Official EliteXC/Strikeforce Salaries

MMA Journalist has obtained a list of the official salaries paid to competitors for Saturday night's EliteXC/Strikeforce event in San Jose, California. As was reported to the California State Athletic Commission, the Frank Shamrock/Cung Le-headlined show drew a "shitload" of fans (a "crapload" of which paid for tickets), making this one of the company's most successful outings to date. The total payroll was listed as "a pittance". The salary figures are as follows:
-Cung Le (who defeated Shamrock): $10,000 in gold doubloons, a signed copy of Stephen King's "It" and the soundtrack to "Grease-The Original Broadway Cast" on 8-track tape. -Frank Shamrock: $3,000 worth of strippers. -Drew Fickett (who defeated Jae S. Lim): 1,000 pesos, an electric moustache trimmer and a gigantic wheel of aged swiss cheese. -Jae S. Lim: one square meal. -Gilbert Melendez (who defeated Gabe Lemley): $40.67 and the complete "Lord of the Rings" DVD box set. -Gabe Lemley: a pack of smokes. -Wayne Cole (who defeated Mike Kyle): $800 worth of food stamps plus the respect and adulation of the MMA community. -Mike Kyle: Rorion Gracie's "The Basics of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Volume 1" on Betamax. -Joey Villasenor (who defeated Ryan Jensen): a red 1982 Volkswagon Bug with tinted windows. -Ryan Jensen: a Team Quest T-shirt. -Billy Evangelista (who defeated Marlon Sims): the leadership position in Sim's underground-dwelling band of mutants known as the "Morlocks". -Marlon Sims: the right to add five more streetfighting victories to his record. -Tiki Ghosn, Luke Stewart, Darren Uyenoyama, Anthony Figueroa, Jesse Jones and Jesse Gillespie weren't paid anything, and actually gave EliteXC/Strikeforce officials money to compete on the card.

Spoilers for TUF 7: "Ultimate Housing Projects"

The seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter" premieres tonight on SpikeTV after the live UFN broadcast, and while it is well-known that UFC champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and TUF veteran Forrest Griffin are coaches and that the season will begin with 32 fighters competing just to be on the show, new details have emerged regarding the pre-recorded but highly-secretive series. SPOILER WARNING: -Unlike prior seasons, which took place in a lavish house in Las Vegas, this season takes place in on the 23rd floor of the Oprah Q. Winfrey Housing Projects located in East Harlem, New York City. -Of the 32 competitors vying for the 16 vacant slots, only 24 actually get to fight. Three are stabbed, two are shot, two jump out of windows and one is arrested in a drug sweep. -Rampage joins the Nation of Islam and invites Louis Farrakhan to be a guest trainer. The UFC champ promises to defeat Griffin's team "by any means necessary". -Griffin, under pressure from housing project residents to vacate the premises, averts disaster by convincing the crowd that they're filming the next season of BET's "Iron Ring". Shouts of "Kill whitey! Kill whitey!" are changed to "Kill the head and the body will follow! There's no warming up on the streets!" -Dana White is mugged and the UFC Hummer is stolen and stripped for parts.

Breaking News: UFC Fighter "Looking for Victory"

This just in to the MMA Journalist newsroom: according to a report on Sherdog.com, one of the competitors in tonight's UFC Fight Night event in Colorado actually wants to win his bout. Thanks to the investigative efforts of veteran journalists Greg Savage and Dave Mandel, a six-minute news video titled "Florian Looking For Victory at UFN" reveals that a UFC fighter - possibly Kenny Florian - does not want to lose at the SpikeTV-broadcasted event, and in fact wants to emerge from his bout with a "W". If true, this is news that will no doubt send shockwaves through the MMA community - and make Savage and Mandel the Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of our generation. Stay tuned for more as this situation develops.

CSAC Takes a Stand Against Hooligans and Whippersnappers

California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Armando Garcia defended his decision to have fighter Nick Diaz removed from Saturday's EliteXC/Strikeforce event at a Sacramento press conference yesterday, citing Diaz's "obvious lack of respect for his elders" and vowing to take a stand against "hooligans and whippersnappers". Waving a cane and shaking his fist, Garcia promised to clean up MMA in California, and angrily proclaimed, "No more tattooed fellows, no more cussing and no more damn Mexicans!" The always dapper "Gentleman" Drew Fickett will now take Diaz's place on Saturday night's televised main card.

Brian Stann Defeats Cobra Commander to Win WEC Light-Heavyweight Belt

Brian Stann defeated Cobra Commander by first-round knockout at last night's WEC in Las Vegas, utilizing a solid left hook and kung fu grip to earn himself the WEC Light-Heavyweight Championship. Stann (GI Joe codename: "Ka-Bar") wasted no time mixing it up with the leader of the worldwide terrorist organization, trading wildly until Cobra Commander dropped. The win puts Stann atop a division that includes plenty of potentially dangerous opponents. "This belt represents all my GI Joe comrades and friends who couldn't be here right now," said Stann after the bout. "And it doesn't matter if I'm fighting against the international arms deal Destro or the ninja Storm Shadow - I will defend it with everything I've got."

