Issue 084

January 2012

$275,000

The disclosed earnings for Nick Diaz at UFC 137. He grabbed $200,000 for fighting and another $75,000 for ‘Fight of the Night.’ At the post-fight press conference Diaz explained how he doesn’t make enough money to buy a house in a good neighborhood, but with the median house price in his hometown of Stockon, California, being $266,068 perhaps he can. Or at least Dana White thinks so. He recently said: “Nick Diaz made a lot of money this year. Believe me when I tell you, Nick Diaz can buy a house this year. Whatever kind of house he wants.”

1

Number of fans to jump the Octagon fence at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England. It was the first time in UFC history a fan took the stupid plunge into the Octagon, and he was met in an instant by referee Marc Goddard. It was actually the second time Goddard had to deal with a fan jumping into the cage. The first was a few years ago and the fan was naked, so Goddard wisely chose not to grab him. 

10lb v 145lb

As stated by Rashad Evans during the UFC 138 Fight Club Q&A, he has 10lb of grip strength in his injured right hand. His left hand checked in at 145lb. The former light heavyweight champ has a way to go before he is fully recovered and ready to fight for the title.

427

It was 427 days after Chael Sonnen lost to Anderson Silva at UFC 117 when he finally returned to the Octagon and absolutely decimated Brian Stann at UFC 136. The amazing performance was topped off when Sonnen took the post-fight interview microphone from Joe Rogan and said: “Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck…”

5 Years

A little less than a week after Sonnen called out Silva in WWE style, Silva’s UFC middleweight title reign reached five years. Silva claimed the belt from Rich Franklin way back at UFC 64 on October 14th, 2006. 

14

Silva has won 14 straight fights in the UFC. He won one fight before claiming the belt from Franklin (a destruction of Chris Leben), and has defended it a record nine times while adding wins over Travis Lutter, James Irvin and Forrest Griffin in non-title fights. 

12

Win number 12 in the UFC gave Anderson Silva the record for consecutive victories, and broke UFC legend Royce Gracie’s record of 11 straight wins. It was no doubt Anderson’s toughest however. It came against the aforementioned trash-talking wrestler from the mean streets of Oregon, Chael Sonnen. Sonnen beat up Silva for much of the fight before submitting to a triangle.

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF CHEICK KONGO

A veteran of 15 UFC bouts, French kickboxer Cheick Kongo has been with the world’s biggest promotion for five years. With 10 strike-based stoppages and one tapout courtesy of strikes, Kongo has proven that he owns some of the best stand-up in the heavyweight division. A come-from-behind knockout over Pat Barry earlier this year has firmly entrenched his position in the annals of UFC history and as a fan favorite.

Begins his MMA career in Amsterdam, Holland, gaining a rare submission victory with a heel hook on André Tete.

After going 5-1-1 with impressive stoppages over Hans Nijman and Joop Kasteel, Kongo takes on future Pride and UFC heavyweight Gilbert Yvel in the Amsterdam Arena. An exhausted Kongo is TKO’d late in the bout by Yvel, who celebrates with a bizarre ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’ dance.

Loses to K-1 legend Glaube Feitosa under kickboxing rules at the start of the year but notches two strike-based stoppage victories to earn a call-up to the UFC.

Kongo makes his UFC debut in Las Vegas at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, and picks up a $6,000 purse after forcing a doctor stoppage in the first round against Gilbert Aldana. Six weeks later he returns to Nevada to earn his second UFC ‘W’ – a Christian Wellisch knockout.

Takes a 3-1 UFC record into the ring for the biggest bout of his career against Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ at UFC 75 in London. The bout is punctuated by the Croatian suffering a handful of blows to the testicles before Kongo takes the upset decision win.

Loses a split decision to former Pride star Heath Herring in March but breaks a four-fight decision streak to TKO Norwegian kickboxer Dan Evensen and maul the hardy Mostapha Al-Turk for first-round finishes.

Extends his win streak to three thanks to a TKO victory over K-1 veteran Antoni Hardonk at UFC 97.

Steps in at late notice to fight Cain Velasquez at UFC 99, the promotion’s first trip to Germany. Although he drops Velasquez twice in different rounds, Kongo fails to capitalize and suffers Velasquez’s wrestling to lose a unanimous decision.

Kongo meets Frank Mir at UFC 107 in Memphis, the latter’s first fight back after losing to Brock Lesnar at UFC 100. Kongo is dropped early by a Mir left hook and finds himself in a guillotine and then choked unconscious at 1:12 of round one.

Forces journeyman Paul Buentello to submit due to elbows to the body at UFC Live 1, before engaging Travis Browne in a largely uneventful fight that ends a unanimous draw after Kongo was deducted a point for holding Browne’s shorts.

At UFC Live 4, Kongo is dropped twice by fellow stand-up specialist Pat Barry inside two minutes of the first round but still takes the knockout with two Hail Mary right hands to secure one of the greatest comeback wins of all time.

Derails the momentum of previously unbeaten former TUF contestant Matt Mitrione with a decision win at UFC 137 in Las Vegas.

Numbers provided by Zac Robinson, co-author of Sports by the Numbers: MMA. Zac has also co-written the recently released biography From the Fields to the Garden: The Life of Stitch Duran. It's available online at Amazon and blackmesabooks.com. For more info go to: www.sportsbythenumbersmma.com