Tag: UFC 157

UFC 157 Photo Shoot: Behind the Scenes with Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche

Although Ronda Rousey had plenty of bad blood with the last challengers to her Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title, Liz Carmouche is all smiles.During a recent photo shoot (via Fight Hub TV) for the upcoming UFC 157: Primetime series, Rousey co…

Although Ronda Rousey had plenty of bad blood with the last challengers to her Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title, Liz Carmouche is all smiles.

During a recent photo shoot (via Fight Hub TV) for the upcoming UFC 157: Primetime series, Rousey could barely keep a straight face when taking pictures with her opponent, as Carmouche disarmed the steely champion with an unusual tactic.

As Carmouche told the Fight Hub TV camera crew, “I was just saying whatever they said, and turning it into something sexual.”

It seemed to work well enough, as Rousey continually cracked up during the session despite trying to maintain a fierce “game face” for the shoot:

She’s a smart chick, dude. She’s smart, because if she was getting in my face it would get me more riled up. [But,] she was making me bust up laughing. She’s smart.

Getting friendly with the champ might be the wisest move that Carmouche could make.

As former Strikeforce fighter Miesha Tate learned the hard way, aggressively getting in Rousey’s face is definitely a bad idea, especially if you don’t want to get your forehead shoved in during a tense stare-down (via Integrated Fitness).

Rousey and Carmouche will headline UFC 157 on Feb. 23 at Anaheim’s Honda Center, with the card highlighted by the upcoming three-part Primetime series. Episode 1 will debut on Friday, Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. PT/12 a.m. ET on Fuel TV.

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Ronda Rousey: Why the Risk Is Worth the Reward for the UFC

Ronda Rousey is set to defend her newly minted UFC women’s bantamweight championship against Liz Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157. The UFC is taking a gamble by making her the top bill, but the risk is certainly worth the reward. The UFC has alre…

Ronda Rousey is set to defend her newly minted UFC women’s bantamweight championship against Liz Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157. The UFC is taking a gamble by making her the top bill, but the risk is certainly worth the reward.

The UFC has already lessened the risk of having her headline UFC 157. They have littered the card with fantastic fights. Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida meet in a big co-main event and Urijah Faber is on the card to boot.

She is not carrying this card alone, but she is the big name on the poster.

What’s the worst that can happen? Rousey, and subsequently the entire division, could fail. That would be unfortunate, but the UFC is in a position to risk that. They will only be out a small amount of money.

If she were to fail, then there could be a black eye, not to the UFC but to women’s MMA in general. The UFC can easily spin it in the public relations room. They can take the stance that they gave it a shot on the big stage, and it simply is not ready.

The risk for them is small. Very small.

What about the reward?

Rousey could be the next superstar.

She is undoubtedly already a star. Rousey has graced multiple magazine covers, has been on numerous podcasts and shows, and is frequently sought after for appearances. She is on the precipice of becoming a massive star for the sport.

Having her under the UFC banner can be huge for the company.

She speaks well. She fights even better. She can help sell the UFC brand.

Rousey is on the brink of becoming a transcendent star. If she can break out in to the mainstream, it will pay dividends for her, and also the UFC. Her pay-per-view fights will suddenly become financial windfalls. They will be can’t-miss.

This first PPV event will be telling. With a big main event and other significant names on the card, everyone will eagerly anticipate the numbers of the event. Media will have their fingertips on their keyboards waiting to call it a success or failure immediately, but this is only the beginning.

This will merely tell the UFC where they are starting from. They see the upside to Rousey being on their roster already.

The UFC will give her the platform to shine. They will be there to help her with anything she needs to succeed. Rousey’s success will also be a success for all of women’s MMA. That is where the UFC could really benefit.

If she can put women’s MMA on the map on the biggest stage and make it a success, the UFC will see benefits for years to come. Years down the line, the UFC could owe Rousey a big debt of gratitude.

When the risk is this minimal, and the potential reward this big, the UFC has the easy choice to take the gamble. Rousey is not a sure thing, but she is just about the closest thing there is to it.

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UFC 157: 3 Reasons to Root for Liz Carmouche to Defeat Ronda Rousey

History will be made at UFC 157 when Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche collide in the first-ever women’s MMA bout in UFC history. It will also mark the first time women have headlined a UFC pay-per-view and should gain a lot of attention from the media. R…

History will be made at UFC 157 when Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche collide in the first-ever women’s MMA bout in UFC history. It will also mark the first time women have headlined a UFC pay-per-view and should gain a lot of attention from the media.

Rousey comes into the bout as the clear favorite and for good reason. Rousey is 6-0 with all of her bouts ending via armbar in the first round. She’s appeared to be unstoppable given her submission prowess to go along with her Olympic-level judo.

