Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective. This time we take a look at UFC 163 which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where Jose Aldo defended his Featherweight title against The Korean Zombie, Chan Sun Jung.
Zombie’s shoulder pops out leading to Aldo victory
It would have added to the lore and nickname of KZ if he had actually popped his shoulder back in and continued to fight. But this is reality and Aldo took advantage. Even if the fight continued, Zombie’s confusing decision to stand, literally, in front of Aldo was perplexing. Moreover, his corner’s encouragement that he was doing great was just as confusing. The only times Zombie did well was when he was the Zombie. Moving forward and throwing shots. Aldo was very good and despite the shoulder injury he was heading to a unanimous decision.
With a possible broken foot, the Featherweight division may be stalled unless we see an interim champion. If that’s the case, Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas would be a good matchup. Then again, could we see Anthony Pettis reemerge here?
Phil Davis wins…really
Sure it was controversial, especially in Brazil, but Mr. Wonderful pulled off an upset over hometown favorite Lyoto Machida. Despite the upheaval, it was a close fight and Davis scored takedowns at the end of the rounds to secure a victory. The win keeps Davis relevant in the Light Heavyweight division while is a setback for Machida who was generally upset about the decision.
Attendance
The announced attendance at the HSBC Arena was 13,873 although it was clear that there were many empty seats. This might have been a reason that the gate number was not released.
Bonuses
Bonuses were $50,000 each and were as follows:
Fight of the Night: Ian McCall-Illiarde Santos
Submission of the Night: Sergio Moraes
KO of the Night: Anthony Perosh
Sponsorships
As with the Brazilian events, there were a healthy amount of Brazilian sponsors in the Octagon including Gillette, Head and Shoulders, IntergralMedica, Sky HDTV and TNT Energy Drink. Also, Harley Davidson, SafeAuto Insurance, Corn Nuts (not usually in the Octagon) and Bud Light in the center.
Machida’s main sponsors were Venum and Head and Shoulders. Davis was sponsored by GenOx, a company specializing in the transportation of gases.
Aldo wore Monster head phones to the Octagon and his soccer kit inspired Venum walk-in shirt.
Interesting note that several fight banners including Zombie and Aldo had a black tape over what appeared to be a sponsor at the top of their fight banner. Not sure what happened but its likely that the sponsor did not pay.
Odds and Ends
Brandon Vera f-bombed Brian Stann based on his critique of Phil Davis winning. Vera, a friend and training partner of Davis was taken to task by many posters since many backed Stann as an announcer (and of course he’s a military veteran). Vera on the other hand has not fought in a year and could be facing his last fight in the UFC if he does not beat Ben Rothwell on August 31st.
Uncle Creepy versus John Lineker? Do it.
Not related to UFC 163 except for the fact it was posted on the same day as the PPV. But, if you get denied UFC media credentials, this can happen. Deadspin potshots UFC reminding readers of Chuck Liddell falling asleep during an interview.
“Hands of Stone” John Lineker, “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis…I didn’t realize there was such a love for 1980s pro wrestlers.
Speaking of wrestling, there was a one hour special of this past year’s Wrestlemania on NBC and NBC Sports Network’s Fight Night opposing the PPV.
Conclusion
Don’t expect a big PPV number here. Not even a mediocre number. With another PPV at the end of the month and a world tour promoting the rest of the PPVs for 2013, this was a PPV most skipped. Add the fact that lower weight classes do not do well on PPV and this was a Brazil card (lower buy rates). Thus, we will likely see a number around 140,000 which was the buy rate for UFC 147.
Dislocated shoulder…low pay…….miserable life for zombie
Good. Then he has a reason to keep fighting. Miserable struggling fighters are better fighters. This isn’t the Silver Spoon Fighting Championships.
Hahaha…it’s slavery in zombies case…..biggest MMA promotion…no money to pay….it would surely inspire the next generation to become a UFC fighter…..hahahahaha…
The low performance bonus of 50k is also an indicator of an overall low rake for zuffa yesterday. Relatively speaking. reminds me of cote losing to anderson by injury. it allows the loser to save face and and people will wonder what if. aldo was looking spent, lucky for him kz got injured.
I likd the clip of liddell narcing out on deadspin. dude probably has a script for 90 percocets a month with some muscle relaxers to stack. Reminds me of hank hill defending bob doles probable drug use “the only drugs he’s on are pain killers, and he earned em!” Chuck probably spends everyday in moderate pain from fighting.
One word… sad
You two are both full of shit. Name me one fighter who got into MMA for money at an early age? Not one. If anything the highest purses influence people not the lowest or the average. That’s why many competitions have a winner take all Prize. So IF anyone is making a decision based on money. They are basing it on the highest paid fighters. Which have the ability to make 10-15 million per year and going up every year.
Also Chuck only became a pill head when he because famous and very wealthy. He didn’t have that problem until he got money and started acting like a rock star. Again money ruined his career. He doesn’t have pain from fighting that causes him to take pills. But nice try making it look like he made some kind of sacrifice for fighting. This guy was fighting in the UFC when he was lucky to get $2,000 for a fight. No one knew him or cared about him. Now he has everything and has lived a lifestyle everyone would kill to have. All thanks to the UFC.
From Tito Ortiz
“Bellator isn’t about the brand, they’re about making stars and making people as they should be. We go out there and we kill ourselves, practically. You want to be a superstar? You’ve got to put in the time, you’ve got to put in the work and you’ve got to put on good fights. Bellator wants to support the guys that do that. It’s not about the brand in Bellator. That’ll always be there. It’s about the fighters and the superstars and Bjorn [Rebney] understands that. And for once, a business understands that. And to have him behind your back doing that, that’s what I always dreamed.”