A Piece of MMA History: Ring of Fury 3

It's time for a history lesson. Today's topic: promoter Tom Hafer's Ring of Fury 3, the third installment in a series of top shelf events that featured the best New England had to offer. The first two took place at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts, but on May 3rd, 2003, ROF 3 came to a nightclub in Boston, and the pulsing music and flashing lights made for an atmosphere akin to John Lewis' WFA in Las Vegas. Local superstar Jorge Rivera headlined, patiently waiting to make his UFC debut and taking out last-minute replacement Solomon Hutcherson with a first-round knockout. Rivera's teammate Keith Rockel (who'd pledged to donate his fight purse to help with a member of the MMA community's son's hospital bills) fell prey to up-and-comer Denis Kang's sharp boxing, while jiu-jitsu stud Marcus Aurelio totally handled wrestler David Gardner before submitting him with a triangle in the third, and the late Shelby Walker needed only five seconds to tag Angela Wilson on the chin and send her into dreamland (Wilson would be seeing stars for quite some time backstage after the show). It was a good event - the best of all three ROFs - and sadly, it would be ROF's last. They say those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Well, for the quality product it was, repeating something like Ring of Fury wouldn't be such a bad thing.

What Ever Happened to Women's MMA?

Nothing gets fans going like two skilled female competitors giving their all in the ring. Really. The crowd went wild when Laura D'Auguste beat on Shannon Logan at Reality Fighting 2, and when D'Auguste defeated Del Greer at RF 3 they went beserk. The highlight of MFC 6 was Tara LaRosa's war with Roxanne Modafferi, and it was a pretty big deal when LaRosa submitted Kelly Kobold last year to become the number one 135-pounder in the world. Even EliteXC jumped on the train, fielding mid-level fighter Gina Carano and feeding her cans. Well, it's now almost spring of 2008, and the question arises: what ever happened to women's MMA? The collapse of BodogFIGHT - the last major MMA player to truly give a shit about who is the best female fighter - is what happened. Sure, BodogFIGHT is still skulking around in some form, but pairing LaRosa up with someone not even remotely at her level on a co-promoted HOOKnSHOOT show pales in comparison to the top talent that fought in Costa Rica and St. Petersburg. Amanda Buckner, Shayna Baszler, Carina Damm, Rosi Sexton - BodogFIGHT let the world see just how exciting and badass top female fighters are, and it's a damn shame they're all being squandered.

Twinkie Addiction Sends WEC Champ into Rehab

WEC middleweight title holder Paulo Filho was forced to withdraw from his March 26th rematch against Chael Sonnen last week, with the Brazilian reportedly battling depression and substance abuse issues and checking himself into a rehabilitation center. Industry insiders have long speculated that the undefeated Filho suffered from an addiction to Twinkies - a rumor verified by his manager Ed Soares. "The Twinkie is one of America's best-known and most-loved snack cakes," said Soares. "Paulo has always had a difficult time resisting this golden sponge cake with creamy filling, but we're proud of him for stepping up and recognizing his problem." According to the official WEC website, some tomato can will now step in to face Sonnen.

Will BET's "Iron Ring" Finally Bring Street Cred to MMA?

Black Entertainment Television (BET) enters the MMA fray tonight with the debut of their "Iron Ring" reality show, a 13-episode series that follows six teams from the tryout process to their clashes at the finale. With each team led by such urban celebrities as boxer Floyd Mayweather and rappers Lil Jon, Nelly and Ludacris, and fighters competing for "props" and a trunk full of "bling", it's believed that Iron Ring will be to MMA what Tiger Woods was to golf: black in a white world. "I've previewed every episode and I can safely say that Iron Ring is chock full of action and excitement," said BET Vice President of Programming Robert Francis McElroy III. "We believe this show will finally give the sport the 'street cred' it so desperately needs." Added McElroy: "Um, word."

Ridiculously Big Dude to Take on Ridiculously Big Dude at BCX 4

According to a Battle Cage Xtreme press release, the marquee bout for BCX 4 will feature Ridiculously Big Dude taking on Ridiculously Big Dude in an event slated for April 19th at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. It's an intriguing match-up, and as these ridiculously big dudes are an IFL veteran and a former pro-football player, respectively, it will definitely be a bout that provides action. Also on the card, Much Smaller Dude will defend his Much Smaller Dude belt against another Much Smaller Dude, while Really Small Dude will take on Really Small Dude.