks Joanna Jedrzejczyk – 88%Kron Gracie – 69%Mackenzie Dern – 75%Matt Frevola – 78%Eryk Anders – 81% Consensus Overall Record in 2019: 86-50 (63%) UFC Tampa Pick ‘Em Results 1 Brandon Kaplan 8 2 SternFan74 8 3 Corey Heck 7 3 Daniel...