Author: Jeff Fox

Dec 21, 2019; Busan, SOUTH KOREA; Chan Sung Jung (blue gloves) defeats Frankie Edgar (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Sajik Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasmin Frank-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 come up with a performance based...

By: Jeff Fox | January 16, 2020 Feb 18, 2018; Austin, TX, USA; Donald Cerrone (red gloves) reacts to fight against Yancy Medeiros (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Got this press release today: We’re still a few weeks away from the Super Bowl, but there are plenty of prop bets available for the megafight between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone. On Thursday, SportsBetting.ag unveiled a host of props for Saturday’s highly-anticipated bout headlining UFC 246. People can also wager on Friday’s weigh-in. Some of the prop bets include...

By: Jeff Fox | January 15, 2020 Jul 14, 2017; Thackerville, OK, USA; Romero Cotton (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Aaron Rodriguez (not pictured) during Bellator 181 at Winstar Casino. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-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 | January 15, 2020 [embedded content] MMA, MMA Manifesto, Updates View the original article on MMA Manifesto: UFC 246: McGregor vs Cowboy Press Conference Live...

By: Jeff Fox | January 15, 2020 LAS VEGAS, NV – DECEMBER 06: Raquel Pennington looks on after defeating Ashlee Evans-Smith 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) Raquel Pennington Career Earnings Stream live sports and ESPN originals on ESPN+ for only $4.99 a month. Start your 7-day free trial today! 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...

By: Jeff Fox | January 14, 2020 Got this press release this morning – enjoy: The UFC is holding an open-to-the-public press conference ahead of Saturday’s megafight between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone. Naturally, you can bet on just about anything that might happen at the presser. SportsBetting.ag has put together more than a dozen crazy prop bets for the event, which will be held at The Palms Casino Resort at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday. Props ranging from how late McGregor will show up to what the fighters will wear to insults hurled are on the betting board....

By: Jeff Fox | January 13, 2020 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 $70 gift card from our sponsor – Engage! Engage is a premium brand offering a wide range of products that are custom designed for those who have an interest in Combat Sports. From fightwear to high-quality fight gear, apparel and activewear, there are options for everyone through the engageind.com online store. The thorough research...

By: Jeff Fox | January 13, 2020 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) 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 | January 13, 2020 LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 5: Conor McGregor (L) punches Nate Diaz during UFC 196 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) Conor McGregor Scouting Report Vitals 5’9″ 170 lbs (Welterweight)74″ reach, SouthpawJuly 14, 1988 Record 21-4 (UFC: 9-2) Current Streak 1 straight loss Training Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-JitsuNational boxing champion Championships Held CWFC Featherweight  Champion: 2012 (no title defenses)CWFC Lightweight Champion: 2012 (no title defenses)Interim UFC Featherweight Champion: 2015 (no title defenses)UFC Featherweight Champion: 2015-16 (no title defenses)UFC...

By: Jeff Fox | January 13, 2020 Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone Scouting Report Vitals 6’0″ 170 lbs (Welterweight)73″ reach, OrthodoxMarch 29, 1983 Record 36-13, 1 NC (UFC: 23-10) Current Streak 2 straight losses Training Champion Muay Thai fighterBlack belt if GaidojutsuBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships Held None Strengths – world class kickboxing/Muay Thai– incredible submission skills – 17 wins via submission– killer leg kicks– very well coached throughout his career– granite chin – never been knocked out (only TKO’d five times)– very active striker– extremely accurate striker– hard hitter – one of the leaders in knockdowns landed for his...

