Author: Sal DeRose

UFC to Start Offering Bonuses for Fighters Tweeting

If you look at any other major sports league in North America, they will fine players for tweeting during team functions, games, anything.The UFC, though, will go a different direction and go against those rules.The UFC will, in fact, start offering a …

If you look at any other major sports league in North America, they will fine players for tweeting during team functions, games, anything.

The UFC, though, will go a different direction and go against those rules.

The UFC will, in fact, start offering a bonus for creative tweets and adding followers, UFC president Dana White announced at the UFC Fighter Summit.

Starting on June 1, fighters from both the UFC and Strikeforce will be divided up into four categories depending on the amount of followers they currently possess.

From those four categories, three will be chosen as winners at the end of each quarter and given a $5,000 bonus.

The judging criteria would include: who has gained the most followers since the start of the quarter, who wrote the most creative tweets and who had gained the highest percentage of new followers.

So now unlike the NBA and NFL, who have gone out of their way to punish the users of Twitter, the UFC will now endorse their fighters to actually use the now growing social media site.

That is a step that could make the sport more fan friendly and different from the norms of other leagues.

Also at the UFC Fighter Summit included seminars about the new Zuffa insurance policy for fighters, taxes, gambling and social media.

Present at the Summit were the majority of the 350 fighters currently on Strikeforce’s and the UFC’s rosters.

The Summit was held this week in Las Vegas.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130 Fight Card: Early Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions

UFC 130 gets some betting men looking for the next edge, a good breakdown of the fighters that will perform. Full on with betting odds here are some of my breakdowns for the main card fighters.The UFC 130 main card will now most likely feature the bout…

UFC 130 gets some betting men looking for the next edge, a good breakdown of the fighters that will perform. Full on with betting odds here are some of my breakdowns for the main card fighters.

The UFC 130 main card will now most likely feature the bout between Thiago Alves and Rick Story from the welterweight division. Alves was a former welterweight contender and fought for the welterweight title at UFC 100, but lost to Georges St-Pierre.

Without Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, UFC 130 now has a completely different look.

The Quinton “Rampage” Jackson versus Matt Hamill bout has become the main event and the battle between Frank Mir and Roy Nelson has become the co-main event.

Will UFC 130 surprise and become a great card without the lightweight championship bout? Or will UFC 130 flounder and become one of the least-viewed cards in recent memory?

Here are picks for UFC 130 with betting odds courtesy of Betus.com.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: Analysis, Breakdowns and Predictions

UFC 130 is closing in and it will be the ending to a month where barely any MMA had happened at all. The card will now have to go on without the third installment between lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Instead, UFC 130 will be headlined b…

UFC 130 is closing in and it will be the ending to a month where barely any MMA had happened at all.

The card will now have to go on without the third installment between lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Instead, UFC 130 will be headlined by light heavyweights Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt Hamill with the co-main event between heavyweights Roy Nelson and Frank Mir.

The card features some nice undercard fights and the main card will now feature names like Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Thiago Alves and Jorge Santiago.

UFC 130 seems to look like a lackluster to some, but can the card be hyped up enough to do some solid pay-per-view numbers?

Whatever the case may be, UFC 130 is certainly following up a great UFC 129 card that wowed fans. Now with top light-heavyweight Rampage Jackson fighting in the main event, could there still be some fireworks provided?

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MMA Knockout of the Day: Vitor Belfort Eats Anderson Silva’s Foot

UFC 126: Who could forget this great night of MMA? At UFC 126, Anderson Silva was set to defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort. Belfort was seen as a man who could give Silva a run for his money and end his impressive win streak and give …

UFC 126: Who could forget this great night of MMA?

At UFC 126, Anderson Silva was set to defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort. Belfort was seen as a man who could give Silva a run for his money and end his impressive win streak and give Silva his first loss inside the Octagon.

Towards the middle of the first round we go. Both Silva and Belfort standing, waiting for the other to make a move. Silva keeping his hands nice and low, like in all of his fights.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Silva drops Belfort with a front kick to the jaw. Shock and awe filled the stadium as Silva’s impressive front kick settled in everyone’s head.

Silva’s front kick was supposedly taught to him by none other then movie star, Steven Seagal.

Silva now is set to defend his title at UFC 134 in Rio for the UFC’s first trip to Brazil since the 90s.

Belfort on the other hand is set to fight Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 in Philadelphia.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130 Fight Card: Early Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions

Without Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, UFC 130 now has a completely different look.The Quinton “Rampage” Jackson versus Matt Hamill bout has become the main event and the battle between Frank Mir and Roy Nelson has become the co-main event.Will UFC 13…

Without Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, UFC 130 now has a completely different look.

The Quinton “Rampage” Jackson versus Matt Hamill bout has become the main event and the battle between Frank Mir and Roy Nelson has become the co-main event.

Will UFC 130 surprise and become a great card without the lightweight championship bout? Or will UFC 130 flounder and become one of the least-viewed cards in recent memory?

Here are picks for UFC 130 with betting odds courtesy of Betus.com.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: Without Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, Everyone Loses out

Now that both Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are out of UFC 130 due to injury, the whole lightweight division has been set back.Not only that, but everyone involved loses. The UFC, fans, pay-per-view numbers—everyone.The rematch and third install…

Now that both Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar are out of UFC 130 due to injury, the whole lightweight division has been set back.

Not only that, but everyone involved loses. The UFC, fans, pay-per-view numbers—everyone.

The rematch and third installment of the Edgar/Maynard series was supposed to take place at UFC 130. Now, neither fighter will get the chance to settle the debate as to who really is the UFC lightweight champion.

The UFC loses out  in a huge way. Both the UFC and pay-per-view numbers go down hand-in-hand with this lost from the card. Now, instead of promoting the lightweight championship, they promote a less-sexy matchup in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson versus Matt Hamill.

Are people really going to pay to see that? Only a hardcore MMA follower will. Is that really worth the money? A main event with almost no implications?

The biggest thing that could result from that fight would be Rampage losing, which would send him down the light heavyweight ladder. He can’t even earn a title shot, seeing as Jon Jones isn’t fighting until the end of the year, and his next opponent is almost assuredly Rashad Evans.

The fans want an end to this debate. Is Maynard the real UFC lightweight champion? Or is it Edgar? This question has been going on since they announced their UFC 125 bout. As fans we want a definitive champion, and a draw in the championship fight doesn’t give you that definitive answer.

Not only that, but again, how many fans are willing to pay the price to watch this card? Especially with a good—and free—undercard.

The lightweight division is hurt the most from this. Pettis has already waited long enough for his title shot after beating Ben Henderson at WEC 53 and becoming the last WEC lightweight champion.

Now on top of Pettis, you have top lightweight fighters like Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller,  contenders who now have to wait even longer for their title shot.

UFC 130 is still a pretty good card, but no one wins from having the top fight being pulled. Not one single person.

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