Attempting to stop the hype train will be Carmouche, a tough-as-nails fighter who has seen her place among the women’s rankings jump after two straight victories.

Although the UFC will undoubtedly be rooting for its superstar Rousey to win, MMA fans have plenty of reasons to root for the underdog Carmouche.

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Rumor: Ronda Rousey Could Make More Than $150K in UFC 157 Debut

Update: UFC president Dana White has responded to the rumor on the Underground forum, stating that Rousey’s reported pay for UFC 157 is false.According to White, “mma interviews whoever the hell they are is full of s—.” White’s me…

Update: UFC president Dana White has responded to the rumor on the Underground forum, stating that Rousey’s reported pay for UFC 157 is false.

According to White, “mma interviews whoever the hell they are is full of s—.” White’s message was posted on the popular MMA forum under his username “dfw jr” at 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

Original Story: Even if Ronda Rousey doesn’t win her first title defense at UFC 157, she could still make more money than Ben Henderson and Dominick Cruz.

According to a rumor from MMA Interviews, Rousey is lined up for a $75,000/$75,000 salary via her upcoming main-event bout in Anaheim.

That’s $75,000 to show up and $75,000 extra if she wins, for an assumed total of $150,000 in one night. As MMA Interviews points out, that’s not even all of it—and challenger Liz Carmouche is reportedly making far less in comparison to the women’s champion:

MMAinterviews was told from a source close to Liz Carmouche’s camp that Ronda Rousey will be earning $75,000 to show and $75,000 to win, plus a cut of pay per view when she defends her UFC title against Carmouche at UFC 157. Carmouche will only be earning $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win according to the source.

Rousey’s manager Darin Harvey refuted the rumor, but wouldn’t give any details about the terms of his fighter’s contract with the UFC.

Harvey only stated that “Dana White takes very good care of his stars” and “you cannot go by commission numbers.”

Historically, the UFC only releases a very conservative reported salary for fighters, which doesn’t include sizable perks like post-fight bonus money, PPV percentages and in some cases, “locker room bonuses” for good performances in the Octagon.

If the rumor is indeed true, that automatically puts Rousey in the middle of the pack amongst current UFC champions.

For comparison’ sake, this is a breakdown of each champion’s most recently disclosed base pay or show/win salary from various commissions, not counting any bonuses or PPV deals:

• Cain Velasquez: $100,000/$100,000 (UFC 155)
• Junior dos Santos: $400,000 (UFC 155, Former Champion)
• Jon Jones: $400,000 (UFC 145)
• Anderson Silva: $200,000 (UFC 148)
• Georges St-Pierre: $200,000/$200,000 (UFC 100)
• Benson Henderson: $39,000/$39,000 (UFC on Fox 5)
• Frankie Edgar: $51,000/$51,000 (UFC 125, Former Champion)
• Jose Aldo: N/A
• Dominick Cruz: $20,000/$20,000 (UFC 132)
• Ronda Rousey: $75,000/$75,000 (Rumored, UFC 157)
• Renan Barao: N/A
• Demetrious Johnson: N/A

Interestingly, Aldo, Barao and Johnson have yet to fight in states and territories where the local athletic commission reports fighter salaries.

However, given the huge discrepancy between the heavier weight classes and the lighter weight divisions, it’s fair to guess Rousey may walk out of UFC 157 as the promotion’s fifth most well-paid champion. All “Rowdy” needs to do for that to happen is defeat challenger Liz Carmouche on Feb. 23 at the Anaheim Honda Center.

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Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson: How Good (Or Bad) Will This Fight Be?

UFC fans are abuzz with excitement for UFC 157’s co-main event featuring Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida.The buzz is understandable: “The Dragon” and “Hendo” are among the most popular and exciting fighters in MMA, and the outco…

UFC fans are abuzz with excitement for UFC 157‘s co-main event featuring Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida.

The buzz is understandable: “The Dragon” and “Hendo” are among the most popular and exciting fighters in MMA, and the outcome of their clash will leave an indelible and momentous impact on the legacy of each fighter and the future of their division.

The excitement surrounding Machida vs. Henderson, however, is tempered by the probability that their fight won’t be extremely exciting. Or will it?

Here is a breakdown of the factors that could make Henderson vs. Machida either scintillating or sucky. Feel free to post your expectations for the fight in the comments section below!

