Author: Jeff Fox

  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 Bellator.  We’ll roll out a new weight class every Wednesday.  Next up: The Bantamweights....

  BJJ ace Mackenzie Dern made it 4-0 last weekend at LFA 24, and was the fight card’s top earner. Here are the fighter payouts for the event, released by the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission.   Mackenzie Dern: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 win bonus) Curtis Millender: $3,500 ($1,750 to show, $1,750 win bonus) Vinicius Zani: $3,000 ($1,500 to show, $1,500 win bonus) Cory Sandhagen: $2,800 ($1,400 to show, $1,400 win bonus) Larue Burley: $2,500 ($1,250 to show, $1,250 win bonus) Matthew Frincu: $2,000 Joey Miolla: $1,750 Keoni Diggs: $1,700 ($850 to show, $850 win bonus) Glen Baker: $1,500...

Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone Scouting Report Vitals 6’0″ 170 lbs (Welterweight) 73″ reach, Orthodox March 29, 1983 Record 32-9, 1 NC (UFC: 19-6) Current Streak 2 straight losses Training Champion Muay Thai fighter Black belt if Gaidojutsu Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships Held None   Strengths – world class kickboxing/Muay Thai – incredible submission skills – 16 wins via submission – killer leg kicks– very well coached (Jackson-Wink)– granite chin – never been knocked out (only TKO’d three times)– very active striker – extremely accurate striker – hard hitter – one of the leaders in knockdowns landed for his...

PHOENIX, AZ – DECEMBER 13: Alistair Overeem reacts after his ko victory over Stefan Struve (not pictured) in their heavyweight bout 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)   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...

  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.  We are now sponsored by McBryde Mats! We are McBryde Mats, a sports mat manufacturer that’s based out of Lubbock, Texas. Our CEO, Clayton McBryde, founded the company in 2014 after plenty of research and consideration into the mat market – Today we pride ourselves on making the best quality mats at affordable prices to keep athletes in all sports categories safe from accidents and...

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Jose Aldo knees Frankie Edgar during the UFC 200 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/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 them.  But don’t worry, The MMA Manifesto has got you covered.  Every night we’ll post our MMA Fight Announcement Roundup, letting you know what...

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Tony Ferguson in the audience during the UFC 213 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)   While a UFC Lightweight Title unification bout between Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson is the logical fight for the UFC to book, it is still speculative in nature at this point.  But that hasn’t stopped the punters from placing bets on the fight.  Unibet has opened its line for McGregor-Ferguson, and the reigning champ is favored over the reigning interim champ. McGregor is currently a...

      View the original article on MMA Manifesto: LFA 24 Video...

  .@MackenzieDern does it again! #LFA24 @LFAfighting pic.twitter.com/zUHnw65Hp4 — AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) October 14, 2017 View the original article on MMA Manifesto: Video: Phenom Mackenzie Dern Wins Again at LFA...

  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, Ricky Leone, and Ryan MacDonald.   *stipulations: 1) any fighter currently suspended or 2) inactive for at least 12 months (without an upcoming fight scheduled) are excluded from the rankings Non-UFC Fighter Rankings   1) (Last Ranking – 1) Gegard Mousasi – Bellator Middleweight – 37 (out of 40) points Record: 42-6-2 Last Five Fights: 5-0 Record vs Top 10: 0-0 Next Fight: vs...

  We had a feeling this was going to be ugly, and we weren’t wrong.  Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reports that the last two UFC pay-per-view offerings – last month’s UFC 215 and last week’s UFC 216 – have done historically low sales numbers. Meltzer estimates the UFC 215, headlined by UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes successfully defending her title against Valentina Shevchenko, sold in the 100,000 ballpark.  That would make it the lowest selling UFC PPV since UFC 53 (Andrei Arlovski vs Justin Eilers) sold 90,000 pay-per-views in 2005.  In defense of UFC 215, it lost its...

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 12: Conor McGregor of Ireland celebrates his KO victory over Eddie Alvarez of the United States in their lightweight championship bout during the UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images )   No need for much of an introduction here – this is a list of the sales totals for every UFC pay-per-view since Day 1.   Now, since the UFC is a private company and doesn’t release sales info, all this is based on estimates, usually released by the inimitable...

  UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs MachidaOct 28, 2017Ginasio do IbirapueraSao Paulo, Brazil   UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Machida Card (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/TSN2 – 10:00 pm Eastern) Middleweights (five rounds):Derek Brunson (17-5, #11 ranked middleweight) vs Lyoto Machida (22-7, #16 ranked middleweight) Welterweights:Demian Maia (25-7, #5 ranked welterweight) vs Colby Covington (12-1, #8 ranked welterweight) Bantamweights:Pedro Munhoz (14-2, 1 NC, #11 ranked bantamweight) vs Rob Font (14-2, #10 ranked bantamweight) Lightweights:Francisco Trinaldo (21-5, #15 ranked lightweight) vs Jim Miller (28-10, 1...

  UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs TillOct 21, 2017Ergo ArenaGdansk, Poland   UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs Till Card (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 (UFC Fight Pass/The Fight Network – 3:00 pm Eastern) Welterweights (five rounds):Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone (32-9, 1 NC, #7 ranked welterweight) vs Darren Till (15-0-1, #67 ranked welterweight) Women’s Strawweights:Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-2, #15 ranked women’s strawweight) vs Jodie Esquibel (6-2) Light Heavyweights:Jan Blachowicz (19-7, #31 ranked light heavyweight) vs Devin Clark (8-1, #35 ranked light heavyweight) Middleweights:Oskar Piechota (9-0) vs Jonathan...

  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 Bellator.  We’ll roll out a new weight class every Wednesday.  Next up: The Featherweights....

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.  Every night we’ll post our MMA Fight Announcement Roundup, letting you know what fights have been announced that day.  You’re welcome.   (click here for details on all upcoming UFC fight cards)   UFC Marcin Held (22-7) vs Nasrat Haqparast (8-1) – UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs...

      View the original article on MMA Manifesto: UFC 217: Bisping vs St-Pierre Official...

LAS VEGAS, NV – DECEMBER 06: Tony Ferguson celebrates after defeating Abel Trujillo in their fight during the UFC 181 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/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 put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin...

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Alistair Overeem punches Fabricio Werdum during the UFC 213 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)   Who is the top earner in MMA in 2017?  We’ve crunched the numbers and have the answer. It is worth noting that these are only the reported salaries plus Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, and Submission of the Night bonuses that have been made public, plus the official UFC Reebok sponsorship money.  Many top performing fighters get additional bonuses paid out to...

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Mark Hunt prepares to enter the Octagon against Brock Lesnar during the UFC 200 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)   (fighters with a * beside their name have either estimated or non-current info) Figures represent a fighter’s payout per fight Updated after UFC 216   Top Ten Earning Heavyweights Total Show Win Bonus 1 Alistair Overeem  $         800,000  $         800,000  $           – 2 Mark Hunt  $         750,000  $         750,000  $           – 3 Stipe Miocic*  $         600,000  $         600,000  $           –...