Author: Jeff Fox

By: Jeff Fox | August 17, 2018 Jul 7, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Derrick Lewis (blue gloves) celebrates beating Francis Ngannou (red gloves) during UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-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...

By: Jeff Fox | August 16, 2018 DENVER, CO – JANUARY 28: Francis Ngannou (white trunks) of Cameroon knocks down Andrei Arlovski of Belarus (black trunks) in the first round of the Heavyweight division during the UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center on January 28, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) As Ferris Bueller said: “Life in the MMA world moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”  Or something like that.   But fight announcements do come fast and furious these days, so it’s easy to miss...

By: Jeff Fox | August 15, 2018 UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs VickAug 25, 2018 Pinnacle Bank ArenaLincoln, Nebraska UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs Vick Fight Card Fight Card Ranking (strength of card on paper based on our exclusive Pound for Pound fighter rankings) UFC Fight Night cards range between 7,800-3,200 points, with an average UFC Fight Night card ranking 5,700 (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) Main Card (FS1/TSN5 – 10:00 pm Eastern) Lightweights (five rounds):Justin Gaethje  (18-2, #47 ranked...

By: Jeff Fox | August 15, 2018 May 25, 2018; London, UK; Phil Davis (red) reacts to fight against Linton Vassell (blue) at SSE Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-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...

By: Jeff Fox | August 14, 2018 Who said size matters?!  It used to be the case that smaller-weight classes in the UFC were pay-per-view box office poison.  Maybe that isn’t the case anymore.  Dave Meltzer reports that UFC 227, which was headlined by UFC bantamweight (Dillashaw vs Garbrandt) & flyweight (Johnson vs Cejudo) title fights, sold approximately 300,000 pay-per-views. This number would be third best in 2018, behind only Stipe Miocic’s two heavyweight title fights (and in the same range as Khabib vs Iaquinta at UFC 223).  The T.J. Dillashaw-Cody Garbrandt feud apparently caught people’s interests.  Too bad...

By: Jeff Fox | August 13, 2018 May 12, 2018; San Jose, CA, USA; Ryan Bader (red gloves) defeats King Mo Lawal (blue gloves) during Bellator 199 at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Dave Mandel-USA TODAY Sports The Rankings are just that – The MMA Manifesto’s rankings of the best fighters in mixed martial arts today.  Check back every Monday and Friday for our rankings of a different weight class.  Next up: Non-UFC Fighters Voting Panel: Jeff Fox, Daniel Vreeland, Ryan MacDonald and Ricky Leone. *stipulations: 1) any fighter currently suspended or 2) inactive for at least 12 months (without an upcoming fight scheduled)...

By: Jeff Fox | August 12, 2018 LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 26: Professional MMA fighter Nate Diaz arrives on T-Mobile’s magenta carpet duirng the Showtime, WME IME and Mayweather Promotions VIP Pre-Fight Party for Mayweather vs. McGregor at T-Mobile Arena on August 26, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Showtime) As Ferris Bueller said: “Life in the MMA world moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”  Or something like that.   But fight announcements do come fast and furious these days, so it’s easy to...

By: Jeff Fox | August 11, 2018 MMA Manifesto View the original article on MMA Manifesto: LFA 47 Event...

By: Jeff Fox | August 10, 2018 NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 04: TJ Dillashaw reacts during his UFC bantamweight championship bout against Cody Garbrandt during the UFC 217 event at Madison Square Garden on November 4, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) 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...

By: Jeff Fox | August 10, 2018 Jun 24, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Douglas Lima (red gloves) reacts to fight against Lorenz Larkin (blue gloves) during Bellator NYC at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports As Ferris Bueller said: “Life in the MMA world moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”  Or something like that.   But fight announcements do come fast and furious these days, so it’s easy to miss them.  But don’t worry, The MMA Manifesto has got you covered.  Our  MMA  Fight Announcement Roundup will let you...