By: Jeff Fox | January 13, 2020 Anthony Pettis Scouting Report Vitals 5’10” 155 lbs (Lightweight)72″ reach, OrthodoxJanuary 27, 1987 Record 22-9 (UFC: 9-8) Current Streak 1 straight loss Training 3rd dan Black belt in TaekwondoBlack belt in kickboxingBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu JitsuYellow rope in Capoeira Championships Held Gladiators Fighting Series Lightweight Champion: 2008 (two successful title defenses)WEC Lightweight Champion: 2010 (no title defenses)UFC Lightweight Champion: 2013-2015 (one successful title defense) Strengths – good athlete– still young(ish) despite vast experience– tremendous striker with diverse arsenal– deadly kicks– very dangerous submissions (especially triangle choke)– very well coached– has fought –...

By: Jeff Fox | January 12, 2020 Dec 29, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Alexander Gustafsson (blue gloves) during UFC 232 at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Another decade has come to a close, so with it a plethora of “UFC Fighter of the Decade” rankings appearing on the WWW. 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 during 2010-2019. Here are our performance...

By: Jeff Fox | January 12, 2020 Sep 20, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Conor McGregor holds up a bottle of whiskey during a press conference for UFC 229 at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports Another decade has flown past us, and it was a financially profitable one for a handful of UFC fighters. They still don’t get paid what they are actually worth, but a few of them made out like bandits, so to speak, in the 2010s. Here is our ranking of the top ten earning UFC fighters of the 10s....

By: Jeff Fox | January 11, 2020 UFC 246: McGregor vs CowboyJan 18, 2020T-Mobile ArenaLas Vegas, Nevada UFC 246: McGregor vs Cowboy Fight Card Fight Card Ranking (strength of card on paper based on our exclusive Pound for Pound fighter rankings) UFC PPV cards range between 15,450-4,700 points, with an average card ranking 10,400 (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 7-day free trial...

By: Jeff Fox | January 11, 2020 Nov 24, 2018; Beijing, China; Alistair Overeem (red gloves) defeats Sergei Pavlovich (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Cadillac Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports Another decade has flown past us, and it was a financially profitable one for a handful of UFC fighters. They still don’t get paid what they are actually worth, but a few of them made out like bandits, so to speak, in the 2010s. Here is our ranking of the top ten earning UFC fighters of the 10s. (doesn’t include any undisclosed PPV bonuses or...

By: Jeff Fox | January 11, 2020 SACRAMENTO, CA – DECEMBER 14: Demetrious Johnson reacts to his victory over Joseph Benavidez in their flyweight championship bout during the UFC on FOX event at Sleep Train Arena on December 14, 2013 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Another decade has come to a close, so with it a plethora of “UFC Fighter of the Decade” rankings appearing on the WWW. 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...

By: Jeff Fox | January 10, 2020 Jan 20, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Daniel Cormier (red gloves) celebrates his victory against Volkan Oezdemir (not seen) during UFC 220 at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports Another decade has come to a close, so with it a plethora of “UFC Fighter of the Decade” rankings appearing on the WWW. 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 during 2010-2019. Here are...

By: Jeff Fox | January 10, 2020 Oct 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Khabib Nurmagomedov (red gloves) reacts after his fight against Conor McGregor (blue gloves) during UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Another decade has flown past us, and it was a financially profitable one for a handful of UFC fighters. They still don’t get paid what they are actually worth, but a few of them made out like bandits, so to speak, in the 2010s. Here is our ranking of the top ten earning UFC fighters of the 10s. (doesn’t...

By: Jeff Fox | January 10, 2020 Oct 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Khabib Nurmagomedov (red gloves) fights Conor McGregor (blue gloves) during UFC 229 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 Manifesto...

By: Jeff Fox | January 9, 2020 Another decade has flown past us, and it was a financially profitable one for a handful of UFC fighters. They still don’t get paid what they are actually worth, but a few of them made out like bandits, so to speak, in the 2010s. Here is our ranking of the top ten earning UFC fighters of the 10s. (doesn’t include any undisclosed PPV bonuses or any other bonuses; Reebok sponsorship started at UFC 189) (click on the fighter’s name to see a breakdown of their payouts for each career fight) 2010s Earnings:...