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• Strikeforce: Nick Diaz on Marius Zaromskis title fight and more (Video)
• WEC 45 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Cerrone vs Ratcliff'
• Ed Soares video talks Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Georges St. Pierre and more
• Strikeforce paydays and salaries for 'Evolution'
• Bellator Fighting Championships lands multi-fight deal with British MMA star Jim Wallhead
• MMA Big Show: Gary Goodridge vs Ron Sparks set for 'A New Dawn' on Jan. 9
• MMA Quick Quote: Hayato Sakurai comments on Akihiro Gono's cerebral fighting style
• Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum possible for April Strikeforce CBS event
• Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone talks WEC 45 win over Ed Ratcliff on tonight's edition of Pro MMA Radio

Strikeforce: Nick Diaz on Marius Zaromskis title fight and more (Video) Posted: 21 Dec 2009 07:24 PM PST

WEC 45 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Cerrone vs Ratcliff' Posted: 21 Dec 2009 11:53 AM PST The official fighter purses for those who competed at WEC 45: "Cerrone vs Ratcliff" this past Saturday night (Dec. 19) from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, were released earlier today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Butt-kicking bantamweight Joseph Benavidez went home the top earner of the night after pocketing a crisp $25,000 for his knockout win over Rani Yahya. That was just $1,000 higher than the second biggest banker Donal Cerrone. "Cowboy" raked in $24,000, which he probably carried home in the yam-bag of Ed Ratcliff. Former IFL standout and lightweight future star Chris Horodecki helped himself to $12,000 of the promotion's green -- despite a disappointing TKO loss to Anthony Njokuani, who went home $8,000 richer than he came in. Scott Jorgensen ($14,000) and Bart Palaszewski ($10,000) also broke double digits with their winning performances. Here is the complete list of WEC 45 payouts: Donald Cerrone -- $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win) Ed Ratcliff -- $9,000 Cerrone defeated Ratcliff via submission (rear naked choke) in round three Anthony Njokuani -- $8,000 ($4,000 to show, $4,000 to win) Chris Horodecki -- $12,000 Njokuani defeated Horodecki via technical knockout (strikes) in round one Joseph Benavidez -- $25,000 ($12,500 to show, $12,500 to win) Rani Yahya -- $9,000 Benavidez defeated Yahya via knockout (punch) in round one Scott Jorgensen -- $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win) Takeya Mizugaki -- $8,000 Jorgensen defeated Mizugaki via unanimous decision Bart Palaszewski -- $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win) Anthony Pettis -- $3,000 Palaszewski defeated Pettis via split decision Zach Micklewright -- $4,000 ($2,000 to show, $2,000 to win) Muhsin Corbbrey -- $4,000 Micklewright defeated Corbbrey via unanimous decision Chad George -- $5,000 ($3,000 to show, $2,000 to win) Josh Hosman -- $3,000 George defeated Hosman via unanimous decision Brandon Visher -- $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win) Courtney Buck -- $3,000 Visher defeated Buck via technical knockout (strikes) in round one Brad Pickett -- $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win) Kyle Dietz -- $3,000 Pickett defeated Dietz via submission (Peruvian necktie) in round two Erik Koch -- $4,000 ($2,000 to show, $2,000 to win) Jameel Massouh -- $3,000 Koch defeated Massouh via unanimous decision Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. For example, the WEC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for WEC 45 go here. The total base fighter payroll for the Versus TV event was $162,000. For complete results and coverage of "Cerrone vs Ratcliff" click here and here.

Ed Soares video talks Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Georges St. Pierre and more Posted: 21 Dec 2009 11:20 AM PST Video courtesy of MMACanada.net.