By: Jeff Fox | August 9, 2018 July 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Israel Adesanya lands a kick against Brad Tavares during the TUF 27 Finale at Pearl Theater. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Mixed martial arts is as lonely and individualistic a sport as there is.  You enter a steel cage, the door gets locked behind you, and all that remains before you is your opponent and the referee.  No teammates, no coaches, no trainers.  You’re alone. However, outside of the cage (and in between rounds), a fighter is very much not alone.  While the...

By: Jeff Fox | August 8, 2018 [embedded content] MMA Manifesto View the original article on MMA Manifesto: 2018 UFC Summer and Fall...

By: Jeff Fox | August 8, 2018 May 25, 2018; London, UK; Kate Jackson (blue gloves)enters the arena prior to the fight against Anastasia Yankova (red gloves) at SSE Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-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...

By: Jeff Fox | August 8, 2018 Devonte Smith, Kennedy Nzechukwu and Bobby Moffett were the big winners last night on the final installment of the second season of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series – the trio were the top earning fighters and also snagged UFC contracts. Here are the fighter payouts, released by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Greg Hardy: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 win bonus) Devonte Smith: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 win bonus) Kennedy Nzechukwu: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 win bonus) Bobby Moffett: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 win bonus) Alex Gilpin: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 win...

By: Jeff Fox | August 6, 2018 Just got this press release from Bellator: DOUGLAS LIMA VS. ANDREY KORESHKOV TRILOGY KICKS OFF TOURNAMENT AT BELLATOR 206 IN SAN JOSE ON SEPT. 29   LOS ANGELES – The bracket for the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on DAZN has been set. Streaming exclusively on DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service, the first round includes a highly anticipated grudge match, a trilogy matchup between former champs looking to reclaim the title, a battle of undefeated elite prospects and a championship on the line. Click here to view the full Bellator...

By: Jeff Fox | August 6, 2018 August 4, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; JJ Aldrich lands a hit against Polyana Viana during UFC 227 at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-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 | August 6, 2018 Congratulations to Derek Imm  for winning our UFC 227 Pick ‘Em Contest.  Next Pick ‘Em action will be for UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs Vick  on Aug 25th.  Thanks for playing! Consensus Picks T.J. Dillashaw – 62%Demetrious Johnson – 100%Renato Moicano – 58%Polyana Viana – 65%Thiago Santos – 89% Consensus Overall Record in 2018: 67-46 (59%) UFC 227 Pick ‘Em Results 1 derek imm 9 2 larry chaput 8 2 CDN420 8 2 Robert Oakes 8 5 Herman Martinez 6 5 Brandon Kaplan 6 5 Ryan A. MacDonald 6 5 Jon Doe 6 5 Michael J. 6...

By: Jeff Fox | August 5, 2018 PHOENIX, AZ – DECEMBER 13: Henry Cejudo leaves the octagon after defeating Dustin Kimura (not pictured) during the UFC Fight Night event at the at U.S. Airways Center on December 13, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Cub Swanson 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 on Fox: dos Santos vs Miocic – Dec 13/14 – W (Kimura) – $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 win bonus)...

By: Jeff Fox | August 5, 2018 Only a partial list now, released by MMA Fighting.  Once the California State Athletic Commission gets back to me with the complete list I’ll update. Attendance: 17,794Gate: $2,850,000 Demetrious Johnson: $470,000 ($380,000 to show, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus, $40,000 fight week incentive pay) T.J. Dillashaw: $440,000 ($350,000 to show, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, $40,000 fight week incentive pay) Cody Garbrandt: $230,000 ($200,000 to show, $30,000 fight week incentive pay) Henry Cejudo: $180,000 ($100,000 to show, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus, $30,000 fight week incentive pay) Cub Swanson: $110,000...

By: Jeff Fox | August 4, 2018 MMA Manifesto, Updates View the original article on MMA Manifesto: UFC 227: Nurmagomedov vs McGregor Official...