“This isn’t called UFC, it’s called mixed martial arts. Us fighters that are putting our lives on the line, we’re the ones putting people in those seats, selling pay-per-view buys, we’re the ones putting our lives on the line to make that happen. We’re the ones that should be getting the most recognition out of anything and everybody else should just get the rest as it comes in.”
From tito Ortiz……good point
Dana should stop trying to be the center of attention…..
10-15 million a year?? on what planet? What kind of medication are you on? All the UFC champions put together couldn’t make that in a year, and they probably never will! Head and Shoulders? lol are you kidding!
Vitor at 19. Dan lauzon 19. I suspect money is only most of the reason. but you are asking others to read peoples minds. and you know joe lauzon was telling his younger brother to get on before it gets too high to reach.
You dont need a lot of money to be a pillhead just fake an injury and scream at a private doctor. to blame a pill addiction on fame is ridiculous. It is more logical to think that chuck probably had an addictive personality and the accumulation of damage through his ufc career caused him to rely on painkillers . According to bs being a pillhead is a good lifestyle. sorry, but i disagree. that’s why you see nfl parents recommending their kids not play football.
Furthermore, pills aren’t exactly a whitecollar drug. if chuck was bouncing off the ceiling with more energy than ever then i might be inclined to agree with you/your bs.
No one has died in the UFC so no one is putting their pife on the line any more than anyone else in any line of work. Tito is a drama Queen. The fighters are only saying they put their life on the line when it is convenient for them. Other times they tell everyone how safe the sport is. You think you are putting your life on the line. Then go work the night shift at 7-11 or be a police officer.
Finally, how would Tito know what Bellator does or what their intentions are? He has been with them for a week and hasn’t even fought. He has no clue how they are going to treat him or how they have treated anyone. They don’t care about their brand because they don’t have one worth a damn. But like the UFC they care about their bottom line and will do what they have to do to be successful. If that means not kissing Tito’s ass then so be it. We will see what tune he sings when they wash their hands of him in a few fights. When the money stops coming in with Bellators name on the check. Tito will be back in the media praising whoever sends his next check while slamming his former employer.
Chuck didn’t start partying until he was famous and making big money. That’s when the drugs started.
IF you think Vitor got into the UFC and fighting because of money in 1997. You are full of shit. Do you even know how much money he was paid? almost nothing. He, like everyone else back then and today, fight for the prestige.
The talk of parents not letting their kids play football started due to head trauma. Not pain or addiction. Football players have been on pills since day one and no one kept their kid from playing. So get your facts straight.
Kids of today would think….even as a title contender like weidman and zombie…you still get shit pay….lol……dosent look like a promising career….they would just choose another sport….hahaha
http://www.fightopinion.com/2013/07/30/ufc-lack-of-mainstream-appeal/
UFC article
Bs. people don’t want their kids to end up like walter peyton or jr saeu(?). You can’t honestly think a retired pro football player doesn’t have pain when they are done. the same is true of a ufc fighter. thats were the line about no one goes into a fight 100% comes from.
That goes for any job that is manual labor.Everyone has pain when they retire unless they sit on their ass all day like you and Sampson. What the hell does Walter Payton have to do with anything? He died of a disease not related to football. The science is to new to know if football had anything thing to do with Seau’s death. I never said they didn’t have pain. They always have and it has never factored in the most parents letting their kids play the sport. I played it as a kid and my brother played all the way through college. Not once did money or injuries ever play a factor in those decisions. My brother has tore his labrum and his ACL and MCL and has pain from both every day. He was never paid for playing football and never expected to be paid. He played because he loved to play. He doesn’t take pain pills and has a productive life. The excuses you fan boys make up about people doing anything for money or deserving anything is a load of BS. Its pure hero worship and make up far fetched shit to justify it.
Hahaha..Why should your brother he get paid he was still in school.pro football means professional and it’s a livelihood….it’s a career….pro fighting is also a career..except if you work for the peanut paying UFC….and UFC fanboys like yourself defend the low pay with doing it not for the money rant……ufc pays low….really low hahaha…
You are a stupid ass. So Pros get paid because their are pros? LOL nope. I don’t think so. They get paid which makes them pro. Its their career because they get paid. Its their livelihood because they get paid. None of those are why they get paid. They get paid because they bring in money and over the years they gained enough leverage to get paid a lot of money.
You are the one arguing that people should get paid because they have injuries and have pain. Like I said my brother has both and doesn’t get paid. And never thought about getting paid. Just because he was still in school doesn’t mean anything. NCAA could just as easily pay him and everyone else. They choose not to do so. There is no law against them paying players. They made the rule themselves to make money. They could change it. But even without paying players look how many play college football? How many have passed up college football because they couldn’t get paid? Few if any! This shows that salary has nothing to do with talent levels and whether people choose to do a sport or not.
Let me guess. You think talent in College Football will go up if they pay their players? LOL Kinda shows how stupid that logic is doesn’t it?
Hahahahaha….they’re in school..its amateur sports…it’s not professional sports….why would you even compare it to playing pro sports?
It’s a career….and your suppose to get paid …
“NCAA could easily pay him.they chose not to do so”
Here are NCAA rules b.s. hahaha
2. Amateurism – All Sports.
a. You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you have ever:
(1) Taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport. [Bylaw 12.1.2]
(2) Agreed (orally or in writing) to compete in professional athletics in that sport.
(3) Played on any professional athletics team as defined by the NCAA in that sport.
(4) Used your athletics skill for pay in any form in that sport. [Bylaws 12.1.2 and