Strikeforce paydays and salaries for 'Evolution' Posted: 21 Dec 2009 11:06 AM PST MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) has received the fighter payouts for Strikeforce: "Evolution" from the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for the Showtime event held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, on Dec. 19. As expected, hometown favorite and former middleweight champion Cung Le was the big earner of the night. Despite getting stopped by Scott Smith in the third round of their main event bout, Le banked a cool $150,000 for his efforts. His opponent, "Hands of Steel," took home $55,000 and division bragging rights. DREAM import Ronaldo Souza choked $65,000 out of Matt Lindland, including a $10,000 win bonus and the second highest purse of the night. "The Law" was broken but still fined Strikeforce $50,000 for showing up. Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson and Mike Whitehead all scored double digit fight purses, as did Muhammed Lawal -- though "King Mo" ended up giving some of it back. Apparently the CSAC was not amused with his decision to pressure wash the cage floor with his Rockstar Energy drink. The flashy-but-effective Lawal took a 10-percent hit for his stunt. And for those of you 9-5ers who think you're underpaid, Daisuke Nakamura was compensated a paltry $200 for his unanimous decision loss to Justin Wilcox. And yes, I called the commission to verify that wasn't a typo. Here are all the Strikeforce: "Evolution" payouts: Scott Smith: $55,000 (no win bonus) Cung Le: $150,000 Smith defeated Le via technical knockout (strikes) in round three Gilbert Melendez: $55,000 (no win bonus) Josh Thomson: $30,000 Melendez defeated Thomson via unanimous decision Ronaldo Souza: $65,000 ($55,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Matt Lindland: $50,000 Souza defeated Lindland via submission (arm triangle choke) in round one Muhammed Lawal: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Mike Whitehead: $30,000 Lawal defeated Whitehead via knockout (strikes) in round one Antwain Britt: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win) Scott Lighty: $5,000 Britt defeated Lighty via technical knockout (cuts) in round one Justin Wilcox: $5,000 (no win bonus) Daisuke Nakamura: $200 Wilcox defeated Nakamura via unanimous decision Alex Crispim: $4,000 ($2,000 to show, $2,000 to win) AJ Fonseca: $2,000 Crispim defeated Fonseca via unanimous decision Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. The total base fighter payroll for the event was $481,200. 14,749 spectators packed the HP Pavilion for a live gate of $633,674.50. For complete results and coverage of "Evolution" click here and here.

Bellator Fighting Championships lands multi-fight deal with British MMA star Jim Wallhead Posted: 21 Dec 2009 10:30 AM PST Fresh on the heels of their acquisition of Dan Hornbuckle, Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that another welterweight star, Jim Wallhead (18-5), will join their growing roster and debut in Spring 2010. "Judo Jim" has won six straight fights and nine of his last 11. He was last seen in "Knuckle Up MMA" where he outpointed Che Mills to a decisive unanimous decision on Nov. 1 at the Celtic Manor in Wales. Wallhead is expected to compete in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man welterweight tournament, scheduled to begin on April 8, 2010. In addition to 170-pounds, Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155, and 185-pounds with the tournament winners immediately garnering a number-one contender status in their respective divisions. From Bellator Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney: "Adding Jim to our welterweight division is magic for Bellator. As one of Europe’s top welterweights, Jim will no doubt use our April tournament on Fox Sports Net to introduce U.S. MMA fans to what European fans already know. Jim is the real deal. As a fan, I can’t wait to see Wallhead, Askren, McClintok and Hornbuckle face off." Neither can I. There's a lot of talent being scooped up by Bellator. Aside from the other divisions, anyone out there NOT excited by the upcoming 2010 season? And I'm sure there's more signings to come. Stay tuned.

MMA Big Show: Gary Goodridge vs Ron Sparks set for 'A New Dawn' on Jan. 9 Posted: 21 Dec 2009 09:37 AM PST Former PRIDE FC and K-1 star Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) will return to mixed martial arts action after more than a year on the sidelines to take on fellow bruiser Ron Sparks (5-0) at the upcoming MMA Big show event "A New Dawn" set for the Belterra Casino in Florence, Indiana, on Saturday, January 9. "Big Daddy" is perhaps best known to casual MMA fans for his unintentional snuff film against Paul Herrera at UFC 8: "David vs. Goliath." Goodridge secured his helpless foe in a crucifix and proceeded to rain down elbows until the referee intervened -- even after Herrera lost consciousness. He recovered shortly thereafter, but highlights of the drubbing are frequently used in the anti-MMA crusade. Between MMA and kickboxing, Goodridge has amassed a staggering 79 fights to his name since 1996. Unfortunately his career has been in a serious decline, as the Canadian has dropped five straight including back-to-back losses at the hands of Paul Buentello and Alistair Overeem. Still, his experience and heavy hands make him a serious threat to Sparks' undefeated record. "The Monster" was unsuccessful in his Oct. 23 bid to upset kickboxing legend Alexey "The Red Scorpion" Ignashov at the K-1 ColliZion 2009 Final Elimination show, but he's been unstoppable in five appearances inside the cage. The six-foot-five-inch menace has four victories by way of (T)KO stoppage in his career and most recently put a beating on Jonathan Ivey at RFL: "Maximum Impact" en route to a unanimous decision win back on June 27. How he fares against the well-traveled Goodridge remains to be seen. MMA Big Show: "A New Dawn" will also feature Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Luke Zachrich (10-1) taking on Bryon Sutton (5-0) for the promotion's light heavyweight title. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this still-developing fight card.

