Fighters Only

Issue 084

January 2012

All the head-turning information every MMA fan needs to know

ANDERSON SILVA WILL FIGHT CHAEL SONNEN SAYS DANA WHITE

Fans will get to see Chael Sonnen rematch middleweight champion Anderson Silva for the title, said UFC president Dana White. There was concern the much-anticipated bout between the two heated foes might not materialize due to Silva’s assertion that he didn’t believe Sonnen deserved another opportunity at the title. White told ESPN: “It’s the fight everyone wants to see. People want to see Chael vs Anderson. Anderson is in this position where he feels this guy is so disrespectful he doesn’t want to give him a shot and everything else, but Anderson will end up fighting Chael Sonnen.” The American challenger laid down the gauntlet to Silva with his now-famous loser-leaves-town proposition after beating Brian Stann at UFC 136: offering to leave the UFC if Silva won, but bargaining for ‘The Spider’ to leave the middleweight division if Sonnen was victorious. According to Sonnen, however, as his offer was not accepted those terms are now off the table.

ST PIERRE REVEALS $4 MILLION PER-FIGHT EARNINGS

UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre says he makes between $4 million and $5 million per fight. Although his official disclosed earnings are in the hundred thousands, confidential ‘locker room’ bonuses and sponsorships accrue a hefty amount of revenue for the Candian 170lb’er. Branded the company’s biggest pay-per-view draw by UFC president Dana White, St Pierre told the AFP there was a great deal of money to be made via MMA, but that he didn’t know if he was the highest-paid fighter. “For me, a fight is [worth] $4 to $5 million. And in the city where the UFC holds its events, they are economic benefits [to the city] of between $15 to $20 million.” Georges St Pierre’s next opponent, Nick Diaz, recently made headlines when his removal from his original title bout with GSP was reported to have cost him a seven-figure sum.

QUARTER OF FUEL TV SCHEDULING TO BE UFC PROGRAMMING

Around 25% of scheduling on Fox subsidiary channel Fuel will be devoted to the UFC in 2012, a network official revealed recently. Thanks to the UFC’s deal with Fox which will see numerous live bouts aired across the network, Fuel viewers will have the opportunity to watch around 2,000 hours of UFC content per week, ranging from event Countdown shows to highlights programs in the vein of the popular UFC Unleashed and Best of Pride series and a revamped Ultimate Insider show. Promising UFC shoulder programming will take pride of place on the channel, Fuel TV general manager George Greenburg told reporters: “You’re also going to see it in late night, and you’re going to see it on the weekends and key day areas. It will be the wind in our sails for sure.”

The long-awaited video game UFC Undisputed 3 is set to be released on February 14th 2012

UFC president Dana White estimates the promotion has turned around 40 fighters into millionaires

WHAT'S HOT

MMA CEREAL

Calm down, it doesn’t exist yet, but if it did just imagine the greatness. Like Lucky Charms, only better…

PRIDE FIGHTERS IN UFC UNDISPUTED 3

You read that right. Don Frye vs Bob Sapp here we come!

CHEICK KONGO’S PECS

We’d all like a pair of chest wings like Cheick. Get yours with the help of the latest Train Hard Fight Easy

WHAT'S NOT

SUPER SEVEN R.I.P

The collective name for UFC champions was so good we’re upset it’ll be changed to accommodate the new flyweight division. Excellent eight, perhaps?