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Unfinished Business Has Urijah Faber Motivated for Bout with Menjivar

For the second time in many years, Urijah Faber failed in his attempt to capture UFC gold. Undeterred, “The California Kid” is ready to get back into the cage in 2013 and resume his quest toward claiming the sport’s ultimate prize.The Team Alpha Male l…

For the second time in many years, Urijah Faber failed in his attempt to capture UFC gold. Undeterred, “The California Kid” is ready to get back into the cage in 2013 and resume his quest toward claiming the sport’s ultimate prize.

The Team Alpha Male leader will have the opportunity to jump-start that campaign when he faces Ivan Menjivar at UFC 157 on Feb. 23 in Anaheim.

It is a fight the 33-year-old California native can not afford to lose. If his dream of becoming a UFC champion is ever to be realized, Faber has to make every step count.

The former WEC featherweight champion turned bantamweight contender understands the pressure is on, and time may be running thin on his hopes of making another run at the divisional crown. That being said, there are few fighters more goal-driven than Faber, and his focus is locked on getting back into the win column against Menjivar.

“I’m excited for this fight,” Faber told Bleacher Report. “A lot of people might not know, but Menjivar and I have some unfinished business. Last time we fought I got a big gash on my eyebrow that stopped the fight. He threw an illegal kick right as I was coming down and hit the ground. It barely grazed me at all, but because of the eye, the fight couldn’t continue. Due to the illegal kick he threw it resulted in a disqualification.

“This is going to be a good fight. We are both veterans of the sport and have been there before. The fight takes place on a big card in Anaheim and I’m pumped.”

The past two years have come with a varying amount of success for Faber. After one of the most dominant title runs in recent memory, he has been turned back in his efforts to reclaim championship status.

It’s a unique position by all means, as the perennial contender has come out on the losing end of both of his bantamweight title opportunities, yet has steamrolled the opposition in every non-title effort.

Faber believes it will only take a few small adjustments in order to make the transition from contender to champion complete.

“The title is the goal,” Faber said. “My last fight was against Renan Barao for the interim title. I’ve watched that fight over and over again, and the biggest difference came down to about 10 kicks. The fight was about even. I also broke my rib in the first round and fought through that. My other title fight against Dominick Cruz was a fight I thought I won. I had a bunch of knockdowns against him, but it was a close fight as well. 

“I feel I’m right there with the top guys. I just have to make some small adjustments to make that happen. Now I’m on the road to winning a couple of fights decisively and putting solid wins together to get back into title contention.

“This is one after another career for me. I’m all for that and staying busy. The only fights I’ve ever lost have been title fights. I’ve lost six fights in my career, but I’ve also won a lot of title fights as well. I’m facing top competition and the slightest little things matter. I need to make the necessary adjustments and get back into the title picture. Getting back there is the place I want to be.”

While the climb back to the top of the ladder will ultimately depend on his abilities inside the Octagon, Faber remains one of the most marketable fighters outside of the cage.

As an author and entrepreneur, Faber possesses one of the best business minds in the sport, and his relationship with a passionate UFC fanbase makes Faber one of MMA‘s top ambassadors.

His recent selection as the next member of Team Metro PCS only serves to bolster his position as one the most visible fighters in the sport.

“It was really cool,” Faber said about the contest. “Metro PCS has a really diverse group of users. We have a big Metro PCS following in Sacramento. It is kind of like the team they are building in the UFC. We have Cain Velasquez, Jon Jones, Frankie Edgar and myself. It was a big social media push, and the last week of the contest is really what did it for me. It was a close call between Anthony Pettis and I, but I came through in the end. It was good to see my fans interact. Metro PCS is all about giving the fans a voice and the power to choose, and they did that for this competition.

“I’ve been a guy who understands getting behind a brand. I was actually the first guy to be sponsored by Metro PCS. It was a local branch that sponsored some of my fights in Sacramento, and now it has kind of come full circle. It’s exciting to be one of the guys who helps bring their brand to a wider UFC audience. I’m on the team with a bunch of cool guys, and it makes sense. It took a lot of campaigning, but it worked out.”

 

In the coming weeks, the preparation for Faber’s bout with Menjivar will come to an end, and the time to once again show and prove will come front and center. Faber’s focus will be on settling the score with the fighter from El Salvador and building momentum toward his ultimate goal. That being said, there are other rivalries out there for him to settle.

A long-awaited trilogy bout with Dominick Cruz is still on his mind. But with the recent announcement of the bantamweight champion’s on-going struggle to recover from injury, Faber understands the difficulties Cruz faces and sends the champion his best wishes. 

“I feel bad for the guy,” Faber said. “At the root of it, Dominick is a competitor, and he takes this seriously. You have to respect that. To see him have these injuries over and over again is really crappy. I feel for him. I wish the best for him and hope he gets better. Hopefully he has a full recovery, he can get back in there, and we can have that third scrap.”

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