MMA Quick Quote: Hayato Sakurai comments on Akihiro Gono's cerebral fighting style Posted: 21 Dec 2009 08:48 AM PST Props: DREAM Official Quoteworthy: "To be honest, since Gono is my friend, my spirit sank a little when the fight card was announced. But we are professionals and this is a fight that the fans want to see, so I will give my best. No one wants to see a lukewarm fight between friends, right? Instead, we will have a murderous battle for fifteen minutes... yes that's what we want to do... we will (laughs). Gono is really talented. When he fought in Shooto, he had yet to discover his style so he struggled in some of the fights. Once he started coming into his own, however, he was amazing in PRIDE. He is  a very cerebral fighter. Seriously, if I were not fighting him this time, I had been thinking about training with him to absorb the techniques of the master strategist. I can't cut myself any slack since he is craftier than I am. (Asked how he predicts the fight to unfold, given the mutual knowledge of their fighting styles between him and Gono) You know he is crafty, but let's see.... I really should think about that, using what little brain I have. I usually do not formulate a game plan. Even when out in the wild, human beings are capable of using their brains to invent devices like guns to hunt lions. After all, fighters who can think their way through fights are formidable. So I need to utilize what little furrows I have in my brain and think about my strategy. On New Year's Eve, I will showcase the 'cerebral Mach' (laughs)." As evidenced by the heated verbal exchange between him and Akihiro Gono at the Dynamite!! press conference last week, Hayato Sakurai is ready to set aside his friendship with Gono for their showdown on NYE. The two Japanese veterans made their Shooto debut in 1996 and have since fought in some of the largest MMA organizations in the world, including UFC and PRIDE. Like Gono alluded to during the conference, Sakurai has arguably been the more successful of the two throughout their 10+ year careers. Sakurai praises the cerebral fighting style that Gono has developed through trials and errors and hopes to counter it with one of his own. Being his usual comical, self-effacing self, Sakurai pokes fun at his ditsiness in the above statement but promises that he will be all business once he and Gono step in the ring at Dynamite !! 2009.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum possible for April Strikeforce CBS event Posted: 21 Dec 2009 06:49 AM PST WAMMA heavyweight champion and Strikeforce marquee attraction Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) will likely return to the CBS airwaves in April 2010 when he welcomes a challenge from Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1) in a bout tentatively scheduled for the next installment of "Saturday Night Fights." While nothing is official at this time, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed his intentions of bringing the two heavyweights together during his post-fight remarks following the "Evolution" event on Dec. 19. "The Last Emperor" made his promotion debut in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, taking a very game Brett Rogers into the second round before finishing him with a "Grim" overhand right that sent the former tire mechanic into the shop for repairs. Emelianenko suffered a hand injury during the CBS televised fight and was sidelined for several weeks; however, the former PRIDE FC heavyweight champion will likely be available for an April return. And as "Vai Cavalo" will tell you, good things come to those who wait. Werdum was already calling out the Russian Sambo champion after his Nov. 7 decision win over Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, also on CBS. The Brazilian submission specialist has notched two wins under the Strikeforce banner since debuting for the San Jose-based promotion at "Carano vs Cyborg" back in August. While Werdum's ultimate goal is to hold the division title, current "champion" Alistair Overeem has still not confirmed a timetable for his return. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on the upcoming Strikeforce CBS event as they develop.

Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone talks WEC 45 win over Ed Ratcliff on tonight's edition of Pro MMA Radio Posted: 21 Dec 2009 06:24 AM PST WEC lightweight sensation Donald Cerrone will be tonight’s guest on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio airing right here at 9pm ET. "The Cowboy" is coming off a submission win over Ed Ratcliff at WEC 45 last Saturday night and will likely have a lot to say about some of the controversy surrounding the fight. Joining him is frequent guest and WEC general manager Reed Harris who will also give his impressions of the action packed show. Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names. If you’re looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that’s already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn’t for you. However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night for our exclusive live feed. See you tonight at 9pm ET!

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